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More than 30 years after the original Pixar classic, the toys are back in town with Toy Story 5. Having previously delivered some of the best animated films of all time – including more than a dozen Academy Award winners – Pixar’s once dependable animation studio has been a bit uneven since the pandemic.
Titles like Inside Out 2 marked a return to form, and with Toy Story 5, the studio can claim another minor masterwork. Though the franchise delivered a perfect ending in 2010 with Toy Story 3, it found another tale to tell nearly a decade later with 2019’s Toy Story 4. If the fourth entry was a step down, it was certainly a negligible one. Seven years later (if you can believe it), the adored franchise returns for another coming-of-age quest that explores the power of play, the elusive nature of time, and the toys that made us.
A New Hero and a Modern Threat
Released over the Father’s Day holiday weekend in the US, dads looking for the best entertainment ROI could hardly go wrong with Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen). Where Toy Story 4 recapped what happened to Woody’s long-lost crush Bo Peep, Toy Story 5 picks up Jessie’s storyline from Toy Story 2, giving the cowgirl (voiced by Joan Cusack) an adventure all her own and a fitting resolve to her backstory.
Given the long legacy of the series, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, not to mention the rest of the supporting cast, are unlikely to sign on for anything less than the best, making the series one of the most trustworthy for parents – and the box office. Each chapter manages to find a fresh perspective, mining the endlessly complex realities of childhood to explore new facets of growing up. This time around the toys tackle today’s world of tech. Greta Lee voices Lilypad, a frog-shaped learning tablet that presents an immediate threat to all of the inhabitants of Bonnie’s toy chest.
Andrew Stanton, who contributed to the story for every previous entry in the franchise, steps into the director’s chair. Best known for his extensive work at Pixar, Stanton co-wrote and directed the beloved Oscar-wining Pixar titles Finding Nemo and WALL-E. That familiarity proves a big benefit as Stanton seamlessly balances entertaining kids, adults, and everyone in between.
Despite the passing of original members of the voice cast (Don Rickles’ Mr Potato Head, Estelle Harris’ Mrs Potato Head, and Jim Varney as Slinky Dog, just to name a few), the gang all appears on screen, brought to life through archival recordings or faithful interpretations from other actors. Stanton also introduces new characters to the mix. Fellow dads out there will get a kick out of the toilet training device Smarty Pants, voiced by Conan O’Brien.
Toy Story 5: The Verdict
While it doesn’t quite deliver the emotional punch of its predecessors, Toy Story 5 succeeds as a timely consideration on childhood in the digital age. The cautionary tale echoes the forward-thinking move by some countries to ban social media for children under 16. Following Australia in the world’s first outright ban, the sequel arrives in cinemas just days after the UK announced its own forthcoming ban.
Rather than adopting an outright anti-technology stance, the film explores how screens compete and replace traditional forms of play, raising worthwhile questions about how technology shapes childhood development. On a final note, if you’ve been holding out for Disney’s money-making live-action machine to churn out a CGI version of Bambi, there’s even a scene here for you.
Four stars ★★★★ | Toy Story 5 is in cinemas on June 19
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