Photo via IMDb
By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
31 years ago, “Toy Story” became arguably the greatest animated film ever created, launching Pixar into the stratosphere and spawning a coveted franchise. While Disney has been guilty of churning out sequels and remakes without regard to quality, “Toy Story 5” is not an ordinary sequel. This is a story that creatively navigates franchise fatigue by incorporating a very topical theme and staying true to its roots with a whole lot of heart.
When Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) is given a Lilypad (Greta Lee), her first electronic device, she immediately becomes addicted, discarding all her toys in the process as she absorbs the screentime. As her favorite toy, Jessie (Joan Cusack) springs into action, desperately trying to avoid being abandoned by another kid. With the help of Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and a few new friends like Smarty Pants (Conan O’Brien), Snappy (Shelby Rabara), and Atlas (Craig Robinson), Jessie faces their biggest threat yet…tech.
This is the first time Andrew Stanton has directed a “Toy Story” film, but he’s been the writer for every movie in the franchise, including this one, which helps with the continuity and characters. He’s assisted with the directing and writing duties by McKenna Harris, who has primarily worked in Pixar’s animation department previously. In 2019, when “Toy Story 4” released, it was clear that these movies were heading towards a similar fate to toy stores. After the box office disaster that was “Lightyear” in 2022, many had thought Disney destroyed another movie franchise. So, Stanton needed to take risks with this sequel to reinvigorate the magic, and that he did. Making the decision to turn Woody and Buzz into the supporting characters and Jessie the main character, is the boldest risk, and it pays off tremendously. This allows Stanton to escape the tired tropes of the Woody and Buzz dynamic and explore Jessie’s backstory. Audiences are exposed to a fresh narrative with a unique perspective while still getting the familiarity of the characters they’ve come to love.
The incorporation of technology geared towards children as a replacement to toys is very real in today’s culture. The Lilypad device shown in the movie is a spoof of Leap Frog, which is a gateway drug, if you will, to smart phones/tablets. Stanton uses this to illustrate how much these devices have infiltrated households, consuming hours upon hours of children’s attention, thereby dulling their ability to make real social connections. In this way, he develops a strong emotional connection for viewers as he shows this new normal from the perspective of the toys, which have become almost obsolete overnight. Stanton authentically conveys the effect these devices have on child development, from growing up too fast to loss of imagination to social conformity. He even includes a bit of cyber bullying and the mental toll that takes on a young mind. While this Lilypad character is the obvious antagonist, her story arc is incredibly well thought out and executed. Even though he tackles some pretty serious themes, Stanton still employs a fair amount of amusing humor and adventurous energy throughout to alleviate the tension and maintain young viewer interest.
“Toy Story” revolutionized animation in 1995, creating realistic visuals never before seen. Stanton upholds this standard with the most detailed animation yet that continues to drop jaws. Whether it’s the challenging lighting of a busy highway at night or the hair on a horse or even the blades of grass swaying in a soft breeze, the exquisite level of detail from the polished 3D computer graphics is astonishing. Stanton creatively alters the animation style during the child playtime, using more of a chalk-drawn style with bleeding edges that encapsulates a child’s raw imagination. All of this represents a devotion to quality that does not usually exist in sequels.
In the spirit of this film, stow away those devices, take your whole family to the theater, and then dust off a board game to play together at home because memories last longer than electronic achievements/trophies. “Toy Story 5” reinvigorates this franchise with a resonating story filled with heart and strong messaging and outstanding animation, all while maintaining its foundational elements of humor and adventure. This is easily the best animated film of the year so far and one of the better overall films.
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