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The newest sequel is a pleasant light-comic adventure, with several welcome new twists to the ‘Toy Story’ saga.
To their credit, Pixar has not entirely bent its knees to its owner, Disney, at least when it comes to the Toy Story saga. True, I thought that Toy Story 3 (2010) both extended and concluded the story. While Toy Story 4 (2019) did not feel necessary, nevertheless, it was an enjoyable film that concluded with Woody (Tom Hanks) separating from the main gang of toys and venturing off with his mate Bo Peep (Annie Potts), to help abandoned toys find their owners, which has always been an important narrative thread in the series. 

Toy Story 5 begins with Jessie (Joan Cusack), who first appeared in Toy Story 2, now in charge as leader of the toys; Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) is her second in command. Young Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) is experiencing loneliness, since she has not been able to make any friends, who all seem to be consumed with their own electronic devices. 

The toys express their concern to Jessie, who reassures them that Bonnie will always want to play with her beloved toys. A new existential threat enters the household, however, when Bonnie’s parents (Lori Alan and Jay Hernandez) buy her a Lilypad (Greta Lee), a smart tablet that immediately delights and entrances her. Before she knows it, she’s added as a member of the neighborhood girls’ chat group, by the very same girls who mocked her for wanting to play with her. 

Naturally, the toys are in a mournful revolt against Lilypad, but don’t know what to do. Jessie calls upon Woody for advice, before embarking on a long journey to seek reconciliation with Bonnie. Meanwhile, in the film’s opening sequence, 50 Buzz Lightyears washed up on distant shores due to shipwreck, broke out of their packages, and are now heading toward a fateful meeting with their presumptive leader. 

It’s all in good fun. The voice cast brings back at least a dozen actors to reprise their roles, while adding at least a dozen new actors to voice new characters, including Bad Bunny as Pizza with Sunglasses, which is typical of the film’s sense of humor. 

Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, 2003; WALL-E, 2008), who has co-scripted all five films, takes the directorial reins this time. All the character interactions and the action sequences flow seamlessly together, one leading naturally to the next, making the film easy to watch for children with limited attention spans and adults with limited tolerance for pre-adolescent hijinks. 

This is a lighter film than either of the two previous installments, which both felt conclusive in the moment. Its arguments against digital devices — that they rob children of the opportunity to enjoy playing with other children and discourage them from exercising their imagination in recreational activities — are articulated in a manner that reminds of Clint Eastwood yelling “Get off my lawn” at gang members in Gran Torino (2008) or a sight gag from The Simpsons (2010), featuring Abe Simpson as “Old man yells at cloud.” 

Toy Story 5 does not pose the question with any nuance; it’s simply intended as a blanket existential threat to (physical) toys everywhere: digital devices are coming for your jobs. Still, it gives the new installment a clothesline on which the filmmakers can hang their jokes about being replaced by poor substitutes, and encourage children everywhere to give physical play with other physical children a chance before retreating to the sanctity of their rooms and engaging solely with other (verified) children. 

In the meantime, have fun enjoying Pixar’s beautiful animated characters and landscapes, on a big screen, if possible. 

The film opens wide throughout the Metroplex on Friday, June 19.  For more information about the film, visit the official site.