It has taken seven years for the fifth installment of Toy Story to arrive, with the previous film releasing back in 2019, in the pre-pandemic era. One thing, however, has remained consistent: when done right, animation can rival the biggest live-action blockbusters. While the post-pandemic box office has experienced it’s share of highs and lows, animated films have continued to deliver. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Despicable Me 4 and Zootopia 2, among others, have emerged as global box office winners, proving that audiences of all ages still turn up in large numbers for compelling animation.
Which brings us back to Toy Story 5. Directed by Andrew Stanton, the film follows Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack), Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) and the rest of the toy gang, who are happily settled in Bonnie’s home. Bonnie, too, adores her toys, but as she grows older, she finds it increasingly difficult to connect with children her age. Her peers have long traded toys for gadgets, particularly a ‘Lilypad’.
Lilypad believes it is helping Bonnie by encouraging her to engage with the digital world and make new friends. The toys, however, see things differently. It’s tech versus toys.
The makers win half the battle simply by choosing a theme that is impossible to ignore in today’s world. In an age where tablets and smartphones have become children’s constant companions, the film taps into an anxiety shared by parents across the globe, cutting across languages and cultures Almost every parent has, at some point, wondered whether screens are replacing imagination and outdoor play. Toy Story 5 cleverly channels that concern into it’s central conflict, making the story relatable. It delivers long before the film begins with it’s laughs, ensuring audiences are invested from the outset. It also leads to some emotional moments where your heart goes out to children who are missing the joy of the tactile world, and are stuck on screen taps.
It’s not all giggles and chuckles though. There are certain bits where the pace either slows down, or it simply doesn’t evoke any reactions. The story, too stretches thin pretty easily. At 1 hour and 42 minutes, the runtime emerges as a saviour for the film. The animation, of course, is stunning, but then that’s something one has already come to expect from the entire Toy Story franchise.
To sum it up, Toy Story 5 isn’t the franchise’s greatest adventure, but it remains a thoughtful one. The story occasionally runs out of steam. However, the central idea is strong enough to carry it through the rough patches. More importantly, it understands what has kept audiences returning for three decades: beneath the animation lies an emotional truth that resonates with children and adults alike. The toys may be worried about being replaced by screens, but judging by this outing, they still have plenty of life left in them.
