Here’s my Toy Story 5 review which is now showing in cinemas from Walt Disney Studios PH and SM Cinemas! The film is directed by McKenna Harris and Andrew Stanton and features the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Conan O’Brien, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee, and more!
I walked into this film thinking that it’s going to be a lot more fun than Toy Story 4 already was, and boy was I wrong. Not only did it push past expectations, but it will also make a grown man cry every 10 to 15 minutes!
The film focuses on the trend of kids preferring to use gadgets like phones and tablets over traditional toys and how that affects them socially, emotionally, and mentally. In this film, Jessie and the rest of what used to be Andy’s toys face still competition for Bonnie’s attention in the form of the tablet known as Lilypad. When Lilypad shows off and gets Bonnie in a slumber party with some kids in the dance class, Jessie tries to find a way to make Bonnie popular, only to end up getting lost and sent back to the address of her old owner. Jessie’s mission is clear, get back to the city to Bonny and prove Lilypad wrong. In this home, Jessie and Bullseye meet new (and old) devices led by Smarty Pants (Conan O’Brien), who find a way to get her back and notify Bonny of their whereabouts. Back in Bonny’s house a worried and distracted Buzz Lightyear begrudgingly teams up with the returning Woody to get rid of Lilypad and restore the former status quo even going as far as hitching a ride to rescue Jessie and bring her back.
There’s also a subplot about a bunch of new Buzz Lightyear figures that find a way into the story in a surprising manner with an even better payoff at the end. Love that.
But the main pull for me for Toy Story 5 is that question around devices.
I write and feature gadgets and devices for a living. So I wanted to see how Toy Story 5 addressed the issue and how they present the problem. From the toys’ POV, the devices and tech are taking away the time for kids to imagine and actually play. Instead of doing physical stuff, they log in more play hours online and in front of their screens. The second problem that they kind of tiptoed around was the effects of socializing online through tech and what its effects are on kids. So what was Toy Story 5’s solution or at least intended positive path? Co-existence. Finding a healthy balance for kids to use their toys AND their gadgets.
OK, that’s nice and positive. And while I have questions and points to raise, that might be shelved for some other time because Toy Story 5 is also more than that.
I loved that nice realization they put in the end that technology like phones and tablets share the same endgame with toys. When their users don’t find them useful anymore, they end up stored somewhre slowly whittling away until they can no longer be used. At least the toys can get more with their “lives” finding new owners and people who appreciate them.
Toy Story 5 also moves the story and the lives of the characters we know and love further, with Woody and Bo continuing their NGO work of saving lost toys while Buzz and Jessie staying behind to Bonnie which was fun to watch. They’ve grown accustomed to their new status quo and yet still have their self-doubts here and there.
The humor for the film is excellent. They even added some potty humor thanks to Smarty Pants and his team of used devices. But its not crass or anything, it’s actually funny. Then there are also a ton of visual gags here that I really appreciate like that scene at the end involving an adult and a modern era Buzz Lightyear toy as well as the scene of two dozen or so horse figures prancing around with Buzz Lightyear figures riding them and then there’s Woody with his tiny pony.
I didn’t expect to tear up or get my hearstrings tugged on every 15 minutes with Toy Story 5 but I am so happy that it did. I really didn’t expect to LOVE the fifth entry but its got a lot of heart and a lot of things to say.
5/5
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