Halfway through Toy Story 5, a movie my seven-year-old daughter was eagerly looking forward to, she began to squirm. You know, the kind of slouching little kids do where their heads are against the seat, legs stretched out to the bar in front. I asked her what was wrong. “I’m bored,” she declared. At the end, I asked her how she liked it, and she noted, “Well, I’ve seen the other four movies… so this was just more of the same.” I’m sure we’ll watch it 20 times more when it arrives on Disney+.
Meanwhile, her friend sat enthralled the entire time.
Most Toy Story fans would agree that the franchise peaked with #3, and thematically it could have stopped there. But here’s the thing: as long as Disney-Pixar maintains a certain level of quality–even if it isn’t top-tier quality–I’ll keep coming.
Toy Story 5 is indeed “more of the same,” and it is also the weakest of the bunch. But it’s also fun, entertaining, fast-paced, and endearing.
More, please.
Writing/directing duo Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall-E, A Bug’s Life) and McKenna Harris (no previous feature-length directorial or writing experience) bring the gang back together again, including Woody (Tom Hanks) who ventured into the unknown with hookup pal Belle at the end of Toy Story 4. Numero Cinco focuses on Jessie (Joan Cusack) and her efforts to overcome past trauma of abandonment when her kid Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) gets a tablet for the first time, sucked into the digital vortex of Screen Time.
The typical escapades ensue, with the toys desperately attempting to save each other while helping Bonnie make a friend and convincing themselves they are still relevant in a tech-driven world.
Toy Story 5 has all the components you’d expect, plus about thirty new-age Buzz Lightyears (Tim Allen) for comedic value. But there is something amiss this time around: the screenplay. The thematic elements feel more on the nose, and some of the inherent silliness of the franchise is missing. Lots of amusing things happen, but they feel softer than previous entries. Quantity over quality. Surplus over edge.
And yet, the tried and true components still hold sturdy like a vintage toy. The toys and the music and the color and the earnest optimism we expect are all still there, doing what they do best. It’s nice to see Jessie take center stage, but weird to see Buzz and especially Woody relegated to supporting roles.
My daughter may have spent half the runtime squirming in her seat, but she’s already told me she wants to see it again. Toy Story 5 may be more of the same, but returning to this franchise is like being embraced by a warm blanket. More, please.
Review by Erik Samdahl. Erik is a marketing and technology executive by day, avid movie lover by night. He is a member of the Seattle Film Critics Society.