‘Toy Story 5’ Review: Timeless as our Childhood Toys

Very few franchises have the longevity to make it to a fifth film let alone also maintain quality throughout. Toy Story is one that has accomplished both. Who could have imagined that we’d still be getting the most heartwarming and heartbreaking stories about a group of toys come to life since their debut in 1995. I was eight years old when Toy Story first came out and I immediately fell in love with both the story and animation. I am 38 years old now and while I may have outgrown playing with action figures, I will never outgrow Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang. 30 years later and Pixar is still finding creative and loving stories to tell even as the kids grow up, the animation advances, and the definition of toys changes with every generation. The Toy Story franchise is as timeless as Andy’s original toys, and Toy Story 5 delivers another touching film from Pixar that will make you want to go searching deep inside your closet for those childhood memories.

Bonnie is now an eight-year-old Jessie remains her favorite toy, but she still struggles to make friends with other children who have all given their toys in favor of the more advanced tech that is now taking all their attention. When Bonnie is given a tablet named Lilypad from her parents to help her make friends with the other kids, Jessie has flashbacks to losing her first child Emily and fears that the same will happen to Bonnie now that this new tech has arrived. Woody returns from the park to lend a hand to Jessie, and with Buzz’s help, the trio do what they can to help Bonnie make some real friends and keep her away from the “evils” of the screen.

It’s been fascinating to watch how the Toy Story franchise has grown and evolved. Unlike the toys, the children and adults are not frozen in time. Andy grew up and while Toy Story 3 had the perfect franchise ending with him handing down his collection to a young Bonnie, there’s no way that Disney and Pixar would close the door on a billion dollar franchise. And rather than recycle the same story with a new kid, the franchise finds ways to make it timey. With Toy Story 5, it’s the introduction of technology. Bonnie is an outsider because she still plays with toys and using her mind to create these wild and imaginative play scenarios, meanwhile all the other kids her age have their heads buried in their screens playing games online or watching videos. When Lily comes into the picture, she’s able to connect Bonnie with other kids practically immediately while Jessie is still trying to figure out a plan to make Bonnie friends. But just because a number on a screen keeps increasing, that doesn’t make them true friends.

At the end of Toy Story 4, Woody left the gang to help rescue lost toys in the park and while he returns to help out, Jessie is the main focus of Toy Story 5. This allows to film to not only change up the formula but also explore more of Jessie’s backstory and her fears of being left behind again. As much as I love both Woody and Buzz, it’s nice to see Jessie get the spotlight. Her adventure to help Bonnie find new friends leads her to her old home where she befriends a group of old tech toys including an online potty training toy named Smarty Pants, a camera named Snappy, and a GPS hippo named Atlas. Even though these toys have technology built into them, they are already outdated and have been replaced by more advanced technology. Smarty Pants, voiced hilariously by Conan O’Brien, is the highlight of the film and garners the majority of the laughs. Of course, his personality revolves mostly around potty humor so don’t expect anything too sophisticated. Still, it’s Jessie who is the heart of the film, and like the others in the franchise, Toy Story 5 delivers plenty of emotional moments that will make even the hardest of plastic eyes shed a tear or two.

As someone who has grown from a kid into an adult during the lifespan of the Toy Story franchise, each film has always been able to take me back to my childhood. It feels especially difficult nowadays as the older you get, the more effort it requires. It’s especially difficult with how technology has taken over our attention spans, and Toy Story 5 does a good job at addressing this. Pixar has had its ups and downs recently, but the Toy Story franchise is their shining star, and they completely knock it out of the park. Every time the credits roll on a Toy Story film, I always think to myself that this is the perfect time to end things on a high note and that there’s nowhere else for the franchise to go, and every time Pixar proves me wrong. After five films, I’m now content to let them keep making Toy Story films until the sun burns out.