Toy Story 5
Social media has forever changed the way friendships and relationships are born. Up until the internet, we were mostly limited to meeting people in person, and seeing if a connection happened through shared personalities and interests. “If sparks flew,” in another words. Yes, we can learn a lot about people we connect with on social media, but when we meet up in person, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the vibe feels off. At its core, that is the conflict in “Toy Story 5,” which the trailers have set up as one thing, but becomes about the fundamental truth of growing up- making friends is difficult.
We don’t really know how much time has passed since “Toy Story 4,” but Bonnie seems to be about 9-10 when the film starts. She’s still playing with the toys, and we get a unique visual perspective of that beyond just watching her manipulate the toys. Director Andrew Stanton and co-writer/co-director McKenna Harris create a uniquely visual way of basically showing us the toy’s- and even Bonnie’s- perspective on the play time. It goes back to some of the visual ideas we got in Pixar’s criminally underrated “Elemental,” and I loved every second. There is a sea change in how kids “play,” though, and Bonnie doesn’t have a lot of friends. She wants to make friends with the neighbor kids, and the toys- especially Jessie (Joan Cusack)- want to make it happen, but the vibes just feel…off. Technology and screens are replacing physical toys. The jumping off point for the story is that Bonnie’s parents get her a Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee), a tablet that allows her to connect with friends without even being there. For the toys, it’s a jarring introduction to Bonnie’s playtime, especially when it can “add friends” to Bonnie’s life in rapid time. Faced with being cast aside again, Jessie calls in reinforcements with Woody (Tom Hanks), but after getting separated from Bonnie on a trip to a sleepover, is it too late for Woody to help Buzz (Tim Allen) and co. to stop the inevitable?
One of the smartest choices “Toy Story 5” makes is moving away from Woody and Buzz as the main characters- though there is a delightful subplot with about 50 Buzz Lightyears throughout that brings back some smart callbacks to a dynamic from “Toy Story 2”- and turning the spotlight on Jessie. Yes, this development of Lilypad’s introduction to Bonnie’s life has her feeling anxious about being cast aside as she was with Emily (her child prior to being a potential display set toy, and then, being integrated into Andy’s toys), but her mission isn’t just to stave off the inevitable, but to see Bonnie make a friend who appreciates who she is, and how she plays. In a way, this makes Bonnie as much a main character in the film as Jessie, and it’s a unique choice that pays off well emotionally. In a turn of events, Jessie returns to Emily’s house, which now has a new family and a new daughter, Blaze, in it. We also meet some of Blaze’s old toys, both ones like Jessie, as well as previous tech, including Smarty Pants (voiced hilariously by Conan O’Brien). This gives a whole new wrinkle to the theme of being replaced that has been throughout this franchise, and for Jessie, it brings a level of closure she never expected to have. No tearjerking songs this time- although there’s a delightful one by Taylor Swift at the end (and Randy Newman’s instrumental score still has an ability to move us)- but the Pixar ability to wring emotions out of adults remains strong.
The purpose of a fifth movie in a franchise- especially one as consistently popular as “Toy Story”- is to make money. No doubt, after a series of original film financial missteps over the past few years, that was a big part of why “Toy Story 5” exists. But Stanton and Harris make sure this isn’t just about making money- “Toy Story 5” exists to reunite us with old cinematic friends, and to remind us that just because an algorithm shows us someone we could “add as a friend,” that doesn’t mean they align with who we are. That’s something only interpersonal interactions can confirm for sure.
