- Director: Andrew Stanton
- Screenplay: Andrew Stanton, Kenna Harris
- Story: Andrew Stanton
- Producer: Lindsey Collins, Jessica Choi
- Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Conan O’Brien, Greta Lee, Scarlett Spears, Shelby Rabara, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Craig Robinson
- Cinematography: Matt Aspbury, Jean-Claude Kalache
- Editing: Jennifer Jew
- Score: Randy Newman
- Genre: Adventure comedy-drama
- Runtime: 102 minutes
Toys go head-to-head with tech. In this day and age, we’re glued to electronic devices. It’s not just the adults; the kids’ attention is drawn to screens. Children of the post-COVID era hop onto tablets (such as the frog-shaped one depicted in the movie), getting a fix like a lil’ junkie whilst they laze around and tap-tap-tap on inane games.
The core message of ‘Toy Story 5‘ is technology = bad. It’s laid on with a trowel. And while that’s an agreeable opinion at least in regards to our overreliance on appliances, it’s five years out of date. We’re too late. Smart tech is far too ingrained in our daily lives for us to change our habits now. I understand crafting these films takes painstaking dedication and the process cannot be hurried but it’s taken too long to get the point across.
The fun levels are high, the pacing is good and there’s plenty of emotional beats. Yet I question who the writers had in mind when they wrote the film. The IP is over 30 years old – the millennials who grew up with the first two entries are adults. ‘Toy Story 3‘ wrapped up Andy’s tale and is regarded as the perfect ending to the series.
The following entry was solid if unnecessary. That was released in 2019 so the kids who watched that are now teenagers. With such lengthy gaps between features, there’s less interest with each new audience. I doubt contemporary viewers care about toys in general, let alone movies centred on them. I’d imagine ‘Toy Story 5‘ appeals more to adults to be honest. You don’t have to have seen the last four films to enjoy it but the dynamic between Buzz and Jessie, and Buzz and Woody won’t affect you with the intended sentiment if this is your first time watching a movie in the franchise.
As for Woody, our raggedy cowboy parted ways with the bedroom gang at the conclusion of the previous film. The bold decision would’ve been to move on without involving him in the plot. There’s many more toys out there in the world. A case of crossed wires means Woody comes striding back into the fold, temporarily thankfully. He has a bald patch – perhaps signifying how worn out this franchise is.
My rating: 6 / 10
SilverScreen 