Toy Story 5 - Spoiler Free Review

Film Details

Director: Andrew Stanton

Run Time: 1hr 42m

Cast: Tom Hanks, Joan Cusack, Tim Allen, Greta Lee, Keanu Reeves, Wallace Shaun

Synopsis

Jessie, Buzz, Woody and the gang meet Lilypad, a brand new tablet advice that has new, disruptive ideas on what is best for Bonnie.

My Review

Toy Story 5 has arguably the most important theming in the entire franchise, exploring the dangers of technology and social media in the hands of children. That messaging is both powerful and effective, debunking all claims that further instalments in the popular franchise are “unneeded and irrelevant”.

Unfortunately, despite the poignant themes on display here, Toy Story 5 ranks as my least favourite instalment. Which is not to say I didn’t enjoy the film, I absolutely did, but Buzz and Woody are some of my favourite fictional characters ever and seeing the pair sidelined along with the rest of the original characters to give Jessie her time in the limelight, is simply less appealing to me and that’s okay, what’s not appealing to me, will certainly appeal to others and I’m fine with that! Regardless, Jessie’s character development was great to see, overcoming the trauma of losing Emily and coming to terms with her greater purpose of being a toy. I’m still not entirely sure how I felt about Bonnie having so much screen time here, on one hand it was necessary to drive home the subject of technology but on the other hand, Toy Story has never been about the kid to me and I always prefer it when they are really minor characters that serve the wider story of the toys.

All in all, Toy Story 5 is undoubtedly a success! Andrew Stanton and the entire team continue to find new stories that are worth telling and I will ALWAYS love seeing these characters who have meant so much to me throughout my entire life. There are lessons for children and for adults in this instalment, technology isn’t bad but how it is used is vitally important when keeping children safe and protected. The film ultimately reflects the harsh truths surrounding social media, rather than technology itself and hopefully those lessons can be learned as we navigate through the pretty volatile world we currently live in.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10

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