Toy Story 5: A Must-Watch for All Ages
The script stirs up emotion, challenges, drama, and humour, enticing the audience into the world of toys. There is no doubt that kids and adults will be enchanted alike.
Film Details
- Film: Toy Story 5
- Director: Andrew Stanton
- Cast: Conan O’Brien, Craig Robinson, Greta Lee, Joan Cusack, Shelby Rabara, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Tony Hale, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Scarlett Spears
This fifth iteration of Pixar’s super successful franchise about the secret lives of toys hits the sweet spot in terms of contemporary child-friendly messaging. In this film, it is Jessie (Joan Cusack) the cowgirl’s job, with help from Buzz and Woody, to convince Bonnie (voiced by Scarlett Spears) and her neighbourhood twins that their tablets are a threat to their collective playtime. Together, they impart a sweet lesson about physical play being more rewarding than screen time.
Being the fifth sequel, this production might seem like it is dragging the franchise interminably, but that is not true. Like its previous iterations, this one too delivers on its promise of humour, emotions, drama, heart-tugging messaging, inventiveness, and depth.
The Plot
The situation is dramatic. Seeing little kids forever glued to their screens, Jessie and the gang feel abandoned and are afraid of becoming extinct yet again. Stanton and co-director/writer Kenna Harris write up an aside, getting Jessie to the farmhouse where her original owner, Emily, once lived. Jessie is reminded of when Emily outgrew her and eventually donated her to another family. A young girl, Blaze (Mykal-Michelle Harris), lives there with her family now and she goes through tech like a speed demon.
The anxiety over going through that whole traumatic process of being donated to a new family again spurs Jessie to take the lead in weaning Little Bonnie (who apparently is her third-generation owner) away from her talking Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee), while persuading her to spend more time with the twin boys next door.
Woody (Tom Hanks), paunchy and balding now but still resourceful; the upgraded batch of Hi-Tech Edition Buzz Lightyears (Tim Allen) who have drone capabilities; Smarty Pants (Conan O’Brien), the toy hippo with GPS; Atlas (Craig Robinson); and toy camera Snappy (Shelby Rabara) help the cause. Jessie’s trusted steed, Bullseye (Alan Cumming), is also in the picture.
Why It Works
The script stirs up emotion, challenges, drama, and humour and entices the audience into the world of toys. The sweetly compelling tone, the stirring tempo, Randy Newman’s enchanting score, and Taylor Swift’s catchy song, ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’, towards the end credits, lend the avid watcher a general feeling of happy well-being.
The CGI and the wonderfully evocative pastoral backgrounds are a visual treat all their own.
This movie works because the messaging is clear and profound. One-on-one communication with peers is essential for the continued mental well-being of a child. That is what will help them develop and grow. Parents should, in fact, make this film essential viewing for their children.
Andrew Stanton, who finally got to direct the latest movie in the successful franchise he created and co-scripted, does a wonderful job of keeping the audience captivated by the irresistible allure, emotionally potent dramatics, and funny antics on display here. There is no doubt that kids and adults will be enchanted alike.
