Toy Story 5 Movie Review: A Nostalgic, Colourful Joyride with a Timely Screen-Time Message
Story: Toy cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack), Woody (Tom Hanks), and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) team up with other toys and tech devices to help Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) make a real-world friend, as her traditional playtime is threatened by rising screen time and a digital toy, Lilypad (Greta Lee).
Review: Toy Story is one of those franchises that has now become a legacy. Three decades and five outings in, it still conjures up the same emotions and nostalgia as chancing upon your favourite toy, neatly stowed away in storage and memory. Writer-director Andrew Stanton brings together the best of classic toys and humour, while making things more relevant with the theme of diminishing offline playtime and increasing screen time.
Eight-year-old Bonnie struggles to make new friends because she is one of those rare children who still plays with good old toys instead of being glued to a screen. As a toy laments, “The age of toys is over!” in the film, her parents give in and buy her Lilypad, a frog-shaped kiddie device. Unsurprisingly, Bonnie is immediately addicted and also gets invited to a friend’s sleepover after they connect on a group chat. Thus begins Jessie and team’s quest to help Bonnie rediscover the joy of real-world play and friendship.
The film proves to be a joyride from the word go, as it gives us a glimpse into what kiddie imaginative play is all about, starting with a poisoned dinosaur at a wedding and the mystery around how it will be solved. The narrative reminds us how addicted kids are to devices, to the point where even electronic toys that run on batteries seem like classic toys.
The classic rivalry between Woody and Buzz, jokes on the former’s age, and a potty-training toy Smarty Pants’s (Conan O’Brien) toilet humour, which is genuinely funny without getting gross, keep the humour lively. A legion of Buzz Lightyears turning into drones, along with the riot of vibrant colours and top-notch graphics, make this a fun watch. Add to that a subtle hint that digital toys can be useful if used judiciously. Lilypad is the one who recognises the code on Buzz Lightyear’s rear that turns them into flying robots and saves the day when needed. It is all fun and games when the classic toys come alive, but when Lilypad and other electronic devices start acting on their own and sending messages, things begin to feel scary.
At approximately 102 minutes, the narrative keeps you engaged throughout, especially with its voice acting. Tom Hanks’s Woody has limited screen time, but he and Tim Allen delight in every scene. Joan Cusack brings warmth, leadership and emotional heft to Jessie, making her the heart of this outing. Greta Lee gives Lilypad the right mix of charm and menace, while Conan O’Brien’s Smarty Pants adds some of the film’s funniest moments.
Toy Story 5 is a colourful, funny and emotionally familiar addition to the franchise. It may not have the novelty of the earlier films, but it finds a relevant conflict for today’s children and parents. The film is a pleasant reminder that some stories, much like favourite toys, still deserve to be picked up again.
