“Toy Story 3” (2010) and “Toy Story 4” (2019) both felt like franchise conclusions. As it turned out, neither ended Pixar’s beloved saga, because “Toy Story 5” has arrived. It’s the most serious installment yet in the three-decade franchise (which, besides the five features, includes two well-received holiday specials and several fun shorts). This is two-time Oscar winning director Andrew Stanton’s best movie since “Finding Nemo” — and there a bunch of aspects that are even stronger than those in that 2003 classic. He deserves a lot of credit for bold directorial choices and a very smart screenplay (co-written by co-director McKenna Harris) that covers a lot of material in blunt, intense fashion.
It’s Toys vs. Tech. Bonnie (now 8 years old) is given a tablet called Lilypad. Bonnie is immediately glued to it, and the toys take a backseat. In fact, Bonnie now feels embarrassed to be associated with Jessie, Buzz and the gang because none of the girls she wants to be friends with play with toys anymore. Stanton and the Pixar team make two major statements. No. 1: Screen time is significantly, negatively affecting human behavior, especially in children. And No. 2: Kids can be very mean. These aren’t tweens, teens or twentysomethings. It’s the elementary school crowd. And it isn’t pretty.
“Toy Story 5” is just as much about the humans as it is the toys, more so than any of the previous four chapters. This includes flashbacks to Emily, the former owner of Jessie. (The melody of Sarah McLaughlin’s iconic, heartbreaking tune “When She Loved Me” from 1999’s “Toy Story 2” returns.) There are moments early on in “TS5”, and one particular scene towards the end, that will likely stay with you. This is a film about memories and legacy, presented in powerful ways that take some of the themes explored in the emotional finale of “Toy Story 3” a few steps further.
I chuckled here and there during “TS5”, but I’m okay with this not being a flat-out comedy. It’s a dramatic adventure, with some humor. Conan O’Brien does a nice job as new character Smartypants (he won me over after about two minutes). Woody (who has just a supporting presence this time) and Buzz have some memorable one-liners, as they and Jessie take some fascinating turns in their character arcs. There are 50 additional Buzz Lightyears. Why? That’s one of the big mysteries of the movie — and it all makes sense when the pieces come together in an intelligent final act (and mid-credits scene).
“Toy Story 5” gets more and more confident as it goes on. As the energy and momentum increase, so does your appreciation for the storytelling and the commentary. 31 years after the groundbreaking original “Toy Story”, I applaud Pixar for the new, meaningful points made about why playtime matters.
LCJ GRADE: A-
Running Time: 102 min.