TOY STORY 5 is an American animated adventure film, and is English-speaking. It depicts Woody and his close friends being introduced to Electronics, which is a threat to a completely playful existence.
Starring: Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Joan Cusack, Scarlet Spears, Keanu Reeves, Greta Lee, and others. Directed by Andrew Stanton. Rated PG (Parental Guidance suggested). 102 min.
Review by Peter W Sheehan, Jesuit Media Australia
Toy Story 5 is the latest addition to a series of films that began with Toy Story (1) in 1995, which featured the adventures of Buzz Lightyear. Characters in the film reprise their roles from previous Pixar films, and are joined by new characters, who offer additional insights to what previous Toy Story movies have said. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton, who co-wrote the film with Kenna Harris.
In the film, Woody (Tom Hanks) gets caught up in the toys of Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and has to cope with a mode of electronics that features some unusual and unexpected features. Tim Allen was the original voice of Buzz Lightyear, and Andrew Stanton co-wrote the first four Toy Story films. The film passes comment on traditional toys that gave pleasure to children who are now seen as avoiding them in favour of more sophisticated devices, and those same devices are now re-shaping the nature of children’s playtime.
The quality of animation in the film is exceptional and continues the firm hold Pixar Studios has on redefining the nature of how to depict children’s playtime enjoyment. Pixar has demonstrated extremely high standards of animation quality in films like the original 1995 “Toy Story” (which redefined the standards for computer-controlled animation); and Animation was exceptional in “Up” (2000), “Finding Nemo” (2003), and “Inside Out” (2025) – but in each of these movies, imagination roamed freely, without constraint. Now, playtime is subject to the dictates of high-tech involvement, and changes have occurred in the freedom of fantasy expression. In this film, love and understanding eventually conquer all, but the movie makes the tussle a hard win.
This is Pixar not at its best given the film’s plot complexity, but Pixar still stands tall in the world of film-animation. In this film, Pixar has a more modern, up-to-date message to sell, and in the history of its films yet to come, one can’t help but wonder where “Toy Story” animation will choose to go. There is a narrative finality about this movie which suggests that unreserved acceptance of the messages of “Toy Story 6” won’t be issue-free, and “Story 6” has been confirmed for future release.
Peter Sheehan, an Associate of Jesuit Media