The Toys Meet the Digital Age in Toy Story 5

For over three decades, the Toy Story franchise has been a historic cache of childhood. In “Toy Story 5,” however, movie directors Andrew Stanton and Mckenna Harris drag the toybox kicking and screaming into the digital age. The saga is unique in cinema because the characters have quite literally grown up
with its audience. For example, in the first through fourth movies, we focus on an aging Andy, who
finally relinquishes his toys in “Toy Story 4” to a little girl named Bonnie.

In “Toy Story 5,” we focus on a slightly older Bonnie, who has trouble making friends, being the only one still playing with toys in a screen- dominated neighborhood. The movie shifts its focus to Toy vs. Technology; Bonnie’s old toys—namely Jessie—battling against a new frog-themed, digital tablet. Jessie pushes the hardest to not get forgotten and tries her best to reengage Bonnie with tactile play.

Woody does make a brief appearance in the movie, and has visible signs of aging—he helps the other toys on their journey, but takes the backseat. The inclusion and recognition of a modern-day dilemma
makes it relevant to today’s audience. In my personal opinion, it really opened my eyes to how much screens had really snatched this generation’s childhood right out of their grasp. I’ve started noticing that children around me have been on electronic devices before they even start preschool, which is where I played with toys the most.

The second half of the movie had emotional scenes enough to make some cry, such as a deep dive into Jessie’s past owner, Emily. The animation really surprised me; it was stunning. The visuals, considered the best of the entire franchise by many, using unique animation styles to represent Bonnie imagining and playing with her toys.

Critics argue that due to a massive cast, many iconic characters were sidelined. I agree with them on this one. I would have liked to see the original characters handle the reins, just for old-times sake, but it was definitely an improvement from “Toy Story 4.”

So, the final verdict: Does “Toy Story 5” live up to its hype? The answer is yes. It is a major win for Pixar, successfully modernizing the franchise but also retaining the classic emotional core.