It’s a new Pixar movie! Everybody’s favourite! Our Paul Gratton reacts to the highly anticipated TOY STORY 5, now playing in theatres everywhere.
About: In Toy Story 5, the classic toys face an existential threat when their owner, Bonnie, becomes entirely engrossed in a frog-like interactive tablet named “Lilypad”. With a new generation preferring screen-time over traditional play, the toys embark on an adventure to save Bonnie from digital emptiness and prevent themselves from becoming obsolete.
If you are going to make a numbered sequel to a revered hit from thirty years ago, it is best to follow The Devil Wears Prada model: make sure you upgrade your storyline to deal with contemporary issues. In the case of Prada, it was the demise of print media. In the case of Toy Story, it is how tech devices have replaced conventional toys in the lives of children. This is particularly timely given recent efforts by the British, Australian and Canadian governments to limit or curtail access to internet sites for teens and children under 16. This latest Toy Story iteration focuses mostly on cowgirl toy Jessie (wonderfully voiced by Joan Cusack) and her concerns for her child owner Bonnie who has trouble socializing with other kids, who are all glued to their devices. When Bonnie gets a “Lilypad” as an electronic gift, Jessie and the other toys fear a new form of obsolescence, not just from kids outgrowing their toys, as in earlier episodes, but in today’s children totally choosing to live online, cut off from authentic friendships and a real sense of play. An ode to the power of imagination and the importance of social interaction in the development of healthy offsprings, this is a typical four-quadrant Pixar product, carefully designed to appeal to all demographics. Boomers will relate to the passage of time as Woody has developed a paunch and a bald spot, but there are sufficient new toys and devices (which are nevertheless shown to have their uses) and colourful fantasy sequences to keep the kids engaged. An army of flying Buzz Lightyears also provides some welcome military-style gags. A great film to take the whole family to.
