'Toy Story 5' Tackles Existential Crises and Screen Time
The latest installment in Pixar's beloved franchise sees Jessie confront a new technological threat and the enduring passage of time.
Pixar's 'Toy Story 5' has arrived on Disney+, continuing the saga of sentient toys with a narrative focus on cowgirl Jessie and a confronting existential crisis fueled by modern technology. The film revisits emotionally charged themes, with Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, taking a central role in navigating the challenges posed by a new anthropomorphic tablet computer named Lilypad. The movie, reportedly produced with a $250 million budget, explores the impact of screen time on children and the toys' place in their lives.
A New Threat
The story opens with a shipwrecked shipping container, introducing a new generation of WiFi-connected Buzz Lightyear toys. The primary conflict emerges as Bonnie, the child who now plays with Jessie and her companion Bullseye, receives an iPad. This device, Lilypad, begins to isolate Bonnie, leading to an "existential crisis" for the toys. The narrative follows Jessie and Bullseye as they become lost on the property where Jessie was once abandoned, encountering Blaze, a character voiced by Mykal-Michelle Harris, who owns a collection of horse figurines. Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, and the original Buzz Lightyear also return, with Buzz embarking on a subplot involving a marriage proposal to Jessie.
Themes and Performances
'Toy Story 5' draws thematic parallels to earlier installments, particularly 'Toy Story 2,' while also incorporating elements of anti-technology narratives akin to films like 'Videodrome.' A standout performance highlighted is Conan O'Brien as an electronic toilet-training toy. Despite some perceived screenplay issues, including the inclusion of Woody as a plot device and the "smitten-Buzz stuff," the film is noted for its humor and its exploration of Jessie's role in Bonnie's life. The movie posits that technology's value is determined by its user and reinforces the franchise's traditional theme of the relentless passage of time. The film has been described as structurally "ramshackle" but retains the series' characteristic charm, sweetness, and humor.