Mixed Critical Reception for Toy Story 5
The fifth installment of the Toy Story franchise has elicited mixed reactions from critics, with some describing it as "a warm and wry update" to a series that many now consider "played out." Despite differing opinions on its overall quality, most reviewers concur on the film's central message. The story centers on Woody, Buzz, and Jessie as they contend with a new digital device called Lilypad, competing for children's attention, delivering a "cautionary" narrative about technology's impact.
Toy Story 5 premiered in UK cinemas on Friday, shortly after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced plans for a social media ban for individuals under 16.
Critical Reviews Highlight Franchise Fatigue and Social Commentary
Clarisse Loughrey of the Independent awarded the film two stars, calling it "certainly topical" but "the worst in the series." She noted,
"While this is topical, there does come a point in any franchise where the natural momentum dies,"
referring to the series that began in 1995. She added,
"With Toy Story 5, Pixar's 30-year-old franchise has finally started to show its age."
The film continues to feature Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Tom Hanks as the cowboy doll Woody, and Joan Cusack as Jessie, the cowgirl doll.
New to the cast is Greta Lee, who voices Lilypad, a frog-like smart tablet that represents perhaps the biggest threat the toys have faced yet.
In the plot, Buzz and Woody rally a team of toys to save their owner, young Bonnie, from the allure of the electronic device.
Additional voice talents include Conan O'Brien, Jordan North, and Bad Bunny.
Peter Bradshaw of also gave the film two out of five stars, describing the franchise as "played out" and in need of "new batteries." He criticized a particular plot point as being "revived and resolved in a very spurious and unsatisfying way," concluding that "IP exhaustion has set in" on the series.
Conversely, Robbie Collin of The Telegraph offered a more favorable four-star review, calling the film a "warm and wry update of a beloved formula." He highlighted Jessie’s "promotion" to lead character and praised her emotional journey revisiting her first owner.
Collin described the film as,
"another parable of parental crisis dressed up as a brightly coloured family adventure" - and a "cautionary tale about online childhoods."
He also noted that the film "pulls fewer punches than might be expected" in its social commentary on technology.
Kevin Maher of The Times also awarded four stars, commenting,
"Sir Keir Starmer will love it."
Maher interpreted the movie's message as,
"a sign of turning tide or an audacious act of self sabotage."
He observed,
"A touchy-feely third act seems to argue for a shaky compromise of the toxic tech debate (group chat = bad, non WiFi-enabled tech toys under supervision at certain times = tolerable)."
He concluded,
"Yet in the end, Toy Story 5 cannot shake the lingering sense that it's not only the age of toys but childhood itself that is over."
Additional Perspectives and Voice Cast
David Fear of Rolling Stone expressed skepticism, questioning Pixar's motivation:
"Why are you doing this, Pixar? Regardless of well-deserved worries about screen-time or not, there doesn't feel like there's a reason for this to exist other than keeping your stockholders happy."
Helen O'Hara of Empire gave the film four stars, calling it "a welcome return to philosophical form" and describing it as "funny, warm-hearted and largely - perhaps overly - optimistic."
Tim Grierson of Screen International praised the film as "another delightful adventure that mines fresh emotional terrain while producing plenty of hearty laughs."
David Rooney from The Hollywood Reporter stated the film "does the enduring franchise proud," adding,
"The movie's captivating sweetness is hard to resist."
Danny Leigh of the Financial Times rated the film three stars, noting it paints a "portrait of tech rendering the young both sadder and meaner."
Nicholas Barber of BBC Culture described Toy Story 5 as "the year's most traumatic film - for parents."
Tom Hanks on the Film's Relevance to Screen Addiction
Earlier in the month, Tom Hanks spoke to about the film's focus on children's screen addiction, an issue he said evokes "terror in the heart."
The actor remarked that the cast connected with the storyline because they had all encountered the disinterest of young people who "look down at their phone, look up, look down, look up."
"This is a generational thing,"
he explained to BBC's David Sillito,
"where one generation has this thing that defines them technologically in society, and they pour everything into it."
