Director: Andrew Stanton
Starring: (voices of) Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Conan O’Brien, Scarlett Spears, Greta Lee, Shelby Rabara, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Craig Robinson
Certificate: PG
Run Time: 102 mins

Toy Story 5 is the latest in the beloved animated Disney Pixar series, and it would be fair it arrives with palpable trepidation. The first three films formed the perfect trilogy, and while the general consensus is that Toy Story 4 did nothing to tarnish it, it’s not quite as strong as its predecessors. It certainly takes some balls to return for a fifth time. Fortunately, Pixar stalwart Andrew Stanton is in the director’s chair, having helmed Finding Nemo, Finding Dory and WALL-E.

This time round, Jessie (Joan Cusack), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the toys continue to live with now eight-year-old Bonnie (Scarlett Spears), who is struggling to make friends. We see that all of her local neighbourhood are glued to a frog-themed tablet called Lilypad – and her parents think the solution is to buy her one. Bonnie quickly becomes addicted and the toys attempt to step in to not only save Bonnie, but to prevent them from being abandoned.

Even if Toy Story 5 isn’t quite on a par with the original trilogy, this latest entry does nothing to tarnish the series’ legacy. This is a very entertaining film with a sweet-natured energy to it, even if its construction is a little messy and the characters don’t always act naturally. We are introduced to three different storylines (this main story, a secondary storyline involving Woody (Tom Hanks) and another with a cargo ship of Buzz Lightyear toys that crash-land on a deserted island. The storylines eventually coalesce, but the slightly sprawling nature of the narrative means you miss out on the lightning-in-a-bottle sharp storytelling of the previous films.

Stanton explores some interesting themes though, chiefly the overreliance on technology. I liked that the film doesn’t take a solely negative stance on it, with Stanton exploring how it can be of benefit too. But it never quite reaches the thematic heights of the original trilogy though, nor the existential moments involving Forky (Tony Hale) in Toy Story 4 on how he comes to accept himself as a toy, and not trash, given he’s a plastic spork that Bonnie literally assembled.

There’s some great moments among the toys though, with a thoughtful script by Stanton and Kenna Harris (who also co-directs the film). Choosing Jessie as the film’s main focus is a masterstroke, who’s always been an important but secondary character in previous films, and it really gives the film a fresh angle. While Buzz gets some comedic moments, his love for Jessie feels rather out-of-character, especially since it’s never something he’s expressed in previous outings. And while it’s good to see Woody back, he doesn’t develop much as a character this time round.

In terms of the new additions, Lilypad (Greta Lee) makes for a decent villain, although she’s rather underdeveloped. It’s Conan O’Brien who steals the show though as Smarty Pants, a toilet training toy, and Blaze (Mykal-Michelle Harris) is another charming character who marks a real contrast to Bonnie.

Toy Story 5 is ultimately another worthy entry in the series and on an initial watch, I think it’s on a par with Toy Story 4. They both score points in different areas – Toy Story 4 is more profound, but doesn’t feel as fresh as the original trilogy in that it recycles some of its plot points, while this isn’t as tightly focussed a film and the final act isn’t as affecting as previous entries, but it explores some very interesting themes.

Unlike Toy Story 4 which felt like an appendage to the original trilogy, Toy Story 5 doesn’t and feels like it could be the start of a new storyline. While there’s yet to be an underpar entry in the series, I’d be trepidatious if Toy Story were to continue – the original trilogy was perfect, and while Toy Story 4 and 5 don’t tarnish it, it seems like a wise choice to stop.