The original Toy Story was one of the films that made me want to be an animator and artist. My college classmates and I watched the trailer for Toy Story 2 more times than we could count in class. I bought the Toy Story movies for my nephews when Toy Story 3 came out and introduced them to Buzz and Woody. While the third film in this franchise is probably the best one, Toy Story 4 and 5 are still welcome additions to the series.
The fifth film in the franchise is really about Jessie’s journey as tech devices have finally invaded the lives of our favorite toys. Jessie’s main goal is to help Bonnie make friends who match her quirky and imaginative personality. When a Lilypad tablet is brought into the home and adds Bonnie to an online chatroom with girls from a dance class and they invite her to a sleepover, Bonnie soon realizes that to fit in, she will have to give up her toys. Jessie and Bullseye end up lost after trying to attend the sleepover, they find themselves at Jessie’s first home where her child was Emily. They find old tech devices that belong to a new girl living there named Blaze. Jessie realizes that Blaze and Bonnie would make great friends so she and the tech devices come up with a plan to have Bonnie pick up her lost toys from Blaze’s house.
Here’s where the real heart of the story comes into play. When pictures of Jessie and Bullseye are accidentally sent to the chatroom Lilypad set up for Bonnie, the other girls bully Bonnie by mocking her for still playing with toys. Bonnie decides she doesn’t want Jessie and Bullseye anymore and Jessie thinks she is a failure as a toy. At least until she finds out that Emily, now an adult, had named her own daughter after Jessie and that the toy did actually make a difference in the girl’s life. Like all Pixar films, this does have a happy ending with Bonnie and Blaze becoming friends and the toys and tech devices find a way to work together for the sake of the kids.
What makes this film so great is that it deals with a very real problem. Online bullying has become so prevalent in our society that every child probably deals with it at some point. Bonnie desperately wants real friends, but feels that it is difficult to fit in. Her loneliness is palpable. While Lilypad and Jessie both have the best intentions with Bonnie’s wellbeing, their competitive need to prove they are the best toy ends up contributing to Bonnie getting her feelings hurt. When they realize this, they feel terrible and change their ways for the sake of Bonnie. I also love that Bonnie’s parents are there for her when they see a change in her behavior. That they make sure Bonnie knows they are there for her.
There is a lot of humor in this film as well. One of the old tech toys in Blaze’s home is a potty training tablet shaped like hanging toilet paper. The amount of poop and butt puns and jokes probably shouldn’t be that funny, but it’s totally hilarious mainly because the jokes are for both adults and kids. Something Pixar does very well.
The animation is beautiful and the voice acting memorable. Buzz Lightyear gets a fun updrage as original Buzz meets the newest iteration of the toy which now has wifi capabilities and can actually fly now as his wings now have drone capabilities. Woody, who probably didn’t really need to be in this one, ends up being the butt of old man jokes from younger toys. Those of us who have grown up with Buzz and Woody love seeing how much they have aged with us. Old meets new in this heartwarming film that shows just how much things have changed since the original film.
4 out of 5 stars.
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Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
The original Toy Story was one of the films that made me want to be an animator and artist. My college classmates and I watched the trailer for Toy Story 2 more times than we could count in class. I bought the Toy Story movies for my nephews when Toy Story 3 came out and introduced them to Buzz and Woody. While the third film in this franchise is probably the best one, Toy Story 4 and 5 are still welcome additions to the series.
The fifth film in the franchise is really about Jessie’s journey as tech devices have finally invaded the lives of our favorite toys. Jessie’s main goal is to help Bonnie make friends who match her quirky and imaginative personality. When a Lilypad tablet is brought into the home and adds Bonnie to an online chatroom with girls from a dance class and they invite her to a sleepover, Bonnie soon realizes that to fit in, she will have to give up her toys. Jessie and Bullseye end up lost after trying to attend the sleepover, they find themselves at Jessie’s first home where her child was Emily. They find old tech devices that belong to a new girl living there named Blaze. Jessie realizes that Blaze and Bonnie would make great friends so she and the tech devices come up with a plan to have Bonnie pick up her lost toys from Blaze’s house.
Here’s where the real heart of the story comes into play. When pictures of Jessie and Bullseye are accidentally sent to the chatroom Lilypad set up for Bonnie, the other girls bully Bonnie by mocking her for still playing with toys. Bonnie decides she doesn’t want Jessie and Bullseye anymore and Jessie thinks she is a failure as a toy. At least until she finds out that Emily, now an adult, had named her own daughter after Jessie and that the toy did actually make a difference in the girl’s life. Like all Pixar films, this does have a happy ending with Bonnie and Blaze becoming friends and the toys and tech devices find a way to work together for the sake of the kids.
What makes this film so great is that it deals with a very real problem. Online bullying has become so prevalent in our society that every child probably deals with it at some point. Bonnie desperately wants real friends, but feels that it is difficult to fit in. Her loneliness is palpable. While Lilypad and Jessie both have the best intentions with Bonnie’s wellbeing, their competitive need to prove they are the best toy ends up contributing to Bonnie getting her feelings hurt. When they realize this, they feel terrible and change their ways for the sake of Bonnie. I also love that Bonnie’s parents are there for her when they see a change in her behavior. That they make sure Bonnie knows they are there for her.
There is a lot of humor in this film as well. One of the old tech toys in Blaze’s home is a potty training tablet shaped like hanging toilet paper. The amount of poop and butt puns and jokes probably shouldn’t be that funny, but it’s totally hilarious mainly because the jokes are for both adults and kids. Something Pixar does very well.
The animation is beautiful and the voice acting memorable. Buzz Lightyear gets a fun updrage as original Buzz meets the newest iteration of the toy which now has wifi capabilities and can actually fly now as his wings now have drone capabilities. Woody, who probably didn’t really need to be in this one, ends up being the butt of old man jokes from younger toys. Those of us who have grown up with Buzz and Woody love seeing how much they have aged with us. Old meets new in this heartwarming film that shows just how much things have changed since the original film.
4 out of 5 stars.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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