DUBAI: For nearly three decades, Pixar’s “Toy Story” films have managed something few franchises ever achieve: consistency.
Across five films, the series has rarely missed a beat, delivering stories that are funny, emotionally resonant and surprisingly insightful about growing up, letting go and finding purpose.
The new iteration continues that tradition. It is warm, thoughtful and often genuinely moving. But it is also the first entry that feels like a franchise searching for reasons to keep going.
That is not to say the film lacks merit. Far from it. Director Andrew Stanton, returning to the series after helping shape its DNA from the very beginning, brings a steady hand to a story that feels distinctly contemporary.
The film’s central conflict revolves around technology and the growing role screens play in children’s lives, a topic that could easily have slipped into heavy-handed moralizing. Instead, “Toy Story 5” takes a far more nuanced approach.
The film never fully demonizes technology. Rather, it argues for balance. Through Bonnie’s story, Stanton and his team make a compelling case for the importance of intentional, imaginative play in childhood — the kind of play that encourages creativity, problem-solving and emotional growth.
Bonnie’s gradual drift toward digital entertainment feels recognizably modern, and the film’s exploration of what toys can still offer children in a screen-dominated world is handled with surprising sensitivity.
That emotional core is where “Toy Story 5” shines brightest. Bonnie remains an engaging anchor for the story, while the toys’ struggle to remain relevant carries an undercurrent of melancholy that longtime fans will appreciate.
Among the returning cast, Joan Cusack is the standout. Her performance as Jessie is packed with energy, warmth and vulnerability, giving the cowgirl toy some of the film’s strongest moments.
In “Toy Story 5,” Jessie is wisely placed closer to the center of the narrative. Cusack rises to the occasion, delivering a performance that is both funny and deeply affecting.
Visually, the film is predictably stunning, with Pixar once again pushing animation to remarkable levels of detail and expressiveness. Yet for all its technical brilliance and emotional intelligence, there remains a lingering question about whether this story truly needed to be told.
The film is good and at times very good. But while the franchise still knows how to tug at the heartstrings, it is beginning to feel like a toy box that has been opened one too many times.
