One Thing I Like About Toy Story 5

It was ironic to be watching Toy Story 5, which is largely about breaking an over-dependence on screens and living in the moment, and constantly be distracted by people in the row in front of me using their phones during the movie. But it was even more ironic to be watching a Toy Story movie and wondering whether I’ve simply outgrown all of it. The movie hits all the right beats and is exceptionally well done. It’s engaging and often very funny, with a pacing and sense of humor similar to Toy Story 2. Its messages are strong without being didactic, taking a more even-handed approach than you might expect from the premise: it stresses that it’s not making accusations about “tech,” but asking us to remember that it’s a tool to foster connection and creativity, not a replacement for it. It’s sentimental without being maudlin, and while it didn’t leave me an emotional wreck as past Pixar movies have, the ending did having me tearing up a bit. But for me, it was less about a genuine…