Toy Story 5: consistently a source of joy, the Toy Story series, since 1995, works with a beautifully considered universe, where toys come alive to, for the most part, bring joy to their kids, against the unstoppable challenge of time. This entry, by Andrew Stanton and co-director McKenna Harris, pits them against an additional foe, which both distracts them from wholesome playtimes and accelerates their aging: screen devices. The film, again, hits all the right emotional notes, particularly in a scene about the permanence of love. The poster itself shows that, this time around, there is a change of guard, and the protagonist (even though this remains a group effort) is now played by Joan Cusack, as the caring and fearless cowgirl doll with great effectiveness; Tom Hanks and Tim Allen repeat their roles, both hitting new notes for their old characters due to the way the story evolved. Out of the newcomers, Greta Lee plays the frog-designed tablet with smooth smugness; Conan O’Brien is very funny as another low-tech tablet met along the way.

Aesthetically, the animation is top-notch, colourful, detailed, and pleasing. Characters are well-designed and distinctive, filled with intent in the way they look. The film also uses a different style for the imagined play sessions, and it’s a great change in visual vocabulary that truly helps sell the idea. Composer Randy Newman’s original musical score is good as always; Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You”, which plays over the credits, is fine but ultimately inconsequential for the film.

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