The antagonist of this opus this time is a tablet on which a lonely child will abandon traditional toys to indulge in video game pleasures online, hoping in this way to create virtual, then real, friends. The opportunity for the pair of directors, veteran Andrew Stanton (“1001 Paws”, “Finding Nemo”, “Wall-E”…) and young recruit McKenna Harris, to deliver a variation around the famous screen time and of addiction. Although present, the reflection remains little advanced, since said tablet has more of an objective of creating a link, even if, in the end, this will not be as strong as hoped.
Early fans will regret that the franchise often relies on similar frameworks
Goût de déjà -vu
Carefully packaged, the mechanics work… Even if early fans will regret that the franchise often relies on similar frameworks: children grow up, discover another product, abandon the old ones, before everyone, via the “Disney magic”, ends up finding their place… The toys realize for themselves that they perform an important function in the development of a child, but that they are, ultimately, only passing through. Seeing them in contact with a new little girl is therefore consistent, even if Andy, the original boy, ends up missing.
By force, even if the situations are fair, the technique is impeccable and certain passages are truly moving (special mention to the one where Jessie discovers a photo of her former owner under a tree), a taste of deja-vu takes over this fifth opus.
A little weak
As for the humor, it is presented in fits and starts, with some really funny lines. The screenplay is quite wise, especially compared to previous films. We are not witnessing an adventure worthy of the name, with a story mainly focused on the setbacks of the protagonists separated in two houses. And as the famous tablet is ultimately not so harmful, the whole thing lacks strong, epic and truly striking moments. Some will see in it the desire to move towards a form of maturity, of appeasement; others a lack of risk-taking. The choice to no longer have a real main character and to move towards an ensemble film is understandable on paper, given the number of figures on the screen, but in turn obliges us to multiply the narrative arcs, even if the majority of them are trivial.
