Anytime a new Toy Story movie hits theaters, several assumptions can be made. 1. It’ll be a beloved and emotionally fraught journey for most of the audience. 2. It’ll make a ton of money at the box office. And 3. It’ll feature situations and details only a shade away from being existential nightmares. Toy Story 5 does not disappoint there, and Team Pixar kept my horror movie-loving brain contemplating potentially terrying scenarios for the characters throughout.
The magical nature of Toy Story is the gift that keeps on giving by way of “What if…?” scenarios, and writer/director Andrew Stanton’s sequel features some classic “toys playing dead” moments for Jessie, Buzz & Co., while also introducing Conan O’ Brien’s A+ new character Smarty Pants and Greta Lee’s villainesque tech Lily Pad. Let's get to it, but be warned there are SPOILERS AHEAD!
