The latest installation of the “Toy Story” franchise extends its record as one of the most adaptable film franchises. Perhaps its success comes from its palpable themes of vulnerability — being replaced, being outgrown or forgotten, becoming irrelevant. Maybe it’s the potpourri of misfits, voiced by A-list talent, that come together to seal the rift du jour dividing them. Of course, the initial 1995 “Toy Story” set the gold standard of CGI animation and pretty much was the catalyst for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature that came into being in 2001 — the 1995 film won a special Oscar for ground-breaking animation, while “Toy Story 3” (2010) and “Toy Story 4” (2019) both won that “Best” award. It also has creative continuity — this new version is directed by Andrew Stanton, who’s been involved in the script and story from the get-go, back in the John Lasseter/pre-Disney years. Stanton’s no slouch behind the lens, with “Finding Nemo” (2003) and “WALL-E” (2008) to his credits (he did also direct the 2012 box-office flop “John Carter”).
In “Toy Story 5,” co-directed by McKenna Harris, Cowgirl Jesse (Joan Cusack) takes center focus, during an all-out effort to find a like-minded companion for eight-year-old Bonnie (Scarlett Spears), who is having difficulty making friends. In “Toy Story 3” Bonnie was gifted the olio of toys when older brother Andy grew up and went off to college.
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