Bottom line first: This is another great addition to the Toy Story canon. (IMHO, better than TS4.) There were laughs, opportunities for tears, and plenty of action.
This is really Cowgirl Jessie's movie. She carries most of the plot on her small, hand-stitched shoulders. Having been abandoned by children because they outgrew their need for her and her ragdoll ways, she is especially zealous in her fight against electronic devices and "social" media and how they seem to make kids grow up too soon.
In fact, that "us vs them" mentality comes on really strong in the beginning, to the point of making me feel that Pixar was being too Afterschool Special about it. Turns out, that only made the eventual resolution (well...semi-resolution) sweeter.
And now, the morning after, I'm being struck by the irony of Pixar declaring war on tech. They are, after all, the prime instigators of computer technology taking over from hand-drawn animation. But then again, it basically all works out in the end.
While the majority of the classic Toy Story characters had very little to do in this installment, kudos go out to the addition of Conan O'Brien as the electronic toilet training toy, Smarty Pants. His frantic energy and sly humor are a perfect fit. Easter Egg hunt: Look for the scene where the animators get to include O'Brien's rooster-comb hair.
4 out of 5 stars.
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