“Toy Story 5”: nostalgia and new challenges for Pixar’s toys

This film focuses on the theme of the passage of time and growing up, thus revisiting some of the most significant themes in Pixar’s filmography – not only in relation to the “Toy Story” saga but also to other films such as “Finding Nemo” or “Inside Out”, to name just two of the many notable titles from the renowned production company.

Nostalgia soon takes hold when Bonnie, in her attempt to make friends, convinces herself that this can only be achieved through digital connections, chat rooms and online games, even though her nature and personality are very different from those of her peers with whom she is trying to build a relationship.

It is no coincidence that the film opens with a point-of-view shot of one of the many Buzz Lightyears ready to appear on screen: just like the previous instalments, in fact, “Toy Story 5” lets us see things from the toys’ perspective, revealing their emotions and struggles, their fears of being abandoned and the hope that comes from the importance of being together.

It is, in fact, through teamwork that we will find a way to make sense of the coexistence of those puppets – now regarded as vintage – and the latest devices: Andrew Stanton’s film (director of one of Pixar’s masterpieces, *Wall-E*) seeks to strike a balance between the two, without passing judgement but rather encouraging reflection on the importance of offering the younger generations the right balance between analogue and digital.

Some of the ideas aren’t particularly original or quite on the mark, although the film still manages to stir and move the audience, offering moments of laughter as well as some genuinely touching scenes.

You do feel the absence of a major climactic scene, but the overall structure holds up well, and for the fifth instalment in a saga, the result is enjoyable and satisfying.

It is worth noting that the next Pixar film will be *Gatto*, the second film by the Italian-born, US-naturalised director Enrico Casarosa, following *Luca*. *Gatto* is due for release in March 2027 and will be set in Venice.

Among the new releases in cinemas is “Allora balliamo”, the debut film by Amélie Bonin, which opened the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Building on the same narrative framework as one of his 2021 short films, Bonnin has created a film about Cécile, a young woman who is forced to leave Paris and return to the village where she grew up following her father’s heart attack. During her stay, she meets Raphaël, an old flame.

The basic premise – of someone leaving the big city to return to the places of their past – is certainly not new, and contemporary French cinema has explored it in various ways: one need only think of the latest works by two major filmmakers such as Alain Guiraudie (‘The Man in the Woods’) or Olivier Assayas (‘Hors du temps’) to find a rather similar theme, though there are, of course, many other examples.

It is therefore certainly not in terms of originality that this rather delicate feature film – which is nonetheless well-crafted, particularly in its portrayal of a main character with whom it is quite easy to empathise and grow fond of – plays its strongest cards.

“Allora balliamo” is a musical-style comedy that takes the father-daughter relationship as its starting point to explore, above all, a breakdown in communication; however, the results are mixed, due to an excessive superficiality in certain narrative passages and a pace that only works to a limited extent. The performance by the lead actress, Juliette Armanet, is, however, remarkable.