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It’s official — the “Toy Story” movies will never die.
The problem is, they can still get old. “Toy Story 5” feels like a middle-aged movie trying to wrestle with the concept of what kids are into these days, trying for relevance but always more successful when it falls back into nostalgia. The moments that evoke those old movies are all cute, with some even managing to be deeply emotional, and it’s great to see minor characters from previous entries. But the movie doesn’t understand technology the way it understands toys, not in any kind of meaningful way, and it fumbles in other ways as it fights for relevance.
The plot is familiar to the “Toy Story” universe — the toys panic at the idea of being replaced. This time, however, the interloper is a Lilypad tablet who pulls Bonnie into a life online instead of playing with her toys. Trying to fight for her place, Jessie the cowgirl ends up going on an adventure that forces her to confront the ghosts of her past.
The best parts of the Jessie plotline hearken directly back to “Toy Story 2,” though it is nice that the movie gives her more attention. At the same time, the movie struggles with giving other old characters their due while balancing them with new ones designed to appeal to kids. Woody, for example, has a potentially fascinating subplot about getting old that’s ignored for jokes.
In the end, people who love the series will still love it. “Toy Story” movies were a fundamental experience for a lot of adults in the audience, and kids will love the wide range of silly characters. But if the series really wants to reach the heights it did originally, it’s going to have to figure out whether it wants to grow up or truly go back to being a kid.
Grade: Three stars
If you’re a fan of the original “Scary Movie,” you’ll want to check out the new “rebootiquel.”
“Scary Movie,” which is essentially “Scary Movie 6” for those who are keeping count, does for the classic parody series what the new “Scream” movies have done for that franchise. The original creators Damon and Marlon Wayans are back in charge, bringing with them the best entry in the series since “Scary Movie 2.” Whether that qualifies as good depends on your view of the series’ love of dick jokes and rapid-fire nonsensical comedy, but if that’s your groove, it’s worth sitting down for the next installment. The movies are new, some of the jokes land beautifully, and Anna Faris and Regina Hall are still a deeply entertaining comedy duo.
Like with the new “Scream” movies, the latest “Scary Movie” brings together the old cast several years later with kids. The serial killer from their younger years returns, leading everyone through hijinks based on horror movies including “Scream 7,” “Sinners,” “The Substance,” “Get Out,” “Longlegs” and “Weapons.” They also take a turn at non-horror movies, with one of the funniest bits riffing on the recent Michael Jackson biopic.
It’s still very much “Scary Movie”-style humor, high on nostalgic silliness and low on any kind of real satire or social commentary. Faris and Hall are a main source of laughs, beautifully recapturing their comic chemistry from the earlier films. If you’re looking for old-school ridiculousness, these two (and their movie) deliver.
Grade: Two stars
Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Denver Film Critics Society and the Utah Film Critics Association. Drop her a line at themovieguruslc@gmail.com.
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