I have a special place in my heart for the Toy Story, especially growing up in the 90’s.
The peak of the series of course remains Toy Story 3, perhaps best encapsulated by the moment Andy gives up his toys as he departs to college. Being in college myself and witnessing that exact moment in real time gave me the emotional feels no Pixar movie since has been able to reach.
Toy Story 5, although a step down from the other movies, is perfectly relevant as I try to raise Kai in a world with limited screen time. It’s of course going to be quite difficult but I hope to do so. It was definitely a better movie than Toy Story 4, which I found mostly pointless and unnecessary – although that might have been I was watching the movie on a Fairmont summer field trip and more preoccupied with making sure the campers were okay.
It’s all the more exciting growing up around the same age as Taylor Swift, and seeing how “I knew it, I knew you” perfectly embodies the theme of the movie. One big takeaway is valuing the memories of the many people I have encountered in my life, even if many of them are now a distant memory far removed. Still, I think every person I have met in my life has shaped my personality, and moving forward I hope to instill the best possible values and traits into Kai as he grows up.
When Toy Story 6 inevitably comes out we will have to take Kai. Perhaps it will be his first movie in theaters.
