GoKawiilPixar's technology has advanced so much since Toy Story debuted in 1995 that, for Toy Story 5, the filmmakers purposely held back to preserve the franchise's visual style.
"There's a lot of restraint," producer Lindsey Collins told me during an interview at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California. "We don't want to all of a sudden feel like we've jumped so far ahead technologically that these don't even feel like the same characters anymore or the same world."
That didn't stop the studio from enhancing its animation tools in other ways. In the latest sequel, Jessie, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the toy gang face an existential threat when Bonnie gets a new tablet named Lilypad. It's a timely narrative exploring how tech and creativity can coexist -- a theme that's not unfamiliar to Pixar, which has paired technological breakthroughs with emotionally driven storytelling for 40 years.
"We're a technology company, so we're not sitting here going, 'Oh no, how dare you -- tech?'" Collins said. Instead, Toy Story 5's filmmakers delved into the nuances of how technology and gadgets shape our lives, highlighting both their benefits and drawbacks.
Each of Pixar's films expands the studio's technical capabilities, bringing increasingly ambitious worlds and characters to the screen -- from the expressive skeletons of Coco to the hyperrealistic rainstorm in Toy Story 4. Toy Story 5 pushes the boundaries once again with visual improvements that lean more understated: sun-drenched pastures, stylized play sequences and even a brand-new hairstyle. The new techniques expand what's possible on screen while preserving the franchise's character designs and environments that have defined it for over three decades.
Pixar developed new animation tools to design Blaze's coiled hair. Pixar
Bringing new characters, settings and styles to life
In Toy Story 5, we're introduced to Blaze, a spunky, animal-loving human character. She has tight, curly hair -- a look Pixar hadn't done before. So the team got to work developing tools to make the vision a reality. That technology can now be used in any upcoming productions, Collins said, which could lead to more diverse characters.
Another highlight of Toy Story 5 is the stylized, watercolor-like play sequences that take us inside Bonnie's imagination as she stages scenes with her toys. The sequences unfold like a dream, with soft edges and muted pastel tones. They were among my favorite moments in the movie, evoking a sense of whimsy and childlike wonder.
"We wanted to give it much more of a mind's eye feel," said Toy Story 5 co-director Kenna Harris. "That's something that Pixar doesn't have as much practice with."
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