…my honest opinion is no, it can’t.
I mean, we all know the story of the Toy Story franchise’s many “endings.” For a while, it was just the first two movies, and it looked like that was it. Then we got the Buzz Lightyear Of Star Command show, that ended up being mostly forgotten in the years that followed. Then, of course, we got Toy Story 3. Is there anything I can say that everyone else on the planet hasn’t already said? It was a perfect ending that closed out the franchise with no flaws whatsoever. Everything was capped off so well, with, like, no necessity or drive for another movie. Of course, there WERE some shorts and TV specials that came out afterward, but those weren’t really meant to be a full-on continuation of the story. Just something to have a little fun with after the third movie.
Then came the announcement of Toy Story 4, much to many people’s chagrin. Again, everyone remembers the story inside and out. There was lots of apprehension as to whether this movie could be any good, especially because the Toy Story franchise already had such a perfect ending. Luckily, the controversy largely died down when the movie came out, and it was surprisingly good. Of course, things still would’ve been just fine if TS4 hadn’t been made at all, but if they absolutely had to continue the franchise, this was a decent way to do so. The ending especially seemed to signify that okay, yes, this is the end-and we mean it this time.
But then they announced Toy Story 5. What? Just…just WHAT?
I don’t want to give the impression that I have anything against the Toy Story franchise. Really, it’s quite the opposite. But the issue drives from the overriding of the “perfect” endings. Number Three ended with Andy finally growing up and moving on, and the toys finding a new owner. Boom. Perfect ending. Number Four ended with Woody coming to realize that, since he’s already fulfilled his purpose, it’s time for him to find a new one. Okay, that’s…not perfect, but it’s better than anything I could’ve come up with. So what could they possibly come up with now? Where could the story even go? Of course, I did find a pleasant surprise with TS4, so there might be a slim chance of TS5 winning me over as well. But I’m not holding my breath, and from what I’ve seen online, I’m not the only one.
