As A Teacher, I Have To Ask, Is It Weird That Toy Story Isn't Even Trying To Be For Kids Anymore?

Picture this: It’s 1995, and I’m 12-years-old. Sure, I kind of “grew out of” watching animated movies since I thought I was TOO COOL for “kids’ stuff.” But, my dad, who took me to see every movie in the Disney Renaissance, wanted to watch this new flick called Toy Story because he thought it would be fun.

And, it was! Like everybody else, I fell in love with Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy’s toys, and I’ve seen every Toy Story movie ever since. I even took my own children to see Toy Story 4, which is quite possibly the best Toy Story movie ever made.

However, here’s what’s weird. Even though I love Toy Story, my students don’t. In fact, most of them have never seen any of the movies in their entire lives. But, why is this? Well, I think I may have an answer…

Only A VERY Small Percentage Of My Middle School Students Have Ever Watched A Toy Story Movie

You know, it used to be that when I’d start a unit on writing narratives, I’d always use the first Toy Story movie as a model. That’s because its plot structure is perfect, so I can easily instruct my seventh graders to put the story beats on a plot outline, with the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution being clear as day.

But, as the years have gone by, I’ve found that fewer and fewer of my students have ever seen A SINGLE one of these movies, let alone the original. In fact, when I bring up any Pixar movie in general, I’ll get a few who’ve seen Cars, or Finding Nemo, but Monsters Inc.? Nope. The Incredibles? What’s that? WALL-E? WALL-Wha? I mean, even the more modern Pixar movies, like Inside Out 2, which was a box office behemoth, draws blank stares from my kids.

I think, "What’s going on?" I mean, I do work in an inner city school, so maybe they’re not into those kinds of films? But no. Almost every single one of my students has seen movies like Moana, Encanto, and Frozen. And, a lot of my students have seen movies from the MCU, with a small smattering even watching something Star Wars-related. But, when it comes to that Pixar icon on Disney+, I guess most of them don’t even bother hitting that one, which perplexes me. Why DON’T my students watch Pixar movies, and most notably Toy Story, which is the company’s mainstay?

Well, it came to me suddenly when one of my students DID tell me that he’d seen it....

Toy Story Has Always Kind Of Been For Adults

“My dad likes that movie,” the aforementioned student said, but then followed it up with, “But I didn’t.” And, when I asked him why not, he just shrugged and said, “It looked like it was for old people.”

Fair. The first movie, though visually impressive at the time, does look ROUGH by today’s standards. But, I don’t think he just meant visually speaking. I think he meant that the movie itself felt like it was for old people. For example, when I was a kid, I did think that it was kind of strange that the main character was a cowboy. I mean, I love westerns now, but as a kid, I wished Buzz Lightyear was the main character, because spacemen, I dig.

However, the older I get, the more I realize that a lot of Toy Story’s whole schtick is harkening back to an older, simpler time. And, I don’t just mean childhood in general. I mean the childhoods of the people who made the first movie. Stuff like cowboys, retro spacemen, and even many of the classic toys that populate Andy’s room were definitely way before my era. There weren’t any Thundercats, or Ninja Turtles, or any of the toys that I grew up with. No. What made the movie interesting to me at the time was the IDEA of toys, not the toys themselves, which were the kinds that my dad might have played with when he was younger.

But, these days, with so many children having cell phones and tablets practically out of the womb, the idea of playing with toys likely doesn’t hit with today’s children anymore. After seeing the new trailer for Toy Story 5, I don’t even think Pixar cares anymore about catering to kids.

The New Movie Is Clearly Aimed At Adults

I’ve always viewed Disney’s animation department being for kids first, and parents second, and Pixar being something that both kids and adults could enjoy in equal measure. That’s why it USED to seem like Pixar was always the shoe-in to win Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards (to date, they’ve won 11).

However, I think things really changed with Soul, which I always felt was specifically for grown-ups (it’s the only Pixar film that my kids have zero interest in finishing). After seeing this new trailer for Toy Story 5, I get the feeling that this movie isn’t even trying to be aimed at kids anymore. It’s aimed squarely at adults.

What makes me say that? Well, for one thing, it has a bald spot joke. Yes, I know kids find bald men funny (I should know. My students always get a kick when I poke fun at my baldpate), but I feel like the reaction to Woody’s bald spot is more aimed toward adults who might be balding themselves if they were kids when they watched the first movie. Or, what about the plot dealing with Bonnie now growing bored with toys and being all-consumed by her new tablet, Lilypad, which feels like a story geared exclusively toward the parents who are witnessing their children’s obsession with smart devices firsthand.

I mean, does anybody else think it’s weird that Pixar doesn’t even look to be trying to reach kids with their latest Toy Story movie? This is the series, mind you, that has always had its heart centered on the childhood experience, and now it looks to be speaking to adults in particular. I just think that’s strange. But, do you know what? I don’t particularly hate that idea.

In The End, I Kind Of Like That Toy Story Has Grown Up With Its Audience

One thing I love about the Harry Potter series is that it seemed to grow up with its audience. Similar to Toy Story 3 featuring a plot where a college-aged Andy was leaving behind his old life, The Goblet of Fire felt like the turning point that was definitely more for an older audience.

I kind of like that about Toy Story 5, which seems like it’s geared toward the longtime fans who first encountered the franchise as children. We see references to the first movie in the film, and it feels like the plot is directed toward the kids who grew up to be parents, and are now having to deal with tech intruding into our children’s lives.

Plus, as weird as I think it is that this new Toy Story seems like it’s geared toward adults, I also think it’s a good call. My kids don’t even want to see movies in theaters anymore. My 9-year-daughter is perfectly fine with just watching The Simpsons on Disney+. But, I don’t care if my kids don’t want to see Toy Story 5. I DO, and they’re coming with me, whether they want to or not.