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The Odyssey of Toy Story 5

The Odyssey of Toy Story 5

Last updated on: July 27, 2026 at 7:50 am by Mark Wilson

The Odyssey of Toy Story 5 2026-07-27T07:50:52-05:00 Mark Wilson

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So far, I’ve only seen 3 movies in the theaters in 2026. Most of the big movies major studios saw fit to greenlit into the films that have been shown in cinemas this year have turned out to be critical and commercial failures. I saw the pretty OK Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu which didn’t thrill or excite me but did leave me a little underwhelmed but not completely let down. This past weekend I went out of my way to gather some friends together to see Toy Story 5. I usually see movie by myself these days. I once got like 15 people together to see The Time Machine (2002). This film and outing turned out to be a success of a get together and a success of a movie. It was a get together of my friends from college. Jodie and Randy Hamila and David Patten, plus Kristin and myself.

Dave reminded me that we both went to see the original Toy Story 30 years ago. And here we are all as adults seeing the 5th entry in the franchise.

Toy Story 5

Toy Story 5 is just as fun, reaffirming, heartfelt and creative as the previous several entries in the franchise. The magic and homage to imagination and childhood is still intact. This film also has a message about the dangers of what social media and electronics have for children and adults in this modern age that we now live in. 5 movies plus several specials over 3 decades still have not lost their ability to have a story well told. I honestly went in not having listened to a lot of reviews and unsure of how the plot was going to develop. From the first 5 minutes this Toy Story starts with a plot device that pays off throughout the runtime of the picture. I would honestly say if you saw one film in the theater of summer 2026, this would have been the film.

One catechetical lesson I thought of was that Toys are made for children. They are made to make them happy. There lives goal is to be played with by a child. We were made by God for God. We please God when we do what we were made to do. Live for him by loving others. We fulfill our lives purpose when we do what we were made to do and nothing else will make us happy.

The Odyssey 2026

I wasn’t on planning on seeing The Odyssey. I thought about going on $5 movie night but didn’t want to spend 3 plus hours in the theaters on a Tuesday night. I also didn’t want to pay full price on a weekend. I was going to wait till it was available on streaming. Then Jodie and Randy mentioned while attending our outing of Toy Story 5 that they had seen it the night before. My other FSC friend Marshall had seen it earlier in the week. Other friends of mine started talking about how they had seen it. Other writers, bloggers and Youtubers were posting their reviews. I felt obligated to go and see it while Kristin was at her lay Carmelite meeting. Was trying to find the mental energy to write my thoughts on it. I felt tired but nonetheless here are my reflections on the film I wrote in the morning before I went to work.

I didn’t know whether I would like or dislike The Odyssey. I have seen the gambit of opinions throughout social media. As YouTube critic The Critical Drinker put it in his review of the movie.

Depending on who you talk to, the Odyssey is either a disgusting cinematic abomination that completely subverts and disrespects Homer’s original work while shamelessly pandering to the mythical modern audience, or an undisputed masterpiece of film, the crowning achievement of Nolan’s career and a strong candidate for the greatest thing the human race has ever achieved.

I got to the theater just after the trailers ended. Surprisingly there was less then 10 minutes of coming attractions as opposed to a half hour of trailers. I overall was swept up in the cinematic experience of the film. It was grand all the way. I wasn’t as blown away by it as I was Toy Story 5 but it was nevertheless an entertaining journey made pleasant by the likes of Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Anne Hathway plus all the other various actors and actresses cosplaying as Greek soldiers on a journey to get home after a bloody battle.

This movie resembles Nolans first movie ‘Memento’ which is one of my favorite movies. That movie had a non-liner way of storytelling, which The Odyssey does also. If you like straightforward storytelling you won’t find it in this rendition of The Odyssey. The The Odyssey (1997 miniseries) is a straightforward telling of the story from beginning to end. It also explains certain plot points better and has some more fun scenes with Greek gods than Nolans. It is not as epic in cinematic look or scope as the new one is. I’ve watched it on Amazon Prime and if you want a calmer less intense telling of the story this is it.

Here are a few more insights and reflections in the Nolan’s Odyssey

The Trojan horse scene was unlike any version I’ve seen of it before. You could feel the claustrophobia of the men trapped in the horse the Trojans drag into their city.

The music is great all the way through. A good soundtrack you could play on your sound system at home and feel the story flowing around you.

In Star Trek it is so much easier to go on away missions when you can just beam in and out of the planet. Its easier to escape a hungry cyclops or ravishing Laestrygonians, deceitful witches, sirens, cunning nymphs and armies of the dead. There is a lot of mythological creatures and gods to fight and runaway from in this story. The only real god that shows up sometimes is Athena. The 97 had more gods showing up, which would have made this movie a little more fun. But it wasn’t going for fun though. It was going for grit and intensity.

Traveling by sea is tough and more likely to result in death. I have no idea of the geography of the land but wondered why they couldn’t just travel back by land. The voyage by sea was challenging was mostly challenging because they were thrown off course by the god Poseidon. You feel the crash of the waves and the weariness of sea travel.

The film never lagged or bored me but you can feel the 3 hour run time. It’s good for a Sunday afternoon but would not have felt good on a Tuesday night.

Here are a few more thoughts from others…

Nolan is almost the last filmmaker working in Hollywood today whose very name establishes any new release as a global cultural event. With The Odyssey, he has tackled one of Western civilization’s most culturally significant narratives (and most spectacular and cinema-ready) in the grandest possible style. The movie is the first feature film ever shot entirely in IMAX 70mm; filmed in eight countries and territories, it has the largest marquee ensemble cast of Nolan’s career. Given the director’s preference for minimal reliance on computer effects, the physical scale of the production was immense.

Nolan chose this latest film, he says, based on his personal affinity for this story: the tale of King Odysseus of Ithaca’s harrowing voyage home from the Trojan war; his belated reunion with his wife and son, Penelope and Telemachus; and his deadly reckoning with the horde of suitors plaguing his household in his absence as they seek Penelope’s hand and the throne.
Steven D. Greydanus. – Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ links ancient codes to Christian precepts – U.S. Catholic

So many people were annoyed that this telling of the Odyssey made Odysseus kind of small — small in stature, pointy of face, not especially charismatic or kingly — and that the landscape is so heavy and dreary, rather than sparkling and lovely. I think that was on purpose: It was supposed to be giving us a world where self doubt, grief, guilt, and regret are what make Odysseus go (or not go). This may have been interesting! It’s not as if ancient Greece shies away from the idea tragedy or human flaws.

But this is only a worthwhile take if it enlightens anything. And nothing was enlightened.
Nolan’s Odyssey wants it both ways and gets neither – SIMCHA FISHER

In conclusion The Odyssey may or may not be worth seeing depending on your individual taste of what you like in a movie.

Toy Story 5 is Steller movie making and I can whole heartly recommend to anyway with out hesitation.

Here is a in-depth analysis of The Odyssey by Fr. Greggory Pine

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