It’s not just Taylor Swift and Marvel that like to dabble in the art of Easter eggs. Pixar is partial to including references from its other cinematic universes – and Toy Story 5 is the latest addition to this charming fixture.
As well as references to both Disney and Disney Pixar titles past, present, and maybe even future… Toy Story 5 also has plenty of other Easter eggs including nods to its stars and the film industry at large – and I’m so here for it. It adds another layer to the viewing experience, and these are all the Toy Story 5 Easter eggs I spotted while watching the latest film.
Toy Story 5 moments that payed homage to the franchise
You’ve Got a Friend in Me and how far I go back with this franchise. And Toy Story 5 definitely pays homage to the legacy of its first ever feature length film back in 1995, and the subsequent films that have come since in the series.
Bonnie’s chalkboard
Living in Bonnie’s imagination was so visually exciting as Pixar introduced a more handcrafted style of animation, and this bleeds into her reality with clouds drawn on her chalkboard. And hey, those clouds sure do look familiar, because they’re the same style of clouds on Andy’s wallpaper in the original film.
Anyone for a trip to Pizza Planet?
The Pizza Planet van is a prominent fixture in the Toy Story franchise, and it appears once again in Toy Story 5. As the army of Buzzs, Jessie, and the gang are walking along – blink and you'll miss it – a Pizza Planet van zips by.
Musical motifs
If there weren’t already ample tears, the familiar notes from some of Pixar’s most iconic musical sequences definitely set me off. When Woody arrives to help the gang against Lilypad, we hear the familiar melody of Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”, while Jessie reminiscing about her time with Emily is underscored by “When She Loved Me”. Instant water works!!
“Flying with style!”
Originally Woody describes Buzz’s attempt to fly as “falling with style”. In Toy Story 5, the “Hi-Tech” Buzz Lightyears turn out to have drones built into them and can actually, well, fly. At a pivotal point, Woody callback to his classic line and changes it to “flying with style!”.
Pixar Easter eggs in Toy Story 5
Every story Pixar brings to life holds a special place in my heart. Nobody else is creating magic quite like Pixar, so it’s always fun to see familiar characters and motifs popping up in different universes. And there were some really great ones in Toy Story 5.
Monsters Inc
During Bonnie’s imagination scene while she’s playing, Forky is getting married. The wedding quickly goes wrong and Rex ends up being poisoned, transforming from his scaly green to blue with purple spots like Sully’s fur in Monsters Inc.
Finding Nemo
While putting Lilypad through its paces, she pulls up results for “How deep is the ocean?” The resulting article features a still from Finding Nemo where Merlin first meets Dory.
Hoppers & For the Birds
Hoppers may have only come out this past March, but it’s already hopping up elsewhere in the Pixar Cinematic Universe. On Lilypad there are icons for each profile. One features a beaver from Hoppers for Chelsea’s profile, while Kara’s features a character from Pixar short, For the Birds.
Ducks
There are rumours of a Duck related movie at Pixar, and there may have been confirmation in Toy Story 5 that it’s come. While looking at the aforementioned search results featuring Finding Nemo, there are also some sketches of ducks under the heading “Ducks get prizes”. Could these be sketches of upcoming characters in this Pixar project?
Film references in Toy Story 5
Eggman Movers have moved onto bigger, better things
Remember when Andy and his family were moving house in the first film. Well, they used a company called Eggman Movers. Now Eggman has moved into the tech industry with Eggman Tech the creators of Lilypad. It’s also a bigger nod to an industry great, though – Ralph Eggleston went by the “The Eggman” and was a legendary art director at Pixar.
Another moment for the Zurg “I am your father” mic drop
Taking the lead from that iconic Star Wars moment between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, we get a reprisal of this plot twist from Toy Story 2, in which Buzz Lightyear’s enemy Zurg reveals himself to be Buzz’ father. Mic drop.
Well, with an army of Buzzes featured in Toy Story 5, the OG Buzz has the job of letting the rest know and trying to convince them they’re in fact toys. In his emotional speech, he urges them to “search their feelings, and they’ll know it to be true”, a line taken directly from Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back.
The cherry on top? All the Buzzes delivering Luke Skywalker’s “Noooooo!” response.
Looney Tunes, is that you?
Jessie delivers a line, “Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat!” towards the end of Toy Story 5 taken straight out of Yosemite Sam’s catchphrase book, which features frequently in Looney Tunes.
Woody’s poncho
One Reddit user noted that Woody wears his poncho exactly how Clint Eastwood’s character wears his in Man with No Name, a nod to some classic cinema.
Head to Cineworld and watch Toy Story 5 in IMAX, 4DX, SCREENX, and Superscreen now, and let us know what Easter eggs you spotted over on X.
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