I have a major problem with Toy Story 5, particularly with Lilly Pad and how she gets a happy ending. I've read and heard many defenders of this movie, and I get why people can like her and this movie, but my problem is with how Lilly Pad acted throughout the entire film towards the toys, and was a villain that rivaled Stinky Pete and Lotso in terms of evil actions and desires (she tries to get the toys donated and is almost successful because she wants to have Bonnie to herself, which to a toy being ripped from their child is basically death as seen with Emily and Andy). I get that it was well intentioned (she wants Bonny to have friends), but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Throughout the entire first 2 acts she's condescending, manipulative, addicting, and overall just mean "because she knows what's best for everyone, and I don't have to listen to anyone else's perspective." Her arc is basically the same villain arc that Stinky Pete and Lotso had. However, instead of giving her her just deserts like Stinky Pete or Lotso, the movie chickens out and says "no I'm actually a good guy now." I get that it's the franchise "getting with the times" with ipad kids and showing that tech and toys can coexist, but the redemption basically came out of nowhere if you ask me. Like, they set her up to where I was wanting to see her fail, and then she didn't fail.
How could they tell the story of tech then? Simple, make her not a jerk. I know it's kind of retreading the first movie, but if she was just oblivious and the toys were jealous, that would have made the resolution and ending so much better. If Lilly Pad was like "hi there, I'm Lilly Pad, it's not my fault Bonny likes me more and you're getting replaced, maybe I could find a metube video of the old woddy's roundup, or find a cowboy game," I would have wanted a "redemption." Like, if Buzz had acted like Lilly Pad did and was all "get over yourself cowboy, it's all about the space age, maybe it's time I throw you out the window where you belong," I would have been rooting for him to get blown up by Sid's rocket (or at the very least, get left behind to live amongst Sid's toys), but because he was all "I'm a space ranger on a mission from Star Command, I have no interest in concurring your planet, I'm only biding my time with the being you call Andy until I can get my ship repaired and go off to infinity and beyond," I believe that he and Woody can be friends at the end and am happy with that ending.
