Why Has the Heartwarming Charm of 'Toy Story' Faded? Pixar's Position in Its 30th Year

1. Prologue——The Day Everyone Felt "Pixar Has Changed"

On June 23, 2025, a column published in Polygon titled "The reason new Pixar doesn’t always feel like old Pixar" positioned the latest work, "Elio," as a symbol of the "Human Era." The article pointed out that "the technical leeway to depict humans paradoxically revealed flaws," which many fans shared on social media. The number of tweets exceeded 50,000 within 24 hours of publication, and "#OldPixar #NewPixar" became a global trend.polygon.com

2. From "Secret Worlds" to "Human Stories"—A Historic Shift for the Studio

Early Pixar excelled in "visualizing invisible worlds." The toy society in "Toy Story," the closet in "Monsters, Inc.," the underwater world in "Finding Nemo"... During the dawn of computer animation, realistically depicting humans was challenging, and stylized non-human characters were the optimal solution. However, leaps in GPU performance and advancements in shader expressions removed these barriers, and by 2017's "Coco," Pixar had finally reached a realm where "humans as main characters felt seamless." Polygon identifies this as the "beginning of the Human Era."polygon.com

3. The Temperature Difference on Social Media—Three Representative Reactions

1. Nostalgia × Disappointment Group

   • The Reddit thread "Pixar's getting worse" was filled with voices lamenting the "absence of the Brain Trust" and "overemphasis on sequels."reddit.com

2. Diversity Welcoming Group

   • During the controversy over "Turning Red," Vox reported that "many parents overreacted to the 'menstruation metaphor,'" while also introducing the fact that young women involved praised it as "the most relatable experience of their lives."vox.com

3. New Release Anticipation Group

   • With the release of the preview for "Elio," positive posts such as "Must watch in Screen X" and "Best music ever" surged. ScreenRant summarized it as "almost unanimously positive reactions."screenrant.com

4. Case Studies by Work

4-1 "Turning Red" (2022)

The direct portrayal of mother-daughter relationships and adolescence sparked mixed reactions, with the Rotten Tomatoes audience score temporarily plummeting to 60%. However, on TikTok, the "Giant Red Panda Dance" became a trend, surpassing 1 billion views. The movie itself reached 10 million views on Disney+ at the fastest pace.vox.com

4-2 "Elemental" (2023)

The theatrical opening was sluggish ($29.5 million), but word-of-mouth turned it into a "sleeper hit," reaching a global box office of $490 million. Its explosive success in Korea was praised as the "Korean Connection" by local media.en.wikipedia.org

4-3 "Inside Out 2" (2024)

Surpassed $1 billion in global box office within 10 days of release. The "#AnxietyIsReal" campaign was linked, with many mental health awareness accounts joining in. ComicBookMovie endorsed it as "a masterpiece surpassing the original."comicbookmovie.com

4-4 "Elio" (2025)

The "boy × space" setting was well-received, but there were notable voices pointing out the thinness of the protagonist's characterization. Polygon commented that "the dazzling visuals ironically highlight the emptiness of the characters."polygon.com

5. The "Strengths" and "Pitfalls" of the Human Era

(Beehiiv analyzes the details of Pixar's social media strategy.)futuresocial.beehiiv.com

6. Why Does Opinion Polarize?

1. Nostalgia vs. Generational Needs

   • Audiences from the 90s to 00s have the original experience of "objects talking," while Generation Z finds "internalization of emotions" refreshing.

2. Changes in Streaming Experience

   • The uniqueness of theatrical experiences has diminished, accelerating the formation of evaluations through immediate social media reviews.

3. Disney's Decision-Making

   • The contradiction of simultaneously pursuing content diversity and IP expansion creates inconsistencies in the tone of works.

7. Has the "Pixar Essence" Disappeared?

As demonstrated by "Turning Red" and "Luca," the attitude of "thoroughly delving into personal stories" is clearer than ever compared to the early days. The difference is that the subject of has shifted from "toys" to "humans." Behind the dazzling CG, Pixar continues to "interpret the world."

8. Epilogue—Towards the 30th Anniversary and Beyond

In "Toy Story 5," scheduled for release in 2026, it has been reported that the antagonist will be a tablet device named "Lilypad," sparking heated discussions among the parent generation. What kind of stories will Pixar's gaze towards the digital native generation cast on its future?dailytelegraph.com.au