(L-R): Jessie, Buzz Lightyear, and Woody in Disney and Pixar's TOY STORY 5. Photo courtesy of Pixar. © 2026 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Pixar

When Toy Story 3 was released in 2010, it felt like the perfect way to end the franchise. Andy’s beloved toys found a new home with Bonnie, where they could be appreciated and played with. It had an emotional story arc for every character and a lesson in growing up and letting go. So when Toy Story 4 (2019) was announced, people questioned where they could go from here. But they figured it out, giving Woody (Tom Hanks) the perfect send-off into the sunset, helping him find his new purpose in life.

So when Toy Story 5 was announced back in 2023, the questions returned: Do we need another Toy Story film? Can you do one without Woody? What other lessons are there to teach? With Toy Story 5, technology is introduced into the toy chest, raising concerns about how these toys could remain relevant as the age of technology begins to take over – not just toys – the world.

Directed by Andrew Stanton, Toy Story 5’s premise is solid – Bonnie has had a hard time making friends, which resulted in Forky’s creation (voiced by Tony Hale) and his wife, Karen Beverly (Melissa Villaseñor), in Toy Story 4. She doesn’t know how to interact with other kids and hides away when they approach her, despite desperately wanting to make friends. Jessie (Joan Cusack) tries her best as the new sheriff of the toys to help Bonnie make a new friend, despite having her own trauma and fear of abandonment. Wanting to keep up with ever-changing technology, Bonnie’s parents bought her a LilyPad (Greta Lee), an interactive educational tablet that lets her connect with her classmates. With the rise of tablets and tech worldwide, toys have begun to become obsolete, causing mass panic among toys. Chaos ensues – Jessie and Bullseye somehow land at Jessie’s first owner’s farm nearby. While Jessie’s former owner, Emily, is not there at present, Jessie recalls her time in the house with Emily and being discarded when Emily no longer needed her. While the film has its emotional, poignant messages about friendships, real connections, and the dangers of technology, the overall execution felt clunky.

Jessie blames technology for toy misfortunes, getting angry at all forms of technology, even those already discarded. Conan O’Brien voices the toilet-training toy, Smarty Pants, and is seemingly drunk due to being low on battery when he first meets Jessie. She helps him replace his batteries, restoring him to his normal state so he (and his other older tech toys) can help her and Bullseye get back home to Bonnie. After the toys realize that Blaze, the new kid living in Emily’s old home, would be the perfect friend for Bonnie, they set out to connect the two.

The lessons for this film are clear: For Jessie’s storyline, we can’t stay forever. We have to be present and enjoy the now, because what matters is now. And, overall, the digital age is taking over, redefining what it means to play – and possibly, limiting imagination and real friendships.

Though Jessie does get some closure for her past trauma, it felt a bit too contrived as she conveniently learns how much of an impact she’s made on her previous child. It doesn’t feel as genuine. Keep in mind, Andy, Woody’s first and beloved owner, wanted to keep Woody with him, even in college, and hesitated for a moment before giving him up to Bonnie in Toy Story 3. It’s that hesitation that revealed how much he loved Woody.

The film’s take on technology, which is sadly true about the amount of screen time that children (and adults) get on a daily basis, is realistic, as more and more people are becoming dependent on screens and losing in-person human interactions. But, it also discredits online friendships that do create meaningful relationships through shared interests. Bonnie’s dance crew may have been mean bullies, but it isn’t true about every online friendship. The film does a lovely job in showcasing that technology is not the villain or antagonist (definitely the humans behind it). LilyPad is still a toy that wants what is best for Bonnie, even if the end justifies the means.

Sure, these days kids prefer tech over physical toys, but it’s reasonable for Toy Story to keep up with the multiple generations who watch it by incorporating the tech element. This generation of kids was born with the technology, and soon, the next will be the A.I. generation. Hopefully, it’ll never be used in the animation, but at least as a discussion topic in the film.

The jokes in the film felt a bit immature at times, but it was fine, because it was a reminder that the animated film and franchise have always been meant for kids. Like Emily and Andy, we all just grew up, and the multiple poop jokes from Smarty Pants didn’t hit the way they would have 10 or 20 years ago.

The animation is, of course, superb. Disney-Pixar is the leader in innovative animation, down to the details of clothing textures and hair. There were moments where the sky and ocean scenes felt so real. The imagination scenes shift to hand-drawn animation when the characters are being played with. It feels like art come to life, and it’s beautifully done.

Woody does make an appearance, trying to help save the day with a lovestruck Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), who has been planning to propose to Jessie. Though it was lovely to see Woody and Buzz reunite, and there were cute moments that reflected the first film, Woody’s participation, honestly, didn’t feel necessary other than the nostalgia factor.

It’s understandable, though, why Woody would make an appearance. He is essentially tied to the franchise as its face, despite the sweet and beautiful conclusion of the last film. Having Woody return without a clear purpose seems like a slap in the face to Toy Story 4. It seems not to be following its own advice to move forward. How can the story and franchise move forward if it cannot let go of the past? Where can the story go from here?

Overall, Toy Story 5 is cute and offers a few sweet lessons, but it is quite forgettable and doesn’t add much to its successful predecessors.

Toy Story 5 is out now in theaters everywhere.