Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) watch Bonnie obsess over LilyPad (Greta Lee), much to the dismay of Jessie (Joan Cusack) in Pixar's 'Toy Story 5'
Disney/Pixar
Each Toy Story sequel invites the question—can Pixar do it again?
Is there anything left to say about this world, these characters, after the conclusive ending of the preceding Toy Story movie?
With Toy Story 5, Pixar has created another beautifully animated, entertaining film (the studio rarely misses), but I think sequel number five marks the point where the story is over.
At this point, the franchise is simply too successful to die. Like Woody, it’s still going strong, but showing signs of age.
Toy Story 5 covers familiar territory—the fear of being abandoned by a child, fickle gods of this strange universe, along with the struggle to compete with new technology.
This time, Jessie gets the spotlight, and the story tackles the dangers of big tech, echoing the concerns of today’s parents, tasked with judging how much screen time is too much.
The alluring glow of an iPad can easily replace old-fashioned, imaginative play, but Pixar understands that the subject is more nuanced than “technology bad.”
Toy Story 5 concludes that screens are an inevitable part of the modern playscape and explores the dangers of cyberbullying, but doesn’t delve into the complications beyond that.
That’s fine (the topic is, ironically, too big for a children’s film), but the antagonist, a tablet named Lily, is disappointingly flat, a cackling villain who immediately switches into an empath after realizing that her influence has been bad for Bonnie’s self-esteem.
The film isn’t really about navigating the minefield of modern technology—it’s about accepting change, with Jessie understanding that making a positive impact on a child’s life is the best a toy can hope for.
The franchise has already explored this idea, of course, most memorably in Toy Story 2, in which Woody chooses to enjoy his limited time with Andy, rejecting a sterile life behind glass in a toy museum.
Toy Story 5 revisits a brief, tragic scene from Toy Story 2, in which Jessie is abandoned by her previous owner, who simply grows up and moves on.
That scene is powerful because there’s an emotional truth to it—sometimes people outgrow each other. Friends move on, and children always grow into adults.
Change can feel cruel. That’s life. As Woody learns, you’ve got to move on, enjoy the good times while they’re still there.
Toy Story 5 returns to that iconic moment of abandonment and puts a more positive spin on it, fleshing out Jessie’s role in the franchise and blunting the hard edge of that powerful scene.
The end of the film sees our beloved toys repeat the old line, of flying, and falling with style.
From a cynical perspective, it feels like the franchise has officially crossed the line into nostalgia-bait—perhaps it has been for some time (as much as I like the third film, I must admit that it was shamelessly replaying the hits from the previous two).
Perhaps Toy Story 5 has nothing new to say, but it is a fun time for nostalgic parents and their children, who are sure to be entertained by the antics of these aging toys.
The box office success of Toy Story 5 will likely guarantee at least one more sequel, sparking the question—can Pixar do it again?
They can, and they surely will.
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