Let’s address the broken record in the home: Toy Story should have ended after 3! That is maybe the one thing on Planet Earth (aside from hating on anything AI-related) that everyone and their grandmother’s toys can agree on. Even if you are someone that likes and/or loves Toy Story 4, there’s not many that claimed they would cry themselves to sleep if that movie never became a reality. They just need to replay the ending of Toy Story 3 to do that. (Can someone grab me another tissue?!) I bring this up because Toy Story 5 is yet another Pixar sequel that is forced to walk the tight rope between being good enough to justify itself as a sequel and being good enough to justify itself as strictly a Pixar sequel.
While I highly doubt that Toy Story 5 will win over every single naysayer out there, it certainly does the best job it can at justifying itself, by providing a refreshing new POV with Jessie as the main Sheriff this time around and answering the question of how toys can possibly hope to survive in the age of technology. It certainly takes it’s time to put all it’s chest pieces into place and you can certainly feel the overwhelming nature of this franchise having so many different characters that it will make your head spin. However, for a fifth film in a long-running animated franchise owned by Disney, it’s certainly no…… Ice Age: Collision Course.
Premise: Set two years after the events of the fourth film, Toy Story 5 follows Jessie (Joan Cusack), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and Woody (Tom Hanks) as they and the other toys deal with the presence of Lilypad (Greta Lee), a tablet and the new favorite plaything of Bonnie (Scarlett Spears). There is also a side quest featuring an army of factory-sealed, high tech Buzz Lightyear action figures that are looking to fulfill their mission for Star Command after being stranded on a deserted island.
The main thing that Toy Story 5 has going for it is the way it handles it’s toy vs tech premise. In 2026, it is no question that technology has played a role in everybody’s life and has greatly affected how we evolve as human beings. Instead of writing with paper and pencil, we are tapping on iPads and typing on computers. Instead of face-to-face interactions to meet and chat with someone, we are using Zoom and Instagram to do just that. Instead of reading books, we are doom scrolling on Twitter. And of course, instead of kids playing with toys, they are playing with electronics. We might not all like it but that’s the reality of how we operate in the age of tech. And Toy Story 5 is not afraid to showcase that whatsoever.
The film’s overall approach to toys trying to adapt into the age of tech isn’t so much that you had to live with just one or the other but more about how both toys and tech have their merits and it would be foolish to suggest otherwise. In the case of trying to win over Bonnie’s playtime, Jessie and LilyPad have no goal throughout the film other than doing what they believe is best for their kid. While LilyPad wants to help Bonnie find any friend she possibly can, Jessie wants to help Bonnie find the “right” friend.
Co-directors and co-writers Andrew Stanton and Kenna Harris are obviously not blind to our obsession with technology in this day and age and how it has played a major role in our lifetimes. As much as we complain about how the internet and social media has ruined our lives, we really can’t imagine a world without them now because that’s how folks go on with their days. But, just as long as we make sure to make time with the ones we love and make room for others things, tech can still play a good role in our lives if we allow it. Any other film could have easily took the safe route with a whole “tech bad, toys good” message but Stanton and Harris both know that we are beyond that mentality and simply can go back to the days of stones and sticks. We can no longer focus on how life was so much better before tech, we can now only focus on how we can make life better WITH tech.
The other major element of Toy Story 5 is Sheriff Jessie taking the lead this time around. While plenty of purists bark at the idea of a character other than Woody or Buzz taking the main spotlight of a Toy Story film, there’s more than enough justification for Jessie being in the frontline this time around. Even if you complete forgot how the last film left off with Woody deciding to stay with Bo Peep and passing the baton down to his fellow cowgirl, the film makes it clear that Jessie is the one with the biggest connection to Bonnie herself and has to be the one to lead the charge.
Her story ties back to her resonating arc from Toy Story 2, with her yet again fearing abandonment and forgetfulness from her owner, wanting to do everything in her power to make an everlasting impact of her child’s life before it’s too late. She meets up with new friends along the way (the best of which is Smarty Pants, voiced by Conan O’Brien), showcasing how toys and tech can indeed become one of the same and learning along the way that there is absolutely zero shame in that. And yes, without getting too deep into spoilers, the emotional highpoint of the film does indeed serve as a perfect parallel to “When She Loved Me” from Toy Story 2, with Taylor Swift fitting into the shoes of Sarah McLachlan flawlessly.
Oh, and in case if you are wondering about the subplot with the army of the high-tech Buzz Lightyear action figures that were isolated on an island, it’s mostly just an excuse to give Buzz more action in the film and allow Tim Allen to have a bit of extra fun in the voice recording booth. It’s justified itself enough by tying itself back to the the film’s core themes of toys becoming a thing in the past and needing to make the right upgrades in order to survive for the future. Not to mention, having some of the best gags and references to the previous installments in the entire film.
Buzz himself is giving a role similar to Kristoff in Frozen 2, wanting to do everything he can to please the woman he loves most by acting as her deputy while constantly trying to propose to her over and over again until he’s blue in the face. Thankfully, it’s nowhere near as redundant as it was in Frozen 2 and it concludes in a way that will certainly make the die hard Buzz and Jessie shippers lose their minds. (It does make you wonder why it took so long after 3 for Buzz to want to pop the question!) I imagine that will been seen as too sappy by certain people but hey, at least it’s better use for our beloved space ranger than him finding his “inner voice” (Seriously, what was that all about in the last film?!).
And if you are curious to know how they handled our favorite cowboy’s return, well….there’s not much to say really. Woody is easily giving the least important role he has ever had in this series up to this point, given the shaky feeling that he’s only around now for the sake of merchandising. (Even Andrew Stanton himself admitted he had no idea how to bring Woody back). I imagine Josh D’Amaro and Diana Walden couldn’t bear the thought of having to answer to the millions of parents whose children cried in the theaters because Woody wasn’t there.
While there’s an occasional flirting around with the idea of the older western toys being forced to match up with the newer, high-tech toys along with some amusing back-and-forth between him and Buzz, Woody’s role here feels rather superficial. Even the whole “balding head” and “bear belly” stick that the marketing made such a big deal out of doesn’t end up mattering that much, with Stanton and Harris basically gasping at straws with what to do with him.
This ties back to the weakest link of Toy Story 5, which is the overabundance of supporting characters that this franchise doesn’t know what to do with anymore. Much like Toy Story 4, the film’s desire to put the main focus on the handful of characters that drive forward the narrative and brand new characters it introduces means that a good chunk of the toy gang that the audience followed throughout the first three films is left on the shelfs to gather more dust. Even the toys that were introduced last time around such as Duke Caboom, Ducky, and Bunny are given screentime so slim that you can easily blink and you will miss them. (Not to mention, Bo Peep ends up getting sidelined…..again!) If Toy Story 2 was able to keep it’s core focus on Woody while also finding plenty for the supporting cast to do, then what excuse does these last two installments have?
Sure, characters like Hamm and Mr. and Mrs. Potato head are given a couple more lines than last time and there’s a decent laugh or two with Forky and his new “knife” but Pixar, you might want to pump the breaks on adding more toys if you can’t even bother to play with the ones that you already owned. It’s no wonder Bonnie keeps losing you guys!
And while the overall film resolution is satisfying by itself, you can’t help but think they were going for a much bolder and more daring change to the series’ overall status quo but then they just….backs away. Maybe that has to also factor in the massive number of characters now but even I’m now starting to lose track on which kid owns which toy now. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pixar got spooked by folks who cried foul to the ending of the last film and didn’t want to poke that bear again.
When it comes to everything else, it’s all fine and daddy. The animation continues to be stunning and deserving to be seen on the biggest screen possible (especially when it comes to every playtime scene and the 50+ Buzz Lightyear’s in action), Randy Newman proves he’s still got it as the series’ longtime composer and secret MVP, and while you can definitely tell that Hanks, Allen, and Cusack have shown their age as Woody, Buzz, and Jessie respectively, they are still given whatever energy and life they got left into these characters to make them stand out as some of Pixar’s absolute finest creations. Cusack in particular does her duty to make Jessie’s spotlight feel all the more worth it. While the trailers and clips shown off don’t do a good job at showcasing that, the actual finished film does do her justice. Oh, and Greta Lee definitely feels like she is having a LOT more fun here than she did in Tron: Ares.
To the folks out there that see Toy Story 3 as the “true” ending to the series and find any Toy Story installment to come out after 2010 to be an absolute disgrace, you have already made up your mind about Toy Story 5. To the folks out there that acknowledge this franchise has passed it’s peak and just want an excuse to hang out with some of their favorite toys again, you will find quite a bit to like about Toy Story 5. To the folks out there who love Jessie and see her and Buzz as absolute ENDGAME, you will find a LOT to like about Toy Story 5.
Even as Disney continues to squeeze whatever dollar they can into Pixar’s most successful franchise, you can’t deny that the people making these films are doing everything they can to justify themselves to keep the franchise going creatively. And come on, you are flat out LYING to yourself if you think a movie that is basically telling kids to turn off their iPads every now and then and touch some grass is NOT a message that kids and families need in 2026.
In that sense, Toy Story 5 might not be the Toy Story sequel we needed but it is perhaps the one we deserve.
Other comments:
- I need a Smarty Pants Disney Plus mini series ASAP! If you did one with Forky, you can do one with Conan O’Brien!
- I can’t believe they actually allowed Bullseye to speak but man did they found the perfect voice for him.
- I love my boy Andy but Blaze might just be the best human character in this franchise. Bring her back for Toy Story 6!
- And yes, they will make Toy Story 6 one day! Just accept it!
- I can’t help but wonder how much better this film would’ve been accepted if THIS was the first Toy Story film since 2010 and was the TRUE Toy Story 4. At least you wouldn’t have to come up with a contrived excuse to bring Woody back.
- It’s hilarious how two years ago, everybody was opening arms for Shrek 5 and closing arms for Toy Story 5! How the tables have turned!
- Also, Shrek 5 looks……well……….yeah!
- Gatto will be Pixar’s next masterpiece! Get back to me in nine months and I will say I told you all!
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