'Toy Story 5' Review
- Erica Richards
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 06/19/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Adventure. Animation. Comedy. Drama. Family. Fantasy.
MPAA: Rated PG.
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Nostalgia is one of my favorite feelings. Nostalgia can come from smells, foods, clothing, old photographs, and many other things. Sometimes though, nostalgia with films makes me uneasy. For example, when I heard about a sequel to Hocus Pocus, my stomach dropped–one of my most favorite (and arguably perfect films) being touched? It did not sit right with me. Hocus Pocus is a standalone and does not need to be messed with. You absolutely nailed it the first time, and I question, why do we need to try to build on it? However, I do not feel this way at all about the Toy Story franchise. I honestly look forward to the sequels every time they are announced. I adore how the creators are able to expand on the story and characters without ever jeopardizing the integrity of what makes Toy Story special and unique. I also look forward to the new characters each sequel will introduce, and how they will challenge the world the toys live in. This tech-focused sequel did not disappoint.
The story wastes no time by taking off, where we are reunited with our sweet Bonnie, who finds herself shy and struggling to make friends outside of the toy story gang of regulars. Is Bonnie becoming too old to play with toys? Is she jeopardizing her imagination and what she genuinely loves just to fit in with her peers who are not like her at all? Bonnie’s parents contemplate buying her a tablet, known as Lilypad, aka “Lily” and quickly succumb to the solution that this screen-based toy will solve Bonnie’s issue with making friends. It might have been a little bit more believable if Bonnie had asked for Lilypad because she saw her peers with their own tablets and she thought that was what she needed to fit in. In the end, this decision to not go in that direction makes sense, to stay true to Bonnie’s core–that she is not a tech-only focused child and she still enjoys playing with toys and using her imagination.
Obviously, the regular crew of toys is immediately threatened by Lily’s arrival and what it means for their existence and relationship with Bonnie. They see that Bonnie is consumed by this toy with a screen, entranced by the endless clicking and familiar stare and stillness a screen toy has as an effect on a child. The toys, led by Jessie, want to figure out how they can make Bonnie genuine friends, and not just friends sitting behind tablets. Throughout the unfolding of events, Jessie also has a beautiful realization that her former owners grow up and grow out of playing with toys, but these tech-focused toys tend to phase out the toy-playing at a younger age than normal. Jessie is fiercely adamant that they need to reject Lily’s presence, and influence Bonnie to forget about this toy. Jessie and the old toy crew learn pretty quickly, with the help of steadfast, reliable, and wise Woody that they need to embrace tech, just like the first generation of fans of the franchise are learning in the real world. We are in the age of tech whether we like it or not, and we have to adapt and learn how to embrace technology and use it to our advantage.
This overall message of embracing tech and realizing tech is not evil is a strong message, especially for this younger generation who is growing up in an everchanging and tech-advanced world. It is important to note that in the end, Bonnie finds a friend like her, who likes to use their imagination and play with toys–but they are still brought together by tech initially.
Toy Story 5, of course, is still able to pull at the heart strings with definitive impact–there is a moment of discovery and realization that Jessie has (no spoilers!) that made my eyes glossy and gave me a lump in my throat. In the classic Pixar/Disney way, there are a few laugh out loud moments that exist for the adults in the room, paired with the stunning and colorful animation that cause those one-liners to zing over children’s heads. Pixar has done it again with the fifth installment of the Toy Story franchise and has me looking forward to when I will be reunited with these characters again, no matter what stage I am at in my life.
