Technology has always been central to Pixar’s filmmaking process, but with Toy Story 5, it becomes part of the story itself. The result is a timely, relatable sequel that carries the franchise forward while staying true to its emotional core.
Like its predecessors, Toy Story 5 is brimming with witty humor, heartfelt storytelling and a cast of lovable characters. I was hooked from start to finish, alternating between fits of laughter and moments of genuine heartbreak. The narrative will be comforting to those who grew up with the movies while resonating with anyone entering this world for the first time.
Grounded in the core themes of loyalty, friendship and letting go, the film avoids hollow nostalgia and recycled plotlines in favor of a fresh, contemporary spin. Toy Story 5 hits theaters June 19.
Bonnie, now 8 years old in the franchise, is struggling to understand why no one wants to be her friend or play with her. She comes to a painful realization: Everyone would rather be glued to their gadgets. The toys that once dominated playtime have been relegated to dusty drawers and boxes in exchange for the bright, alluring screens of tablets, phones and computers.
Eventually, Bonnie gets her own tablet called Lilypad and is immediately entranced. She casts aside her toys and spends nearly every waking moment scrolling, tapping and chatting with new friends who have similarly excessive screentimes. This being a Toy Story movie, Lilypad naturally has a mind of her own, making it her mission to link Bonnie with friends online, even if it means her old toys get left behind.
Our beloved toy protagonists, including Jessie, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, are, of course, horrified by what they see. As Jessie grapples with being neglected, she gazes into the windows of nearby homes, where every face is lit by the glow of a screen. She says with equal parts alarm and wonder, “Look at them all, all on devices.”
It’s a sobering moment that mirrors the bleakness of our current tech-centric world, where real-life connections and experiences are often supplanted by hollow virtual ones.
As Woody succinctly puts it, “Toys are for play, but tech is for everything.” How could they possibly compete?
The movie offers a poignant look at our digital lives, exploring the isolation that grows when fleeting virtual connections replace tangible, real-world bonds and imaginative play.
I came into this film with the same trepidation many people may be feeling about the release of yet another Toy Story movie. Sure, Toy Story 3 felt like a cathartic ending, but it turned out this franchise had no plans of stopping there.
Still, the timeliness of Toy Story 5’s plot made it resonate far more than I anticipated. With the rise of handheld devices among those young and old, this movie is a pertinent and creative exploration of what happens when more traditional play clashes with modern entertainment. In fact, this conflict makes the franchise more culturally relevant than ever.
Despite the film’s resonant overarching theme, it’s not all doom and gloom. Toy Story 5 is equal parts nostalgia, heart and humor.
Early on, as the toys reckon with their imminent demise, Rex the dinosaur exclaims, “Extinction, not again!”
Meanwhile, Jessie reflects on being abandoned by her first kid, Emily, and is terrified of experiencing that pain again. A touching instrumental rendition of When She Loved Me plays in the background, a callback to Toy Story 2’s heartbreaking montage.
We’re also introduced to my favorite new character, Smarty Pants the potty training toy, voiced by the hilarious Conan O’Brien. With a toilet-roll design and buttons for “1” and “2,” Smarty Pants dishes potty humor and a hysterical, unhinged energy that brings refreshing comic relief (pun not intended) throughout the film. When someone is described as passing a gas station, Smarty Pants quips, “Passed gas, haha.” It’s the type of humor that’s likely to appeal to a child as well as the quintessential inner child alike. And yet, because of Smart Pants’ limited and ephemeral utility, he knows what it’s like to suddenly be discarded, even as a digital toy.
Instead of just the single Buzz Lightyear audiences know and love, Toy Story 5 introduces 50 high-tech models with small digital screens embedded into their chests. The new-age Buzzes arrive on a lost cargo container that washes ashore at the start of the movie. They function as a collective hive mind, working in unison as they search for their purpose. Bringing these scenes to life required Pixar to develop animation techniques that had previously been beyond the studio’s reach. Interspersed throughout the film, these sequences serve as both a source of humor and mounting tension.
Overall, Toy Story 5 adopts a slightly more restrained visual approach than the dazzling spectacle of Toy Story 4. While its predecessor showcased Pixar’s technical prowess through intricately rendered antiques and kaleidoscopic bursts of color, this latest installment favors a more subtle beauty, from sun-drenched pastures to remarkably lifelike animals. It’s a quieter aesthetic, but one that’s just as emotionally impactful and technologically spellbinding.
As a Swiftie, I was also eager to hear how Taylor Swift’s track I Knew It, I Knew You — which hadn’t yet been released at the time of my screening — would fit into the film. Given all the buzz (pun also not intended) around it, I was surprised the song was only featured in the end credits, rather than as part of a montage. Still, I appreciated the grounded, upbeat country vibe that feels like a callback to Taylor’s 2008 Fearless album, and it fits well within the movie’s overall tone.
Beyond its lovable characters, sharp humor and signature stellar animation, Toy Story 5 sparked an unexpected wave of self-reflection. The movie captures the emotional and creative toll of being consumed by our devices. It’s hard to be imaginative and in touch with the world, no matter our age, when gadgets constantly command our attention and time. Heck, it was hard to write this review without reaching for my phone every half hour.
More than anything, Toy Story 5 renewed my desire to break — or at least loosen — the grip technology has on my daily life and refocus on real-world experiences and relationships. That’s where lasting fulfillment often lies.
That’s not to say technology has no place in our lives. After all, it would be rather hypocritical of Pixar, a studio built on technological innovation, to suggest as much. But, as the film makes clear, too much exposure to our screens can stifle our innate need for human connection and imagination.
Ultimately, Toy Story 5 encourages us to embrace change, especially in a world where technology shapes us all. The question is how much we choose to let it mold us.
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