The legendary Pixar magic was on full display in the fifth installment of the Toy Story franchise. This go-round, the toys meet tech in an all-new adventure that brings the gang back together and makes room for new blood.
Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack), Woody (Tom Hanks), and friends find their jobs in jeopardy with the arrival of a new tablet called Lilypad (Greta Lee). Their kid, Bonnie (Scarlett Spears), doesn’t have any friends, so her consistent playtime with Buzz and the gang is immediately threatened when Lilypad arrives, forming her own opinions about what’s best for Bonnie.
It’s difficult enough to make a sequel strong enough to push a franchise forward, so the fact that we’re on a fifth Toy Story is extremely impressive. A trove of relatable themes are explored here, including friendship, bullying, and the value of youthful innocence.
The toys’ initial conflict with Lilypad was based on fear, reflecting real-life reactions when populations are introduced to new culture, tech, etc. After seeing with her own eyes how toys went the way of donation or the graveyard of the forgotten (backyard), Jessie took their warnings of being replaced as an inevitability she refused to accept. Ultimately, in the end, both sides learned to coexist and to focus on what truly mattered: their kid, which in this case was Bonnie.
Bonnie didn’t have many friends, which worried her parents. She spent her days playing with toys and using her imagination, which shouldn’t be seen as foreign since we all did this before technology overran the youth. When she finally did make “friends”, they were addicted to Lilypad, highlighting a very real problem with youth involving screentime. Instead of meeting in real life, they would play group games on their tablet for hours on end. Eventually, when the girls catch wind of Bonnie’s connection to toys, they chastise her openly. The online bullying changed her persona and drove her away from both toys and tech, making her cold. This inadvertently served as a reminder of the consequences of bullying.
The unsung hero of the film was Blaze (Mykal-Michelle Harris), who lives on the outskirts of town. Confident and independent, she loves toys and enjoys a farm filled with animals. She was the perfect fit for Bonnie and was proof that you can appreciate the innocence and imagination that come with toys and still be worthy of friendship.
The storyline was one fit for all. The adventure took place in Bonnie’s neighborhood but sprawled across the city. A familiar problem resurfaces with toys evading donation and extends to a situation becoming pig food, left behind, and overtaken by new children. The side mission with a cache of Buzz Lightyears slowly converging into the main story was a beautiful touch.
Toy Story 5 gets a 10 out of 10. Watch it, stream it, own it. Pixar fired on all cylinders for this masterpiece.
Toy Story premieres in theaters on Friday, June 19.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Pixar
Genre: Animation
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: June 19, 2026