Toy Story 5 (2026)
Directed by Andrew Stanton
[Rated PG] 1hr 42min
Family, Animation, Adventure, Comedy
★★★
When 8-year-old Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet so that she can fit in with other kids her age, her toys quickly discover that technology has been replacing other toys like them for years, and they witness first hand how it negatively affects children. Jessie, Buzz, and Woody take it upon themselves to stop Lilypad from taking Bonnie away from them so that she can still have a fulfilling childhood, but the allure of flashy games and the social pressure of online friends make this a difficult task to accomplish.
This is a decent film that achieves everything it needs to; nothing more, nothing less. The animation is solid, the story is serviceable, the themes are perfectly fine. As a result, there isn’t anything particularly remarkable about this latest entry in the Toy Story franchise, which by default makes it the worst one since the other four are all exceptional in some way. This film simply repeats many similar story beats that were already covered previously, and the only significant new element is its commentary on the harmful impact of technology in children’s lives. While this is an important message to convey to children and their parents, the film doesn’t add anything particularly unique that would raise it to the level of the other Toy Story movies, so the themes end up feeling fairly shallow in comparison. At the very least, this film is good enough at everything it sets out to do, so it’s still able to provide an enjoyable experience for all ages.
I recommend Toy Story 5 to families who want to see a fun movie together at the theater, as it offers a satisfying story that both children and parents can enjoy. Even though this film may not live up to its franchise expectations, it’s still entertaining enough to be worth watching.
Toy Story 5 is now playing in theaters. Click here to watch the Official Trailer.
– Review by Will Hopper