Film Review : Toy Story 5 (2026)

Toy Story 5 did what many thought may be impossible, continued to make the franchise great.

This time around we follow the toys, though Woody continues to live a life away from the rest, as Bonnie is growing up. While she may be playing with toys, the rest of kids her age and those around her are addicting to tech but more specifically Lilypad, an interactive tablet. As Bonnie gets one and grows more dependent on tech and less on toys its up to Jessie and the gang to help Bonnie stay a child as long as possible.

The film though does a great job at showcasing tech here. We see Bonnie become relient on her new Lilypad toy as she feels its the only way that other kids will like her or be around her. She stops being herself and doing the things that make her Bonnie instead trying to emulate what others are doing. It shows the dark side of how kids treat other kids on apps and in messages but also shows how technology can be used for good when done right. I applaud the film for being able to handle this so well without feeling at any point like they’ve forced it one side or another too aggressively.

I will say too shockingly I wasn’t expecting Jessie to be the focus of the film here but I loved that she was. This was a very girl focused film with Buzz and especially Woody (who is almost barely in the film) really taking a backseat here. We get some moments that truly pull at the heartstrings because of this and it feels like a much needed moment for the character.

Now while the film is beautiful looking, the writing is sharp and funny, there are some things that just don’t hit exactly how they should. I can see how some won’t be happy just how little the rest of the crew are involved here. The band of backing characters we know and love are only given a handful of scenes really before literally being stuffed in a box and put away. Woody, like said before, is in the film for a shockingly small amount of time. Plus we get scenes with an army of new high tech Buzzs’, that while it pays out, does feel terribly out of place until we get to the pay off.

Overall as an adult, its a great film. I can’t really see a kid loving this especially the first half or so except for bits and pieces as it isn’t exactly beeming in excitement for someone younger. They made some bold choices here with directions taken and while I felt most paid off they also will likely leave some older fans wanting more of what they expected from the entire gang involved.

Score :

4 / 5