Toy Story 5 marks the franchise’s fifth chapter, and Pixar still knows how to pull at the heartstrings. From the moment Woody and the gang first came to life in 1995, each sequel has found a new way to explore one universal truth — kids grow up, and toys get left behind. But this time, the stakes hit differently. Jessie the cowgirl opens the film wrestling with abandonment for the third time, and the weight of that is real. The gang has survived Andy moving on, Bonnie losing interest, and every bump in between. What they didn’t see coming? A child who still wants to play — just not with them. It’s one thing to lose a kid to adolescence. It’s another to watch them set you on the shelf for a screen. Toy Story 5 plants its flag right there, in that uncomfortable space where classic toys go head-to-head with tech and gaming — and the battle is more personal than ever.
The film wastes no time making its point. Bonnie, now 8 and voiced by Scarlett Spears, is caught in a world where the kids next door have already moved on. No toys, no imagination — just screens. Her parents, noticing the loneliness creeping in, do what modern parents do: they throw tech at the problem. Enter Lilypad, (voiced by Greta Lee) — a kid-friendly computer with a built-in social network that becomes Bonnie’s bridge to new friendships in her dance class. But fitting in comes at a cost. When a sleepover invitation arrives, Bonnie’s toys become a liability. Jessie and Bullseye get packed off to the farmhouse — the same place where Jessie’s original child, Emily, once loved her. It’s a gut-punch of a callback for anyone who’s followed this franchise from the beginning. And waiting at that farmhouse is Blaze, a 9-year-old (voiced by Mykal-Michelle Harris), who still believes in toys the way Bonnie used to. Two kids, two different worlds — and somewhere in the middle, a cowgirl and her horse trying to figure out if they still matter.
And while the heart of Toy Story 5 beats loudest in the battle between childhood and the digital age, Pixar never loses sight of what makes this franchise magic — the toys themselves. Buzz Lightyear, nursing a quiet love interest in Jessie, adds a tender new layer to their bond. Woody, voiced once again by the irreplaceable Tom Hanks, shows up a little more worn this time — literally balding — a visual metaphor that says more than any line of dialogue could. Joining them is a delightful crew of old-tech throwbacks: Smarty Pants the potty trainer, Snappy the kiddie camera, and Atlas the GPS hippo, voiced with effortless charm by Craig Robinson. Together they rally around Jessie with one mission — remind her she is wanted, and help Bonnie find the kind of friendship no algorithm can manufacture. When Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” swells over the final act, it doesn’t feel like a soundtrack choice — it feels like a confession. This film knew exactly what it wanted to say from the very first frame. In a world where screens are winning, Toy Story 5 makes a quiet, powerful case that some connections can’t be downloaded.
This animated comedy drama film is a must see in theaters June 19th. I rate it a (3.5/4) 🍿
Interviews from Taylor Swift and Cast Members:
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Chief Editor