Toy Story 5

★★★☆

Toy Story 5 (2026)

Runtime: 102 minutes

MPAA: Rated PG for some thematic elements and rude humor.

It's a little embarrassing to admit this, but the digitalisation of modern life has impacted all generations, myself included. Almost all of us are frequently on our screens, opening applications to stream, message, catch up on updates, play games, and even typing this review. Generations ago, children used to play with toys and meet with friends outdoors. The passage of time and change is a natural process, as things of the past become outdated, antique and sometimes even irrelevant. The world of Toy Story gave these them a soul, where they have a conscience and feelings. For those who have kept their toys in the drawer indefinitely or threw them away in obscure places, how do they feel?

In Toy Story 5, phones, tablets and computer screens become the center of attention, immediately bringing us into the conflict between toys and screens. Wasting no time, writers and directors Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris plunge the story straight into bleakness, as households and its residents become attached to their devices, while abandoned toys accept their fate and go into hiding. Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) wants to befriend her neighbours, but they laugh at her playing with toys, then proceed to head back home and stare at their screens. Her parents, in an effort to help her make friends, buys a Lilypad (Greta Lee), which causes Bonnie to completely ignore all her toys, as Lilypad helps her make new friends and offer games for them to connect.

With Jessie (Joan Cusack) taking the center stage, she's unable to accept this outcome, immediately declaring war on the Lilypad. Requesting help from Woody (Tom Hanks), who departed from the team in the previous installment, they attempt to help Bonnie make friends at a sleepover she's invited to. Both parties prioritise their owner's best interests and think they're objectively correct, naturally leading to a clash on who wants to take up the responsibility. You see, unlike Buzz (Tim Allen) and the rest of the ensemble, Jessie's afraid of being irrelevant to her owner, hence she packs herself and Bullseye into Bonnie's luggage bag, although a series of events causes chaotic detours and multiple subplots.

It's been a long way for the franchise, and I was still a kid when Toy Story 3 was released. Somehow, despite the series enduring and continuing in every subsequent installment, Toy Story 5 is better than expected, with sly humour, delicate messaging and unexpectedly moving payoffs. A running gag seems to be that the toys frantically travel around but freeze when they sense human presence. No one seems to question why they keep teleporting everywhere. I guess that's a given in this universe. By focusing on Jessie, most of the other toys from previous films of the franchise are inevitably sidelined, given that it's such a huge ensemble. While fans may be disappointed in this aspect, it's a smart move, centering emotions over skimming everyone for the sake of nostalgia.

That's not to say that there isn't nostalgia in it. Reuniting Woody with the rest of the team, visiting old places and just getting to see everyone again is undeniably fun. Woody and Buzz immediately get into disargeements on who's supposed to take over tasks, although it's handled abruptly and unresolved. And there are also times where I'm not sure if it becomes manipulative in its most important moments. But they aren't major detractors in the film. Another key strength of Toy Story 5 is its sharp commentary on modern-day society. With rapid technological advancements that have integrated into our daily lives, what has changed about our perceptions to those who have different interests or aren't up to date with trends? Does this give us the right to shame people who are different from the majority? It speaks for all generations, and the magic of animation is in its accessibility, resonating with people in various stages of life.

Here's where I'll be brutally honest: I was expecting the film to position devices as the villain, with the toys ultimately convincing Bonnie and its audience that habits from older generations, especially connecting with friends through toys, is endlessly more valuable. Instead, while framing two opposing ideologies in Jessie and Lilypad, the detours introduce new perspectives: when she and Bullseye end up in Emily's old house, now occupied by new tenants with a child named Blaze (Mykal-Michelle Harris), she's furious the moment she sees devices. But they also reveal the memories that Blaze had with them, showing Jessie photos of Blaze at Disneyland. Bonnie gets bullied by her new friends for being old-fashioned and a crybaby, causing her to completely reject her toys. Them, and the devices, team up together to bring Bonnie and Blaze together, after discovering Blaze's imaginative personality.

Is there a world where toys and devices can coexist? Toy Story 5 argues favourably, instead redirecting the issue to societal norms and toxic attitudes. It's surprising in this aspect, even though you know where it's ultimately heading to. The multiple subplots can initially get a little messy, but when they converge into a cohesive direction, the second half of the film improves significantly. There's a scene later on where Jessie uncovers a metal box at the tree her first owner used to play with her, revealing that a toy's legacy remains with a person forever. Sometimes, it's alright to be physically forgotten. Being there for them in the period of time when they needed it the most matters.