Movie Review – ‘Toy Story 5’ pits toys versus tech in hilarious and relevant new film

Let’s be honest, the world didn’t need another Toy Story film after the original trilogy concluded in 2010. SPOILER ALERT for a 16-year-old film: Andy, who was introduced in the original Toy Story in 1995, was heading off to college and ultimately gifted Woody, Buzz, and his other toys to four-year-old Bonnie. It was a fitting end to the franchise. Yet nearly a decade later, Bonnie, along with Buzz, Woody, and the gang, returned in a popular but largely unnecessary fourth installment. Six years later — 31 years in total, if you can believe it — Andrew Stanton, writer of all five films, is back with what may be the most relevant Toy Story 5 yet.

Toy Story 5 focuses on eight-year-old Bonnie (voiced by General Hospital and Wicked: For Good actress Scarlett Spears) as she battles the awkward transition between childhood and her tween years. Shy and a bit different from other kids her age, Bonnie struggles to make friends and fit in. While her peers are glued to their devices, she still finds joy in playing with dolls — Jessie being her favorite — and filling her days with imagination. Yet more and more kids seem content to sit alone in their rooms, transfixed by screens. Add in the pressure to be “cool” and the complications social media and technology bring at this age, and it’s hard to imagine a more timely premise.

Toy Story 5 opens cleverly with dozens of Buzz Lightyear toys scattered across a beach after a freight container shipwrecks on a deserted island. Unsure of where they are and limited by being stuck in toy mode, all they know is that they need to find Star Command, the fictional space agency from Buzz’s universe.

Back in the suburbs, Bonnie yearns to connect with other kids. Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack) and the rest of the toys make it their mission to help, including attempts to encourage her to befriend the twins who live across the street. It’s heartbreaking to hear the youngster ask her parents, “Why won’t anyone be my friend?” For any parent, it hurts. For any kid watching who has felt the same way, it likely stings even more.

Like many parents facing this situation, Bonnie’s mom and dad make the difficult decision to introduce technology into her life, buying her a Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee), the must-have iPad-like device for kids. Immediately, Bonnie becomes captivated by Lily and the device’s mission to isolate her from her toys in an effort to help her make friends. And, as technology often does, it quickly connects her with other kids — though whether they’re the right friends for Bonnie is a question the film sets out to answer. Lily, much like Jessie and the other toys, believes she’s doing what’s best for Bonnie.

When Jessie and Bullseye become separated from the rest of the toys, Buzz and Woody set out to rescue them. Stranded at the home of 9½-year-old Blaze (voiced by Mykal-Michelle Harris), Jessie encounters a collection of outdated tech toys, including Smarty Pants (voiced by Conan O’Brien), a potty-training toy from Blaze’s younger years; Snappy (voiced by Shelby Rabara), a children’s digital camera; and Atlas (voiced by Craig Robinson), a talking toy hippo. Initially butting heads, together, old toys and outdated technology join forces to help Jessie achieve her goal of finding Bonnie a friend. Alongside this storyline, the battalion of Buzz Lightyears continues its own journey to locate Star Command.

Toy Story 5 juggles more storylines and themes than any previous film in the franchise, yet somehow emerges unscathed, and that’s largely thanks to Stanton. Looking at his filmography, it’s surprising he isn’t a bigger household name — then again, most writers aren’t. Beyond all five Toy Story films, he’s also responsible for Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, WALL·E, and countless other Pixar classics. For the first time, Stanton steps into the director’s chair alongside Kenna Harris.

Tom Hanks, who has appeared on screen less frequently in recent years, returns as Woody and gets plenty of laughs by leaning into the character’s age. America’s favorite TV dad, Tim Allen, returns to voice not just one Buzz Lightyear but more than 50 of them, while Cusack once again brings energy and heart to Jessie. For perhaps the first time in the franchise, this is very much a story about girl power, with Bonnie and Jessie taking center stage ahead of Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang.

Still, it’s Conan O’Brien who steals the show. Every scene. Known for his quick wit, the comedian delivers laugh after laugh, leaving audiences wishing he had even more screen time.

The age of toys may, in fact, be coming to an end, but the Toy Story franchise continues to prove it still has plenty of life left. Toy Story 5, like past films, brings heart, humor, and tenderness to the screen in what may be the best film yet. Oh yeah, and a song from a young and upcoming artist named Taylor Swift.