How the heck has it been six years since Toy Story 4??? It is true what they say, time really does fly. When Toy Story 4 was announced, I thought it was the most unnecessary movie ever, but I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it. With Toy Story 5, I was a lot less critical of its existence, and while I am not sure it was necessary, at the very least, I was pretty sure it was going to be a fun time.
Where to Watch Toy Story 5
Toy Story 5 was released on June 19, 2026. The film should be soon available for streaming on Disney+.
The Movie Review
Tech vs. Toys & Jessie’s Spotlight
I went into Toy Story 5 like I would wager most people did. I saw the trailer that made it seem like it was a movie where tech was taking on toys, and it was looking at how many kids do not actually play with toys anymore. There is certainly a great deal of that here, but there is much more depth to the movie than that. At the forefront of things, I would say that Toy Story 5 is very much Jessie’s movie.
The Lilypad Device: Bonnie’s Screen Addiction
The movie is set a couple of years after the events of Toy Story 4. Bonnie wants to make friends, but she is very shy and does not know how to do so, and her parents take notice of this and want to help. They see a commercial for a device called Lilypad, which is an iPad like device with a frog theme. The commercial they see states that Lilypad helps kids connect with other kids and Bonnie’s parents
Lilypad shows up and completely changes Bonnie’s life! Bonnie connects with a couple of kids that she knows and becomes “friends” with them, but when they hang out, all they do is play on their Lilypad. Bonnie becomes obsessed with playing on her Lilypad, and her toys take notice and decide to step in! Of course, Lilypad is having none of this, and she comes head-to-head with the toys.
Jessie’s Mission & The 00s Retro Toys
Jessie steps up and tries to make things right, but a disaster happens, and Jessie and Bullseye end up lost, and they end up back at the house where Jessie’s original owner lived. Jessie meets the little girl who lives there and decides that she is the perfect friend for Bonnie. Jessie also meets some new toys in Smarty Pants, Atlas, and Snappy, toys from the 00s, and I think that these three new characters steal the show.
Woody, Buzz, and the Multitude of Buzz Lightyears
Now, while Jessie and the new tech toys are trying to save the day from Lilypad, Woody comes back to help as he thinks Jessie is in trouble, and he and Buzz set out to try and find Jessie. I do not want to go into spoilers, but there is a situation kind of like in Toy Story 2 where we get a whole bunch of Buzz Lightyears, and it is so much fun.
Balanced Humor, Heart, and Tech Commentary
There is some fun and quirky humor in Toy Story 5, but as you would expect, there is also a ton of heart. I came into this thinking that it would just dump on tech toys and the way kids are these days, but that is not the case at all. The movie is far more balanced than I was expecting, and I would say that if you liked the other movies, you will have a fun time here.
Final Thoughts & Franchise Ranking
Many will say that Toy Story 1 to 3 is the perfect trilogy, and I would probably agree with that. However, I also feel that Toy Story 4 and 5 are great additions to the series, and I would say that I slightly prefer Toy Story 5 over 4. Still, 3 is my favorite in the series, speaking of which, the awesome Toy Story 3 video game is getting a re-release, and it is coming with a bunch of other Toy Story games too. I would put Toy Story 3 up there as one of the best movie video game adaptations of all time.
