The Toy Story franchise is one of the most beloved in the world, especially when we narrow the scope to animated films. Even so, there is always something to complain about. You, dear reader, may, for example, have hated the fact that Andy is no longer the toys’ owner, that Bonnie never played with Woody, and even the lack of attention she gives her toys in this fifth installment of the franchise, but one thing is undeniable: all of this reflects back on the viewer the power that growing up has over everything — and over all of us.

Maybe the problem was not the change of children, but the fact that the films rub in our faces that Andy grew up and so did we. The same happens again with Bonnie in Toy Story 5, but in a much slower way. As happens with any human being, the most crucial moment for her socialization has arrived — making friends. While all her little friends are absorbed by internet screens, Bonnie feels excluded and embarrassed for still playing with toys — even though she is still at the right age for it.

As a solution, her parents give her the most coveted object of her generation — a tablet called Lilypad. It is at this moment that the film’s plot takes shape and divides all the layers of the screenplay, proving that even after 30 years, Pixar’s franchise still knows how to reinvent itself. With Lilypad’s arrival, Bonnie goes through a forced transition from analog to digital. At first, the film’s critique seems focused on fiercely attacking digital dependency, but we soon see that the path is more complex than that — just like in real life.

In an attempt to regain the central role in Bonnie’s life, Jessie turns to the “retired” Woody, while Buzz is put in charge of taking care of things at home, taking on a leading role that did not previously belong to him. At a certain point, we see the group split up, as is already customary in the franchise’s films. This detour is not random — it is where the film concentrates its most honest critique through Jessie. The cowgirl returns to the farm that was her first home and finds practically everything changed: different animals, old toys — yet newer than her — forgotten in a dollhouse (Bad Bunny’s character appears here), and a new child. She joins Rolinho, Atlas, and Snappy in an attempt to get back home.

The encounter with these pre-high-tech toys begins to stir Jessie’s feelings, as she is torn between her quest to get rid of Lilypad and the friendship she is building with the generation she believes threatens her existence. It is here, far from the children’s action, that the film begins to make its most important point. Technology is not the enemy of children. Just as Rolinho, Atlas, and Snappy were created for learning purposes, Lilypad was too. With adult supervision, play can be healthy.

That is exactly what happens when people begin to pay attention to Bonnie. Depressed by the toxic relationships the internet can foster, she falls into a state of isolation and depression. When the people around her realize it, Lilypad does too. From that point on, the film returns to its roots, with an army of toys willing to save the day for a child.

Even with state-of-the-art animation worthy of its time, Andrew Stanton’s film plays with nostalgia through elements from the past, such as push-button toys, wooden toys, and all the transitions each generation has gone through since the 1990s. Getting its new story exactly right, Toy Story 5 shows that there is no age limit or right way to play, as long as everyone is having fun. In this way, the film shows its evolution and proves that there is still a lot left to tell with these characters.

Toy Story 5

2026

102 min

Country: EUA

Rating: General Audience (G)

Duração: 102 min

Director(s): McKenna Harris, Andrew Stanton

Cast: Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Greta Lee

Where to watch: