New ‘Toy Story 5’ Trailer Shows Woody and Buzz Reuniting and a Biting Statement about Tech
“Toy Story 5” is already a controversial sequel before it even comes out. Many people (myself included), thought the “Toy Story” franchise should have ended with “Toy Story 3,” and they thought that “Toy Story 4” was an unnecessary sequel. However, the new “Toy Story 5” trailer shows that the franchise might still have some life left, as it tells a relevant story about how tech has overtaken our lives.
The “Toy Story 5” Trailer
The “Toy Story 5” trailer opens with the toys’ child, Bonnie, acting out a wedding with her toys. Her fantasy is played out in colorful scenes that resemble storybook illustrations – but then she gets a package. Inside the package is the newest threat to the toys’ well-being: a frog-faced tablet named Lily. Bonnie, of course, becomes addicted to the tablet and starts neglecting her toys.
Longtime “Toy Story” fans will already feel like they’re in familiar territory. After all, the very first movie was about the newfangled Buzz Lightyear threatening to take attention away from the old-fashioned Woody. However, this time around, the problem isn’t confined to the lead characters. Children all over town are getting addicted to tech and abandoning their toys. There’s a shot in the trailer where Bonnie has friends over, and all the kids are just staring at their tablets instead of playing. In today’s tech-infused world, that shot feels all too real.
Help arrives in the form of Woody. Fans will remember how at the end of “Toy Story 4,” Woody set off with Bo Peep to rescue abandoned toys. Many people were frustrated at Woody leaving his friends, but the trailer shows that he hasn’t forgotten about them. He returned to Bonnie’s house to help, and his reunion with Buzz is already very touching, especially since their friendship is at the heart of the entire franchise.
How Does Play Survive in a Tech-Dominated World?
As Woody tells Jessie in the trailer, “Toys are for play, but tech is for everything.” How do we keep sight of real, tangible things in a world where everything is digital? Lily believes that she is all Bonnie needs, while the toys struggle to stay relevant. It looks like Buzz will even call in backup from a bunch of other Buzz Lightyear toys, which should be amusing to see.
The film’s tagline is, “Times may change, but friends are forever,” which could mean that the film will take a more nuanced look at technology beyond just saying that tech is bad. Tech is everywhere, and we have to live with it no matter what. However, “Toy Story 5” seems to be saying that even though tech is everywhere, we shouldn’t let it dominate our lives and make us forget about the real world.
The “Toy Story” movies have always been about how special play is to children, and today, children don’t play as much as they used to. Many of today’s kids don’t know the joy of going to a physical toy store and being surrounded with wonder. “Toy Story 5” could help them to see how much fun it is to turn off the screen and go play with their toys.
So, Is “Toy Story 5” Necessary?
“Toy Story 5” may be a cash grab, but cash grabs don’t necessarily have to be bad movies. While many of 2026’s other animated movies, such as “Hoppers” and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” look better than “Toy Story 5,” we could still get a worthwhile story with “Toy Story 5.” It might even inspire adults to look away from their phones and find joy in the tangible world. The movie comes out on June 19th.
