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Lifestyle The New Sober Boom Getting Hooked on Quitting

Getting Hooked on Quitting

Education Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous Is College Necessary?

Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous

Is College Necessary?

Finance Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset

Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear

Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset

Crypto Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters

‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

Reviews Lifestyle The New Sober Boom Getting Hooked on Quitting Education Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous Is College Necessary? Finance Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset Crypto Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

Lifestyle The New Sober Boom Getting Hooked on Quitting

Getting Hooked on Quitting

Education Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous Is College Necessary?

Liberal Arts Cuts Are Dangerous

Is College Necessary?

Finance Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset

Dying Parents Costing Millennials Dear

Gen Z Investing In Le Creuset

Crypto Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

Investing SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters ‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

SEC vs Celebrity Crypto Promoters

‘Dark’ Personalities Drawn to BTC

“Toy Story 5” can’t conquer tech

The Disney-Pixar sequel contends with the iPad kid, but refuses to disparage devices in a critical moment

Published June 21, 2026 9:00AM (EDT)

As painful as it may be, there are some aspects of the modern world that we must learn to live with if we want to live at all, and Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” is steeped in two particularly nagging ones: the prevalence of screens and sequels. Given the historical strength of Pixar’s preeminent franchise, I’m willing to dole out far more grace to a “Toy Story” film — even a whopping fifth entry, which does seem ludicrously excessive, even if the series has spanned 30 years — than I am, say, “Cars” or “Inside Out.” There’s a reason the franchise that kick-started Pixar’s reign has been able to last as long as it has, and it’s because the minds behind “Toy Story” understand that there is no shortage of imaginative ideas to explore when it comes to play.

Or, are there? Though the original 1995 film was about toy sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) falling out of favor when the battery-operated, light-up space ranger Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) hit the scene, the “Toy Story” franchise has never explicitly grappled with the effects technology has on humans. That first saga of Woody versus Buzz was also a story of old versus new, teaching kids that they don’t always have to be wooed by the hottest toy on the market. One could even make an argument that “Toy Story” has anticapitalist undertones; I’m sure I’m not the only person whose parents referenced the film every time I begged for a new toy or plush, pointing out that the others would be sad they weren’t getting enough attention.

(Pixar) Bullseye, Jessie and Lilypad in “Toy Story 5”

“Toy Story” and its four sequels encouraged imagination and playfulness by giving toys the same kinds of personalities that children pretended the toys already had, sending them on adventures big and small. Even “Toy Story 4” — the first sequel of the........

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