We’ve seen countless versions of Woody and Buzz Lightyear in the years since Toy Story first hit the big screen in 1995 – I remember having a rag doll like Woody and a plastic Buzz growing up. Aside from a few voice lines and some lights on the Space Ranger’s suit, it was all left to my imagination, though.
Now, though, it’s 2026, and toys have come a long way. And Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the whole crew from Toy Story are getting ready to hit the big screen with film number five — Toy Story 5 — and will take on a new friend, foe, or some kind of mixture of both: tech.
This time around, akin to the leaps and bounds we’ve seen from animatronics of fan-favorite characters from animated films at Disney Parks, Mattel and Disney have created a whole host of toys, including two that punch above the rest.
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Ultimate Action Woody and Buzz each boast 70+ phrases and have two modes — Alive or Toy —, with lots of tech under the hood, including a chip controlling the experience and, more importantly, an accelerometer and IR sensor. Push all that aside, though. What Mattel’s done is create a Woody and Buzz that will interact and react as you play with them.
Be it you dancing around in a circle with Woody — a move taught to you by Andy or Bonnie — or flying Buzz through an asteroid field in your room, each of the figures will react back with classic lines. In an early demo at Mattel’s headquarters in El Segundo, California, I watched as both characters reacted to these play moments.
But what’s really impressed me is how they can interact with each other. It’s likeWoody hopped off the screen, and as he’s strolling through the room, he spots Buzz and strikes up a conversation.
Much like a Lego Smart Brick — part of the Smart Play system from the brick-building brand — Mattel’s approach here isn’t to toss another screen or app-connected experience in front of your kids, or you (hey, toys are for adults too). It’s very much about being a cherry-on-the-top additive experience, one that still lets your imagination flourish, and ultimately uses tech to achieve something that executives at Disney and Mattel had been wondering about. “Can we do that?” said Tracy Thurman, VP of Product Design for Hardlines at Disney.
With 70+ phrases for each, it’s also not using AI to create responses on the fly — something that keeps within the theme of as if these hopped off the screen, but also in that voice actors from the film —well, Jim Hanks for Woody in place of Tom Hanks — actually recorded voice lines for the toys. Both toys stand at 16 inches in height, and can stand on their own.
What’s a voice without a face
Now, we’ve seen faces of toys move before, but it really feels like Mattel trickled down those best-in-class animatronics from a Disney Park into a toy. And it’s all being controlled by a single motor, which the design team shared helps ensure operability and keeps costs down.
With Buzz and Woody, you’ll find that their heads can articulate, mouths will move, and eyes will open and close. From a programming and design perspective, designers Kristen Sanzari and Baxter Crane shared that a lot of time was spent on ensuring the eyes open and close the right amount depending on the phrase, and most importantly, that the mouth opens at the right time and in unison with how a character might speak.
It all comes together for an interactive experience that looks and sounds really good in play. The team also worked hard to prototype how the two characters interact with one another, while leaving room for potential future launches.
While it’s Ultimate Action Buzz and Ultimate Action Woody for now, both know what to do if an Ultimate Action Jessie approaches either of them. That’s a smart toy! And it gives hope that Mattel will continue with this line of toys.
I remember seeing the Walking, Talking Buzz many years back; it was really neat, but also focused on two aspects of the character. Essentially, adding more motion and the ability to walk on its own, mixed with the classic phrases we’d want the Space Ranger to have. Here, though, it’s really about leveling up play and letting the toys come to life a bit. I also promise it’s much less creepy than a Furby.
Beyond the face articulation here, you’ll also find with Buzz that arms can move, and wings can pop out — after all, he needs to take flight (with style). You can hit the button on his right arm (stage left) to trigger the laser with two sounds and flip open his communication panel on the other side. As you play with these, he’ll react with voice. It’s really well thought out and will encourage play, I believe.
I also got a sneak peek into the design process — and Mattel’s been working on the Ultimate Action Buzz and Woody for over three years, originally being asked to save it for the 30th anniversary and ultimately for release around Toy Story 5. It also shows the pipeline for a toy — starting with sketches (lots of these), then fast 3D models to see how it all comes together, and the ability to test things like articulation. In this stage, it might not be the right color, but the toy designers are also focused on ensuring they use the right color palette to match the characters and the right materials.
With Woody, it’s a return to rag-doll form, but he’s also malleable in that this sheriff can stand on his own. Both feel pretty high-end, and Mattel’s using a unique mix of materials; both faces are a bit softer plastic than the rest of the body.
At $79.99 each, the Ultimate Action Woody and Ultimate Action Buzz are certainly in the upper echelon of Toy Story figures. But for that price, you’re getting a highly accurate toy that measures in at a similar height to what Andy got way back as a kid, and they’re filled with elements all set to surprise and delight you to infinity and beyond. And after all, isn’t that what toys are supposed to do?
Now, sure, Mattel and others have made Toy Story figures — including Buzz and Woody – with interactive elements before. Look at the Toy Story Collection, in which Buzz made flying sounds and even landing ones. However, Mattel’s level is impressive, with the sheer number of potential phrases, better sensors for detecting when they’re near each other, and, maybe most impressive, the facial movements powered by one motor.
I also got to spend some time with the rest of Mattel’s Toy Story 5 lineup, so check back for more bits from an exclusive tour behind the scenes at the place where the 80+ year-old toy giant creates these enchanting toys.
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jacob.krol@futurenet.com (Jacob Krol)
