31 years after we first met Woody and Buzz, the toys are back and Toy Story 5 brings with it a classic Pixar story full of fun, heart, and a message that will bring more than one tear to your eyes.
Toy Story 5 Review
When the original Toy Story came out, I was a kid just like Andy who enjoyed creating worlds and stories with my toys despite the world urging me to “grow up.” Although I was resistant to the animation style (I’m a hand drawn animation lover for life), I knew it was something special. Toy Story is one of the best film trilogies that seemingly ended perfectly with Toy Story 3 and Andy saying goodbye to his toys. Then Toy Story 4 arrived and proved to naysayers why it deserved to exist. It was a heartwarming send-off for Woody, giving the old cowboy a new purpose that fits with his leadership qualities and desire to help kids and toys have a great life together. Toy Story 5’s announcement was met with the same hesitation as 4 and once again Pixar doesn’t just justify its existence but shows us how much we needed this one.
It’s not just the animation, voice performances, or the character development that make this one special, although they are all great. Toy Story 5 accomplishes being one of the most emotional and hilarious outings yet with a story that centers around friendship, feeling alone, and daring to be unique. It’s not as simple as a “toy vs tech” showdown–and honestly we should all know better by now– it’s a nuanced look at human connection and growing up in a world where tech is everywhere. The layered story has something for everyone, although it feels particularly keyed into millennial parents like myself who are trying to be better for our children as we contend with the ubiquity of electronics and the fact we don’t feel like we’re grownups either. (What do you mean I’m an adult?)
Toy Story 5 picks up a few years after the last film. Jessie (Joan Cusack) is the leader of 8 year old Bonnie’s (Scarlett Spears) toys. Everything seems to be going well until they realize Bonnie is having issues making friends with the neighborhood kids. Unlike their Bonnie, other kids are addicted to screens, foregoing playing with toys to click and swipe for hours. Bonnie’s parents get her a Lilypad (Greta Lee) thinking it might help her make friends. Bonnie becomes glued to it and Lilypad relishes in the fact that she was the one that made Bonnie “friends,” aka girls from her dance group. In a last-ditch effort to save Bonnie from the screen and to have her make real friends, Jessie follows her to a sleepover only to get accidentally sent back to the home of her first owner, Emily. To rescue Jessie and Bullseye, Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) make a plan but they have to deal with Lilypad first.
Just like Buzz wasn’t the villain of Toy Story, Lilypad is not some onmipresent evil. Likewise, the film never passes judgement on Bonnie’s parents for getting her a device. Rather it finds a balance between championing imagination and IRL friendships with tech, because it’s not a fad like Jessie originally hopes. Just like the other installments have tackled issues young children face, Toy Story 5 does this as well, but with something that was never a thing when the series began. The care the filmmakers took with addressing it will help children (and yes even adults) all over the world feel less alone. It brings some humor and tenderness to the very real struggles we as parents and our kids face when it comes to screen time and how it can disconnect us from those around us.
As with any Pixar project, I couldn’t wait to see what the animation was going to look like. Toy Story has evolved so much over the years yet still retains that magic that captured our hearts in the 90s. With the emphasis on imagination, Director and co-writer Andrew Stanton’s team really dived into bringing out make-believe to the screen. When Bonnie is playing, the animation shifts into something that looks more in line with refrigerator drawings come to life, with fuzzier edges, bright colors, and added silliness. I loved each of these sequences for what they added to the moment.
It also wouldn’t be a Pixar film without some tears. Stanton and Kenna Harris get the job done here but not in an overly manipulative way as people love to accuse the studio of doing. During my screening, I was doing fine despite the orchestral “When Somebody Loved Me” popping up a few times. But, there were two moments, they happen one right after the other, that got me. Even knowing what to expect didn’t stop the tears from forming when I saw it a second time. Thanks Pixar, you owe me tissue money. Speaking of emotions, Randy Newman’s score is as playful and heartstring-tugging as ever. So again, you’ve been warned.
There is a side plot that happens with a lost shipment of Buzz Lightyear toys that may leave you wondering what this has to do with the main story. I had a feeling about where it was headed and I was right. There are some other parts as well that seem slightly random or at least inconsequential at first. However, when all the moving pieces (and toys) come together for the final act what we get is not only an exciting climax but an ending that rivals 3 for the emotional impact it is sure to have on audiences.
The returning voice cast effortlessly steps back into their roles with Allen and Hanks getting to turn up their buddy comedy dynamic to 10. Newcomers, the primitive tech trio of Smarty Pants (Conan O’Brien), a toilet-training toy, Snappy (Shelby Rabara), a digital camera, and Atlas (Craig Robinson), a GPS in the shape of a hippo head are silly but fun. O’Brien gets to unleash some potty humor which I wonder if they let him write or were Stanton and Harris giggling in a room at Pixar somewhere over #1.5. But it’s Cusack”s Jessie who takes center stage and steals the show. I love how this character is both unafraid and terrified as she navigates yet another child in her care growing up. As much as she has dealt with being abandoned, Jessie does a truly selfless thing in this film as she tries to help Bonnie make a real friend. It’s that emotional moment when she realizes something about herself and her role in a child’s life that brought tears to my eyes.
Verdict
Toy Story 5 is a story about human connection, embracing and loving who you are, and that growing up doesn’t mean saying goodbye to your past. It’s a funny, heartfelt, and emotional film that will resonate with audiences of all ages and stages. Toy Story 5 more than justifies its existence and gives fans everything they could want from a classic Pixar story. Each hardship is approached in a way that doesn’t detract from the emotions but balances the heavier moments with a lightness that feels like you’re being comforted by your best friend. It’s a comforting thought that we will have a friend with Toy Story after all these years.
Toy Story 5 is in theaters on June 19, 2026. It is rated PG for some thematic elements and rude humor with a runtime of 1 hour and 42 minutes.
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