Before I start the review of Toy Story 5, allow me to talk about a little bit of the history of the franchise and point out a recurring theme in the films.

The first Toy Story film was released in 1995. The film centered on Woody dealing with being replaced by a newer toy on Andy’s birthday. It ended with Buzz now worried about what new toy might replace him at Christmas, and Woody reassuring him. The film is an iconic classic in the Pixar canon and won a special Oscar.

At that point in time, Disney had only ever made a single theatrical sequel to one of their films in their 50+ year history. So there was no public assumption that they would allow Pixar to do so.

But just four years later, Toy Story 2 was released. The second film focused on Woody deciding maybe he was better off moving on now before Andy grew up and forgot about him, until Buzz reminded him of what it meant to be a toy. It ended with Woody telling Buzz that when the end comes, at least Buzz would be there with him. The film was originally going to be a straight to video release, but was upgraded when Disney realized how good the Pixar film was. It went on to win the Best Picture Golden Globe.

And that’s where a lot of people assumed the Toy Story film universe would end since Disney wasn’t a big theatrical sequel factory and Pixar didn’t seem interested in topping piggy banks with piggy banks either.

But during a feud between Disney and Pixar in 2004, Disney used Toy Story as a bargaining chip, threatening to make sequels to the film without Pixar if a deal between the companies couldn’t be reached. A regime change later, the feud is resolved with a friendly acquisition of Pixar by Disney, and Pixar gets to wrap up the now trilogy on their own terms, eleven years after the previous entry.

In the third Toy Story film the inevitable end comes. Andy is going to college and the toys are going to be stored in the attic for who knows how long. An accident sends them to a dump where they almost meet a final fiery end. Eventually Andy decides to let his beloved toys find love with a new owner. The movie goes on to be nominated for a rare Best Picture Oscar.

The fact that there will be a fourth Toy Story film is a bit of a surprise when it is announced in 2014. Most people seemed happy with the characters’ ending in the previous film. But Disney and Pixar assure fans that the only reason they are revisiting the franchise is because they have a worthy story reason to do so, adding “we do not do any sequel because we want to print money”.

So with trepidation from fans happy with a trilogy, Toy Story 4 opens in 1999. While Toy Story 3 is Andy’s ending, Toy Story 4 gives Woody a proper sendoff. The film sees Woody losing his place of authority with the other toys as their new owner has favorites that don’t include him. After a chance meeting with a lost love, Woody decides that since he isn’t as needed, he might as well find his own happiness and bids farewell to the other toys. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

The fifth film in the Toy Story series is officially confirmed in 2023 and Disney admits, screw story integrity, we’re milking this franchise for every dollar we can get out of it from now on!

OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, though executives have hinted that there will be more Toy Story to come. Every Toy Story film prior to the current one ended with either a discussion of endings or an actual ending. So it is kind of ironic that for a series with a thematic focus on endings, the franchise (to paraphrase another famous movie cowboy) can’t quit itself.

As you can probably tell by my oversimplified and biased recap of the history of the Toy Story universe, I’m firmly in the camp that this series is a classic that should be treated with a little more respect that just any old churned out animated slop. Disney shows deference to their first animated feature by not adding an eighth dwarf named Jumpy in a sequel. Pixar’s first should get some of that love as well. Instead of bleeding Woody and the gang dry for every last penny, use that energy to crank out something fresh and just as beloved… then bleed THAT dry!

The reason I’m putting you through reading all that is because I want to be fair to Toy Story 5 as a standalone movie, but still make clear that it feels like a tawdry cash grab. Because Toy Story 5 is actually a nice little movie.

Bonnie gets a new tablet called a Lilypad from her parents in an attempt to help her make friends. Jessie and the gang have noticed that kids with electronic devices don’t seem to want to play with toys anymore. But they’re also worried about Bonnie having trouble making friends as well. With an assist from a conveniently visiting Woody, the toys have to find a way to navigate a new era of play for themselves while helping Bonnie navigate an online world that can sometimes be cruel.

While Toy Story 5 is a good and enjoyable movie, it is not the same calibre as any of the films that came before it. It lacks the depth and polish of its predecessors. While that sounds like a put down, it is admittedly a hard track record to live up to. It can both be true that this film is good and the previous films were better. If you’re just looking for a light, fun, well made story in the Toy Story world with characters you love, you’ve very much found it.

But I do have some nitpicks!

Something bothered me about the story that I had trouble putting a finger on while watching the film but I was later able to figure out. While the owners were present in the previous films, and their actions could drive plot points, the story itself was always about the toys. It’s literally on the tin! However in Toy Story 5, it’s not the toys’ story, it’s Bonnie’s story. Sure the toys get some character growth along the way. But in the end, all their actions are in service to helping Bonnie. In fact, the human characters get more screen time than in any previous film. Is this a bad thing on the surface? Not necessarily. But it is a departure from what has been a winning formula.

Another departure I wasn’t fond of was the sidelining of Woody and Buzz. With Jessie taking the lead in this one, the OG toys are relegated to the back of the toy box. Woody feels like he is barely in the thing, and Buzz is continuing his dissent into dumb comic relief that gained steam in the previous installment.

Keeping in mind my disclaimer that this outing isn’t in the same league an any of the first four, it does offer a lot of things to enjoy. The overall story of electronic devices displacing toys is a clever and timely plot that, while not as deeply explored as I would have liked, offers up some fun and interesting scenarios to explore. It’s nice to see Jessie get some closure even if it comes at the expense of some of the other characters. Unlike a lot of kid’s movies these days that you can figure the plot of an hour away, Toy Story 5 keeps things fresh and unpredictable.

The animation is the film is, as usual, Pixar high quality. The designs of the new toys are very well done and would easily fit in with their real life counterparts. Special mention goes to the animation of the play sequences. In Toy Story 3 we see how Andy sees the story he is creating in his imagination, and it looks just like the rest of the film. Here, when someone plays with the toys the animation switches to an almost hand-drawn style, with over the top character designs meshing the toy with what the child is imagining. It’s clever and fun and better conveys to the audience the creativity of the play that is happening in the child’s mind.

The central cast of voice actors in Toy Story have always been some of the best in any animated films, though I wish we could have spent some more time with our old favorites. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen were inspired choices and even all these years later are on the top of their game. As much as I love Joan Cusack, I feel she has lost a step or two during her semi-retirement. Greta Lee does fine as Lilypad, though maybe could have not done such a straightforward impression of a tablet voice. Conan O’Brien as a toilet training toy named Smarty Pants is easily the number one new character and just about steals the show.

I spent a lot of time talking about the franchise as a whole because I think Toy Story holds a special place in the hearts of many animation fans. It really is the Snow White or Cinderella of a generation, but doesn’t always seem to get the same respect from studio executives. The creatives tasked with continuing the series have done a great job. Just because Toy Story 5 doesn’t reach to infinity or beyond like its overperforming predecessors doesn’t mean it’s not a good film. But, just like Woody and Buzz are always prepared for meeting an end with dignity, maybe it’s time for Disney to do the same with this beloved series. A lot of us fans would be eternally grateful.

		Toy Story 5 Disney/Pixar June 19, 2026 102 minutes Rated G directed by Andrew Stanton