Wondering whether “Toy Story 5” is worth seeing? You can stop reading this review right now and go buy a ticket. You won’t be disappointed.
The movie is out. The reviews are in. And it looks like Pixar has hit it out of the proverbial park and smack into the river once again.
Against all odds and expectations about multiple Hollywood sequels, Pixar has lived up to its stellar reputation of delivering nothing but exceptional entertainment. As I’ve said in the past, the key to Pixar’s success has been the writing. Truly great movies are truly great stories. While that may be easy to understand, it is incredibly difficult to do. How many times can a movie studio go back to the well and pull up buckets full of fresh new ideas? Well, in the case of the “Toy Story” franchise, the answer is five.
The original “Toy Story” was a huge, breakout success back in 1995. “Toy Story 2” went on to earn almost a half billion dollars in 1999. “Toy Story” 3 and 4 (2010 and 2019) both earned just over a billion dollars each, worldwide. The spinoff “Lightyear” movie that followed (2022) was a relative disappointment, bringing in just $226 million worldwide.
Though “Toy Story 4” was thought to be the franchise finale, the powers that be decided to do a fifth installment. The question on everyone’s minds was whether it would be just a crank-it-out, money-making project or possibly another gem of a story, that would generate a ton profits.
Building from the ground up, Pixar brought aboard the writing/directing team of Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris. Stanton’s credits included “Finding Nemo” (2003), “Finding Dory” (2016) and “WALL-E” (2008). Harris’ credits included “Elemental” (2023), “Elio” (2025) and “Hoppers” (2026). Both know their craft.
The cast included Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear and Joan Cusack as Jessie. Though Hanks gets star billing, “Toy Story 5” is really Jessie’s story. Her cowgirl character comes to the rescue when her new owner Bonnie (Scarlet Spears) receives a froggy faced, video screen, tech toy named Lilypad (Greta Lee).
“Toy Story” is about the popularity of tech toys, the internet and the hypnotic power they have over young children who increasingly embrace flashy electronic devices and leave their traditional toys behind to be tossed into a box in their parent’s garage or shipped off to a donation center. Jessie and her buddies suddenly wonder whether the age of toys is over.
It’s a serious question in the real world where children and teens are increasingly drawn into a virtual universe of video games and internet interactions. “Toy Story 5″ begs the question of what happens when real, imaginative, developmentally important interactive play ceases to exist and is replaced by artificial intelligence and artificial friends and relationships. It’s a movie with a message, one that offers a glimmer of hope in the end, despite the ominous threat of AI.
The strength of the “Toy Story” movies lies in the beloved ensemble cast of characters. As mentioned, most of them are back though slightly worse for wear. Woody now sports a small bald spot as a sign of his age. Who knew toys got old like the rest of us?
A few new characters are added to the mix, including Smarty Pants, a battery-operated toilet training device, voiced by late night comedian Conan O’Brien. There are, of course, potty jokes, and though they are mild, their inclusion resulted in a first-ever PG rating for “Toy Story 5.”
Watch: Toy Story 5 – Official Trailer
As in the earlier movies, characters go missing, rescue missions are set in motion and thrill-a-minute chases and action sequences follow. All are imaginative and fun.
The computer-generated images are dazzling, the editing is razor-sharp and Randy Newman’s score once again hits all the right notes. Of course, the musical icing on the cake is the end credit song, “I Knew It, I Knew You” by Taylor Swift, a longtime fan of the “Toy Story” movies. That by itself probably guarantees tens of millions of dollars in ticket sales.
Speaking of the closing credits, don’t be in a hurry when the movie ends. It’s worth staying to the very, very end. Trust me.
If you’re wondering whether there could possibly be a “Toy Story 6,” one of those post credit clips seems to suggest it’s a definite possibility. Meantime, “Toy Story 5” is set to be a major summer blockbuster. If you still haven’t bought that ticket, stop reading and do it. Now.
Drew’s Take:
“Toy Story 5” is a 10 on a scale of 10. Pixar has done it again, adding another highly entertaining installment to a highly successful franchise.
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