Toy Story 5 (2026) Review

Time: 102 Minutes
Age Rating: G
Cast:
Tom Hanks as Woody
Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
Joan Cusack as Jessie
Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants
Greta Lee as Lilypad “Lily”
Scarlett Spears as Bonnie
Shelby Rabara as Snappy
Mykal-Michelle Harris as Blaze Manoukian
Craig Robinson as Atlas
Director: Andrew Stanton

I remember back when Toy Story 4 was announced and being very sceptical of the idea. The third instalment seemed the perfect and fitting conclusion to the story and returning for a fourth entry felt unnecessary and seemed like a cash grab. Surprisingly I did quite enjoy it, it has been a while since I watched it and thinking back on it, I don’t think it did quite enough to justify its existence. Now we are in a similar situation with Toy Story 5, released 7 years after its predecessor. Again, I was sceptical going in, but I actually quite liked it.

As advertised, Toy Story 5 is taking on the idea of electronic devices replacing physical toys for kids. It’s certainly very relevant, but it also has the potential to be executed very lazily. Fortunately, it sidesteps falling into “old man yelling at clouds” territory and provides a nuanced take on the subject with its coverage and commentary on social media, and its portrayal of the effects of being online, and the role of tech today. It’s certainly not a deep dive, but I thought that it was handled well nonetheless. It’s entertaining throughout, funny (even if it’s not the funniest of the series), and once again is genuinely powerful and touching. The whole series effectively pulls on the heartstrings, and 5 is no exception, with some emotional moments and reveals. By the end, I wished that this was the Toy Story 4 we got instead of the actual Toy Story 4.

The main cast of characters are back, and one of the highlights of the movie is the fact that this time, Jessie is the clear cut protagonist. It makes sense that she’s the one who takes centre stage for this sort of story considering her feelings and experiences of abandonment. I really liked seeing her story play out, and Joan Cusack’s voice performance was great. Buzz Lightyear does feel a little sidelined, but still gets a notable improvement from the last movie, in which he just ran around not knowing what he was actually doing at all. Woody is admittedly out of place in this movie, and hearing that he was apparently not even in the early drafts makes sense. The end of Toy Story 4 placed him with Bo Peep and the other lost toys, but I guess the feeling was that it would feel weird if the movie didn’t involve him in some significant way. It’s still good to see him back, but he does feel out of place and doesn’t have anything going on with him. Most of the classic ensemble toy cast don’t really get many chances to shine. Really outside of the main trio, the most notable characters are the Lilypad (Bonnie’s new device) voiced by Greta Lee, and also some old devices, the standout being one voiced by Conan O’Brien. I quite enjoyed them.

The animation really does improve with every subsequent Toy Story film, and this continues with the 5th instalment. The effects are so photorealistic and beautiful to watch. I particularly liked the visual style used when conveying the playtime scenes with the toys.