Review: Toy Story 5

Have you ever had a friend that liked to gamble? Have you ever watched this friend keep betting more than they can afford to lose, and somehow always win, or at least break even, but refuse to stop no matter how much you beg them to quit while they're ahead? That's what going to see a Toy Story movie feels like in 2026 

I did a short video review of Toy Story 4 back when it came out, and I think I was probably more forgiving than I should've been. To this day, I've never felt the desire to watch Toy Story 4 again, but I did in preparation for this one. It was fine. I actually wish it were as bad as some claim it was, that would at least be cathartic, but  Toy Story 4 was heartbreakingly fine, which still makes it the worst one by a wide margin. 

 I saw Lightyear for the first time last week, too. I don't count it, and I don't think Pixar do either. (it was also fine, I enjoyed it enough to not regret watching, but it doesn't fit with the rest of the series, including this movie.)

 

All this to say I went into Toy Story 5 with suitably managed expectations. Those expectations were surpassed, I liked it. Don't get me wrong, it still doesn't touch the original 3, but it's far closer to them than 4 and Lightyear.

This one centres around Jessie as the main protagonist as Bonnie gets a "Lilypad" and tech invades her home. Yep, it's a "these damn kids and their devices" movie, or so it would seem at first. I can't tell you more without spoiling, but it does go somewhere worth going with it, and there is some emotional payoff to be had for those invested in the series. This entry leverages Jessie's backstory for all it's worth, and I personally think the choices it makes pay off for the most part.

If there is a weak link, it's Buzz, though far less so than in '4, he's not uncharacteristically stupid this time around. In fact, the presence of Forky and Karen in the cast, and what needs to happen for Woody to come back to help are all the acknowledgement the events of the last film get. It seems that even when the movie knows what it wants to do with Buzz, the way it goes about it feels like it's trying too hard. I do think his arc, such as it is, is ultimately pulled off, but, spoiling as little as possible, if there is something that might annoy, it's the excess of Buzz in this movie for comparatively little development. I ultimately didn't mind it, but I think others might. 

 That is a secondary concern though, this is Jessie's movie, and she does well with it. It doesn't hurt that this movie actually has something to say about its central premise. The emotional payoff for Jessie will lose a lot if you haven't seen Toy Story 2 but let's be fair, you have. The story opens with the cheapest of shots at that specific nostalgia, but, if cheap shots didn't land, they wouldn't be taken. I still wouldn't recommend watching '2 in advance of this though, it's not so good that it won't suffer in comparison.

 

Overall, Toy Story 5 is a movie about being there for someone at the time they need you, and it  manages to stick the landing, it's definitely a better epilogue than '4 was, but here's the thing. Closure is a finite resource, and I think we're about tapped where that is concerned. 

 

I must say, even while acknowledging I like this one, I still think they should've ended it with 3, and I don't think they're going to get a better 2nd-best stopping point than this one. Pixar managed not to lose this round but the fact that we already know they've green-lit Toy Story 6 means no amount of begging is going to convince them to walk away from the roulette table.