A crowd-pleasing, emotionally tuned continuation that leans into the franchise’s core strengths: warmth, visual invention, and big feelings about growing up in a screen-saturated world. The premise gives the toys a timely new adversary while keeping the series’ heart intact, and the response suggests Jessie and… Read more
Toy Story 5
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Animation · Family
Wed · 1h 42m
Director: Andrew Stanton
Starring: Joan Cusack, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
Overview
When Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet as a gift and becomes obsessed, Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang's jobs become exponentially harder when they have to go head to head with the all-new threat to playtime.
Director
Andrew Stanton
Cast
Joan Cusack, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
Curator Review
Verdict
A crowd-pleasing, emotionally tuned continuation that leans into the franchise’s core strengths: warmth, visual invention, and big feelings about growing up in a screen-saturated world. The premise gives the toys a timely new adversary while keeping the series’ heart intact, and the response suggests Jessie and Buzz get especially satisfying material.
Best for
families looking for a big theatrical animated event
fans of the Toy Story franchise
viewers who like heartfelt comedy with a nostalgic edge
kids and adults who enjoy stories about imagination versus technology
Skip if
you want the original trilogy’s emotional arc left untouched
you’re tired of legacy sequels and franchise continuations
you prefer animation that is more surreal or less sentimentally driven
Overview
Toy Story 5 looks built to do what the best entries in this franchise do: turn a simple childhood object into a surprisingly sharp story about change, attachment, and what it means to be needed. The tablet-era setup gives the toys a fresh, very current obstacle without losing the series’ classic playroom magic.
Worth noting
The strongest signal here is that the film seems to understand its ensemble better than Toy Story 4 did, with Jessie and Buzz getting more room to shine. That matters in a franchise where the emotional payoff depends on the whole gang feeling alive, not just one character’s farewell.
Bottom line
It may not surpass the original trilogy, and it probably shouldn’t be judged as if it needs to. But as a big family movie with humor, heart, and a timely theme about attention and play, it sounds like a very solid return to form.
Top Letterboxd reviews
skarsgard ✮⋆˙ (5★) · 26230 likes
EMILY 😭 NAMED 😭 HER 😭 DAUGHTER 😭 JESSIE 😭
-ˏˋ mak ˊˎ- (4★) · 23335 likes
the kinda movie that makes a mf wanna go play outside
Paddington · 15106 likes
A toy is never truly forgotten, which I think is a lovely thought.
𝐉 (3.5★) · 13043 likes
Buzz Lightyear's finally being a flying toy healed me like nothing else
Framesofnick (4★) · 11397 likes
She be pegging Buzz
Themes
childhood, imagination, friendship, growing up, technology vs play, nostalgia, loyalty, found family
Topics
animated sequel, family adventure, sentimental comedy, toys come to life, screen time, generational change, nostalgic, heartwarming, playtime, modern childhood