Toy Story 5 (2026) is directed by Andrew Stanton, who also wrote the film alongside McKenna Harris. It stars Joan Cusack, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Greta Lee, Conan O’Brien, Scarlett Spears, Shelby Rabara, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Craig Robinson, Lori Alan, Jay Hernandez, Bonnie Hunt, Kristen Schaal, Tony Hale, John Hopkins, Wallace Shawn, Blake Clark, Ernie Hudson, Krys Marshall, Jeff Bergman, Bad Bunny, Anna Vocino, Annie Potts, Matty Matheson, John Ratzenberger, Keanu Reeves, Melissa Villasenor, and Alan Cumming. When young Bonnie’s (Spears) life becomes consumed by her new electronic device, Lilypad (Lee), Jessie (Cusack), Buzz (Allen), and the rest of the toys realize they may have met their match. Worried about Lilypad’s effect on Bonnie’s ability to make friends, the toys seek help from Woody (Hanks), who returns in a flash. Now reunited, the friends are forced to accept that the world may have moved on from needing toys like them. 

The returning cast members slip back into their various roles with ease, which is all one could really ask for in such a long-running franchise. For the first time in the series, the story shifts its focus to Jessie’s character rather than Woody and/or Buzz. This is a somewhat risky choice, yet it is executed in a way that never feels like it’s abandoning what came before. Buzz and Woody still play big roles, but this time they work to aid Jessie’s efforts, as opposed to the other way around. This flip is natural but also subtle enough not to change what fans find so irresistible about the franchise. On top of this, it sort of makes the viewer realize that Jessie is, and subtly always has been, as lovable and nostalgic a character as Woody and Buzz. She just never, until now, received the focus she deserved. 

With the franchise’s A-list celebrity voice cast growing larger with each installment, I wondered if each character would receive a proper moment to shine. Unfortunately, the film’s choice to focus exclusively on a select group of characters means that many of the toys important in previous installments get little to no screen time. This is no doubt disappointing, especially if your personal favorites are left out, but it ultimately feels like the right decision. Featuring every notable character in the franchise most likely would’ve resulted in an unfocused, overstuffed experience primarily reliant on empty fan service. Instead, the tight focus allows for a clear, coherent story that truly earns its emotional beats. 

The themes of technology changing how children play and interact naturally mesh with the Toy Story franchise, giving this film a clear message/purpose that the previous installment lacked. It initially felt somewhat disappointing that the film never takes a clear stance on the future social implications of technology, but it actually makes a lot of sense that it chooses not to tell parents in the audience how to raise their children. Balancing the use of tech with face-to-face interactions isn’t easy in today’s world, but one thing is clear: some level of balance is needed. Toy Story 5 realizes this, and simply argues it without condemning either side of the debate. 

Overall, Toy Story 5 proves that there’s still plenty of gas left in the tank for the beloved franchise. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original trilogy, but few animated films do. It’s a notable improvement over the previous film (which I still believe is a strong sequel) and is easily one of the best fifth installments of any animated franchise I can think of. The animation quality is top-notch, the story is engaging, and the emotional beats hit as hard as any the series has to offer (except maybe the end of the third film, oofda). If you’re a Toy Story fan, this is an easy recommendation regardless of where you rank it in the franchise. It’s at the very least worth a shot. B+