Review: I can't believe I'm saying this, but Pixar did it again with 'Toy Story 5'

19 Jun 2026, 23:17 by John Clyde ksl contributor · KSL.com

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Pixar's 'Toy Story 5' delivers a funny, heartfelt return to beloved characters.
The film explores themes of friendship belonging and technology's impact on relationships.
Conan O'Brien joins the voice cast adding humor to the family-friendly adventure.

SALT LAKE CITY — When Pixar announced "Toy Story 4," I had the same reaction many fans did: Why?

The first three films felt like a perfect trilogy. The original "Toy Story" changed animation forever. "Toy Story 2" somehow improved on the original. "Toy Story 3" delivered one of the most emotional and satisfying conclusions in modern movie history.

Surely that was enough. Then "Toy Story 4" arrived and, to my surprise, it was great. Not the best of the lot, but good.

So when Pixar announced "Toy Story 5," I found myself asking the same question all over again. Surely we've gone too far now.

And once again, I was wrong.

"Toy Story 5" isn't the best film in the franchise, and it doesn't reach the heights of the original trilogy, but it's a funny, heartfelt and thoroughly enjoyable return to one of Pixar's most beloved worlds.

The setup

Years after Andy passed his toys on, Woody, Buzz and the gang find themselves facing a new challenge as the world around them continues to change. As their child grows and new interests begin competing for attention, the toys once again find themselves asking the question that has always been at the heart of the franchise: What happens when the people we love no longer need us in the same way?

While "Toy Story 5" introduces new characters and complications, it remains firmly rooted in the themes that have defined the series from the beginning — friendship, belonging and finding purpose amid life's inevitable changes.

The good

The story

What keeps the "Toy Story" films working is that Pixar understands these movies were never really about toys. They're about growing up. They're about friendship. They're about belonging. And most importantly, they're about the complicated emotions that come with watching children change.

That emotional core is alive and well in "Toy Story 5."

Without venturing into spoiler territory, there were moments that hit surprisingly hard as a parent. The story explores themes that will likely resonate with families, particularly parents of kids who sometimes feel a little different or struggle to find their place socially.

As a father of a few kids who march to the beat of their own drum (they're movie nerds, and that's almost certainly my fault), this one hit close to home. The film explores what it feels like to struggle to find your place or connect with others, and those moments landed harder than I expected.

Another reason the story connected with me is because it tackles something many families wrestle with every day: technology. We love it. We use it constantly. It helps us work, learn and stay connected. But it can also make genuine connections a little harder to find.

Without giving away specifics, "Toy Story 5" explores the tension between digital entertainment and real-world relationships in a way that feels thoughtful rather than preachy. As a parent whose son occasionally seems more interested in his Xbox than most human beings and whose daughters would probably auction off a sibling for control of the TV remote, I found myself nodding along more than once.

The film isn't arguing that technology is bad. Instead, it asks an interesting question about what we might be missing when screens become our primary source of comfort, entertainment and connection.

Pixar has always excelled at finding universal emotions inside seemingly silly concepts, and that skill remains intact here.

The humor

The movie is also consistently funny. There are several genuine laugh-out-loud moments throughout the film, the kind that had both kids and adults in my screening laughing together. Pixar has always been remarkably good at creating humor that works on multiple levels, and "Toy Story 5" continues that tradition.

The film also introduces some fun new characters that help keep the franchise feeling fresh even after five installments.

The voice cast

The voice cast is excellent as expected, but one of the standout additions is Conan O'Brien, who feels perfectly at home in the Pixar universe. His comedic timing and energy fit naturally alongside the established characters, and he quickly becomes one of the movie's highlights.

The returning cast slips comfortably back into these familiar roles, reminding audiences why they've connected with these characters for nearly three decades.

The not-so-good

Missing some old friends

While "Toy Story 5" succeeds overall, fans of certain longtime characters may wish for a little more screen time.

Part of the charm of the earlier films was the ensemble dynamic among Andy's toys, and some beloved favorites feel more like supporting players this time around. It's not a major issue, but there were a few moments where I found myself nostalgic for some familiar faces.

Familiar territory

The movie also lacks some of the novelty and groundbreaking magic that made the first few films feel so special.

That's hardly surprising considering we're five movies deep into the franchise, but there are moments where the story feels more familiar than fresh. Some plot beats play out in ways longtime fans will likely anticipate.

Still, even when Pixar isn't operating at its absolute peak, it's often better than most family films released throughout the year.

What parents should know

"Toy Story 5" is a family-friendly animated adventure with mild peril and action sequences that may be intense for very young viewers. There are a few emotional moments and some thematic material surrounding friendship, belonging and growing up, but the film remains appropriate for most children.

Conclusion

I keep making the same mistake with this franchise — I keep assuming Pixar has finally run out of reasons to tell another "Toy Story" story. And I keep being proven wrong.

No, "Toy Story 5" isn't better than the original trilogy.

What it does offer is another funny, heartfelt adventure filled with memorable characters and genuine emotional resonance. More importantly, it finds something meaningful to say about childhood, family and growing up.

After five films, that's an impressive achievement.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.