Toy Story 5 (2026) Review 🧸🕋

“There’s still plenty of snakes in this boot”

Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers, shall we?

Nostalgia Bait The Movie.

When Pixar announced Toy Story 5, I had one major question.

Why?

The previous movie wrapped everything up in a pretty satisfying way, so making another one felt like a risk. The trailers looked decent enough, but they leaned really hard on nostalgia, especially with “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” playing throughout the marketing. They also made Lilypad look like she was going to be a full-on villain, which, after seeing the movie, is actually pretty misleading.

So, did Pixar justify making another Toy Story?

Well… kind of.

Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Bonnie is struggling to make friends because every kid around her is glued to technology instead of using their imagination. Hoping to help, Bonnie’s parents introduce her to a device called Lilypad, whose entire purpose is to encourage friendship. Meanwhile, Jessie begins noticing how much the world around her has changed and eventually finds herself on an emotional journey that reconnects her with her past.

While Woody returns to help his old friends, Buzz tries to find the courage to tell Jessie something he’s been wanting to say for a long time. Along the way, the toys meet new allies, face unexpected problems, and discover that imagination and technology don’t necessarily have to be enemies.

Character Rundown

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way.

Jessie is the main character of this movie.

I honestly wasn’t expecting that, but I’m glad Pixar went in this direction. Her storyline is easily the emotional anchor of the entire film. Watching her confront memories from her past, question her place in Bonnie’s life, and eventually find closure made for by far the strongest part of the movie. Bullseye also gets some sweet moments alongside her, and I really appreciated how loyal he remained throughout everything.

Woody is more of a supporting lead this time around. Right away you’ll notice he’s sporting a new look. He’s now wearing a poncho, has some noticeable paint wear on the top of his head, and even looks a little rounder than before. I actually liked seeing the wear and tear because it reminds you these toys have lived long lives. Story-wise, Woody mostly serves as the one trying to bring everyone back together rather than driving the emotional core himself.

Buzz is definitely utilized better here. Is it an amazing storyline? Not really. Most of it revolves around him becoming sheriff and trying to work up the courage to propose to Jessie, but at least he actually has something to do. That alone is an improvement in my eyes.

Lilypad surprised me. The trailers made her look like the villain, but that’s really not the case. She’s misguided, not evil. Everything she does comes from genuinely wanting Bonnie to make friends, even if her methods aren’t always the right ones. I liked her as a character, but I also never found myself emotionally invested in her.

Blaze is a nice addition and serves her purpose well. She’s a lonely kid looking for a friend, making her a natural fit for Bonnie.

The Double A Team—Smarty Pants, Snappy, and Atlas—were fun enough. Smarty Pants easily gets the funniest material out of the group, especially his interactions with Jessie.

Now for my biggest disappointment.

Almost every other toy gets shoved into the background.

Mr. Potato Head barely speaks. Rex gets a couple of funny jokes. Forky, one of my favorite characters, is almost completely wasted. He still has a few funny lines, but nowhere near enough. Bo Peep is barely around, Duke Caboom has a tiny cameo, and the rest of the toy gang spends far too much of the movie with nothing meaningful to do.

Pacing / Episode Flow

For the most part, the pacing works.

Jessie’s storyline constantly keeps the movie moving, and every time the film focuses on her, I was invested.

The only real issue comes from the Buzz Wi-Fi subplot. It honestly feels like an entirely separate movie happening in the background. Outside of a couple of funny jokes, I never found myself particularly invested in it, and it doesn’t leave much of an impact by the time the credits roll.

Thankfully, the emotional story involving Jessie is strong enough that it carries the film through its slower moments.

Pros

Jessie’s storyline is genuinely fantastic and easily the emotional centerpiece of the film.

The movie handles its message surprisingly well. Instead of saying technology is evil, it argues that technology should support friendships rather than replace them. I appreciated how balanced that felt.

Buzz is given more to do this time around, and his relationship with Jessie has several sweet moments.

Lilypad ends up being a much more interesting character than the trailers suggested.

The humor still lands. Forky doesn’t get enough screen time, but when he does show up, he still made me laugh. Rex also gets a couple of good jokes, and Smarty Pants delivers some great comedy.

The ending is heartwarming and wraps Bonnie’s journey up nicely.

Cons

The biggest problem is one I’ve had since this movie was announced.

It feels unnecessary.

While I enjoyed the movie, I never completely shook the feeling that this story didn’t really need to exist.

The supporting toys are horribly underused. If you were hoping for Rex, Hamm, Mr. Potato Head, Forky, Bo Peep, Duke Caboom, Ducky, Bunny, and the rest of the gang to have meaningful roles… don’t expect much.

The Wi-Fi Buzz subplot is easily the weakest part of the film and never becomes particularly memorable.

Lilypad is likable, but I never became emotionally attached to her the way I did with Jessie.

Some of the brand-new toys are serviceable, but outside of Smarty Pants, none of them left a huge impression on me.

Final Thoughts

I actually enjoyed Toy Story 5 more than I expected.

No, I don’t think it fully justifies its existence, and yes, I still think it wastes far too many of its supporting characters. But the emotional journey centered around Jessie is genuinely excellent and gives the film a heart that carries it through most of its problems.

Pixar also deserves credit for handling the technology theme with far more nuance than I expected. Rather than treating technology as the enemy, the movie ultimately argues that imagination and technology can work together, which I thought was a much stronger message.

Is it perfect?

Not even close.

But it’s funny, heartfelt, and enjoyable enough that I walked away having a good time.

Rating

8/10


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⚠️ Spoiler Warning ⚠️

Everything below discusses major spoilers.

Spoilers

Jessie returning to Emily’s old house completely caught me off guard, and discovering the buried memory box underneath the tree was easily the best scene in the movie. Learning that Emily named her own daughter Jessie was the emotional payoff I never saw coming, and it nearly got me.

Lilypad turning out not to be a villain was another pleasant surprise. She willingly sacrifices herself after realizing her actions led to Bonnie being cyberbullied, and later agrees to help Jessie by messaging Blaze so Bonnie can finally make a real friend.

Buzz finally proposing to Jessie was a sweet payoff, even if Jessie beats him to it by kissing him before he can finish. Lilypad celebrating by displaying fireworks on her screen was a cute little touch.

The ending, with Bonnie and Blaze finally playing together, really brings the movie’s central message full circle. I especially liked that Lilypad was incorporated into their imagination as a piano during Buzz and Jessie’s pretend wedding. It was a clever visual way of showing that technology doesn’t have to replace imagination—it can become part of it.

The post-credit scene, though? Yeah… that was mostly just a goofy joke. Watching an army of Wi-Fi Buzz Lightyears panic after a Wi-Fi Emperor Zurg suddenly appears and declares, “We meet again, Buzz Lightyear… my son!” before every Buzz screams “NOOOOOOO!” at the same time gave me a laugh, but it also perfectly sums up that entire C-plot.

Entertaining, silly… and ultimately pretty forgettable.