I just walked out of the theater and honestly, I'm feeling a weird mix of nostalgia and slight disappointment. I grew up with these characters, so seeing Woody and Buzz back on screen gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling. But something felt off. The whole time, I kept thinking about how much the world has changed since the first Toy Story. My mind keeps circling back to that scene where Woody stares at a charging cable like it's an alien artifact. It's funny, but it also made me a little sad for him.
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What's Toy Story 5 About?
Toy Story 5 tackles the modern dilemma of screen time. Bonnie gets a new Lilypad tablet and becomes completely absorbed in it, leaving the toys feeling obsolete and forgotten. The plot follows Buzz, Woody, and the gang as they devise a plan to win back her attention, facing new challenges in a digitally-dominated kids' room. It's a classic Toy Story adventure, but with a 21st-century twist.
What Works in Toy Story 5
- ✓ The voice acting, especially from Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, still carries so much heart. You can hear the years of friendship in their delivery.
- ✓ The animation is stunning. There's a scene with sunlight filtering through a dusty attic that looked photorealistic.
- ✓ Greta Lee as a new, tech-savvy toy was a great addition. Her character had a sharp, funny energy.
- ✓ The core theme about adapting to change and finding your purpose is handled with the series' trademark sincerity.
What Doesn't Work
- ✗ The villain felt recycled. It's another abandoned, bitter toy, and the motivation wasn't as compelling as Lotso or Stinky Pete.
- ✗ At 90 minutes, it felt rushed in the middle. The plan the toys come up with gets explained too quickly.
- ✗ Some of the humor aimed at parents about tablet addiction felt a bit on-the-nose, like a PSA disguised as a joke.
Standout Moments & Performances
Two moments really got me. First, a quiet scene where Jessie confesses to Woody that she's afraid of being donated, not because of the attic, but because she fears no child will want a 'dumb old cowboy doll' anymore. Joan Cusack's delivery broke my heart. Then, there's a hilarious, chaotic sequence where the toys try to navigate a tablet game world. Buzz getting confused by touchscreen commands had me laughing out loud. It perfectly captured the generational tech gap.
Main Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee, Conan O'Brien
Direction, Music & Visuals
Andrew Stanton's direction is solid, keeping the pace lively. The cinematography, for an animated film, is thoughtful—using shallow focus to make the human world feel vast and isolating for the toys. Randy Newman's score is reliably wonderful, weaving in those classic themes just when you need an emotional lift. The real technical star is the animation of textures: the fraying on Woody's arm, the plastic sheen on Buzz, the glow of the tablet screen. It's a beautiful film to look at. Performance-wise, Hanks and Allen are the bedrock, but Conan O'Brien steals every scene he's in as a frenetic, anxious action figure.
Director: Andrew Stanton
Genres: Animation, Family, Comedy, Adventure
Who Should Watch Toy Story 5?
This is a must for anyone who has a personal history with this franchise. If you grew up with Toy Story, the emotional beats will land. It's also great for families with younger kids—it opens up a conversation about balancing playtime. Fans of clever, physical comedy will enjoy the toy-based hijinks, even if the story feels familiar.
Who Might Want to Skip?
If you thought Toy Story 4 was the perfect ending and any sequel would be a cash grab, you'll probably find your suspicions confirmed here. Also, if you're completely new to the series, the emotional weight won't be there for you.
Final Verdict
Look, it's not as groundbreaking as the first one, and it doesn't have the profound closure of the fourth. But it's a good, solid Toy Story movie. It made me laugh, it tugged at my heartstrings once or twice, and it was a comfort to spend 90 minutes with these old friends. I'd recommend it to fans, but with managed expectations. Would I watch it again? Probably once on streaming with my niece. It's a warm blanket of a film, not a revolution.
