‘Toy Story 5’ review: I went into Pixar’s sequel extremely skeptical, but I was blown away by its surprisingly fresh story

(Image credit: Pixar)

Tom's Guide Verdict: 'Toy Story 5'Rating: 4/5 starsVerdict: You'd be forgiven for thinking we didn't need another "Toy Story" movie after the last one. But "Toy Story 5" manages to tell a fresh story, shifting the focus from Woody and Buzz to new main characters, and giving the kids who play with the toys more screen time than ever. It's truly a new chapter in Pixar's franchise, but still as funny and charming as ever.Where to watch: See "Toy Story 5" in theaters starting June 18"Toy Story 5" might be one of the biggest summer movies to watch this year, but I'd be lying if I said it was one of my most anticipated movies of 2026. There's never been a truly bad "Toy Story," but the fourth installment was fairly forgettable. When I saw a fifth was coming, I audibly groaned. I even took shots at it in my review of "Hoppers," when I said "I'd still rather take it ["Hoppers"] than a fifth 'Toy Story.'"So, to my surprise, Pixar has made me eat crow, or at least, my own words. "Toy Story 5" might not be the best installment in the franchise; the original trilogy still reigns supreme. But it provides a truly fresh take on this universe that Pixar created back in 1995, by shifting Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) into secondary roles and putting Jessie (Joan Cusack) in the saddle as our main character.When we're not focusing on those three, we're largely focused on a pair of human characters, another major shift for the franchise. There are also two distinct plots throughout the movie, disconnected from each other until the beginning of the final act. Combined, these creative choices produce a movie that justifies its existence, something I was almost certain this sequel to a sequel would fail to do.Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022. He watches dozens of new releases every year to make sure you don't have to watch any of the bad ones.'Toy Story 5' marks a new chapter with a major changeThe previous four "Toy Story" movies have almost entirely focused on the lives of the toys. The humans of its world aren't irrelevant; they're what motivate the toys to make the choices they make. But they get little to no screen time, and intentionally so.That's what made it so surprising that "Toy Story 5" made a real effort to not just make the humans more prominent in the story, but to tell the humans' story as much as the toys' story.In past installments, the toys have had to find their way home (on several occasions) and decide if they want to move on to new adventures. This time around, it's the kids, not the toys, who have the existential crisis. The movie is centered around Bonnie (Scarlett Spears), who is struggling to make friends until she gets her first tablet (Greta Lee). Suddenly, she has friends, but they might be the wrong type of friends. Jessie, who has really become the leader of Bonnie's toys since Woody left in "Toy Story 4," is already concerned about Bonnie making the right friends. Now, she's also worried that devices are pushing away toys for good.