‘Toy Story 5’ First Reactions Call It a Generation-Defining Return to Form That Rivals the Best of the Franchise
Few animated franchises carry the emotional weight of Pixar’s ‘Toy Story‘ series. Since the original film changed animation forever, each new chapter has asked whether there is still something meaningful left to say about the bond between a child and their toys. With the fifth installment arriving in theaters later this month, the question has hung over the project since it was first announced, particularly among fans who felt the story had reached a natural conclusion.
‘Toy Story 5’ is directed and written by Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris, and is the first entry in the franchise to carry a PG rating. The film centers on Woody, Buzz, and Jessie, played once again by Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack, as they navigate the growing influence of technology in the form of a tablet named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, over their owner Bonnie. That premise of analog toys wrestling with a digital world has clearly struck a chord with early viewers.
Following the Los Angeles premiere, the wave of first reactions that came flooding out was almost uniformly enthusiastic. Collider’s Meredith Loftus described Jessie’s arc as a deeply moving experience, writing that exploring the divide between technology and toys through Jessie results in a profoundly emotional story, and placing the film alongside ‘Toy Story 2’ and ‘Toy Story 3’ as that excellent. The comparisons to the franchise’s most beloved entries kept appearing across reactions from multiple outlets.
Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier acknowledged that the film feels slightly disjointed early on as it establishes multiple storylines, but argued those threads ultimately pay off with a phenomenal third act full of the heart and humor audiences expect from Pixar.
Daniel Baptista of The Movie Podcast went further, calling it a generation-defining experience and singling out Conan O’Brien’s Smarty Pants as an all-time great character in the series, while framing the film as Jessie’s story and saying the yodeling cowgirl truly shines.
That point about Jessie was echoed by LaughingPlace.com, which emphasized that making her the emotional core of the film is exactly what the franchise needed, and praised Joan Cusack for delivering a performance that breaks your heart wide open.
The Pixar Post Podcast highlighted the film’s thematic depth alongside its comedy, noting that the emotions run deep while the humor is loud, with Smarty Pants and Forky delivering some of the biggest laughs in the film.
Film journalist Scott Menzel ranked ‘Toy Story 5’ alongside the first three films, calling it a perfect blend of humor, heart, and Pixar magic, and suggested it may be one of the best films of the year.
He also made a case for Taylor Swift’s original song for the film as a strong awards contender. Swift not only attended the premiere but performed the song live, alongside “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” with Randy Newman, with her involvement only officially confirmed on June 1.
‘Toy Story 5’ arrives in theaters on June 19, and both ‘Toy Story 3’ and ‘Toy Story 4’ previously crossed the billion-dollar mark at the global box office. With reactions this strong pointing to a film that honors the franchise’s legacy while pushing it forward, the pressure is firmly on audiences to show up and confirm what critics are already celebrating. If you have been on the fence about returning to this world, do these first reactions finally put your worries to rest, or does extending the story past a fourth film still feel like too much?
