Toy Story 5 arrives in cinemas worldwide on Friday, with critics largely hailing it as a fitting return to form for the beloved Pixar franchise more than three decades after the original film, though a handful of reviewers have questioned whether the series should now finally bow out.
The film reunites Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz and Joan Cusack as Jessie, with Bonnie’s toys this time facing competition for her affections from a new tablet device called Lilypad — a storyline several critics have praised as a genuinely meaningful exploration of technology’s place in modern childhood. Taylor Swift has contributed an original country track to the soundtrack, titled “I Knew It, I Knew You,” co-written with regular collaborator Jack Antonoff. Director Andrew Stanton said of the collaboration: “It’s incredible just how meaningful it’s been having Taylor write and perform this song. Her connection to Jessie and the immediate way she understood what the character was going through was undeniable. The song is so deeply connected to Toy Story. So much so that on first listen, it instantly felt like it had always belonged there, like a long-lost family member. It was kismet.”
Empire’s Helen O’Hara awarded the film four stars, writing: “The first three films taught us that the work is still meaningful even if the love is finite, but the fourth struggled for a similarly powerful theme. This latest outing, however, is a welcome return to philosophical form as well as being funny, warm-hearted and largely — perhaps overly — optimistic.” The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney was similarly positive, writing that the film “comes an astonishing 31 years after the original and does the enduring franchise proud,” though he noted the script “arguably takes too long integrating the Buzz brigade into Jessie’s quest.”
Several critics singled out Joan Cusack’s expanded role as Jessie as the film’s standout achievement. The Times’ Kevin Maher, awarding four stars, wrote: “Woody enjoys mostly a co-starring role this time, and has wickedly funny gags about his bald spot and growing paunch. Cusack’s Jessie is the star turn, faced with the pain of imminent obsolescence that has become the franchise’s favoured theme.” The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin similarly praised what he called Cusack’s justified “promotion” to lead character, describing the film as “a warm and wry update” and noting: “While Toy Story 5 may fall short of essential, in an age in which children’s entertainment routinely panders to its audience, there is something quietly radical about a film that is willing to worry for them.”
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman called it a “nimble, moving, irresistible sequel,” describing it as “a sublime summing up, a movie that reflects the whole series in its magic mirror, and (just maybe) a perfect ending.” Deadline’s Damon Wise praised the film’s handling of technology as a theme, writing that the script “doesn’t treat tech as the enemy but, like the rest of the toys, just one more thing that’s subject to time and obsolescence,” and suggested that “given that it holds up much better than the last one, it feels like this would be a good place to bow out.”
Not all reviews were favourable. The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey awarded the film just two stars, calling it “the worst in the series” and criticising its attempt at emotional closure as ending in “a reveal that only becomes more ludicrous with every second spent thinking about it.” The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw was even more scathing, writing: “As a piece of family-entertainment content it has the unblemished sheen of a brand new smartphone. But at heart, it has gone dead. The jeopardy, the novelty, the ideas and the passion are lacking; the crucial Toy Story theme of mortality feels underpowered.” Rolling Stone’s David Fear questioned the film’s very existence, asking: “Why are you doing this, Pixar? There doesn’t feel like there’s a reason for this to exist other than keeping your stockholders happy.”
The film features an original score by five-time Toy Story composer and Oscar winner Randy Newman, marking his continued involvement with the franchise across all five instalments.
