Toy Story 5: Critics Hail Sublime Comeback

Toy Story 5 has been lauded as a 'welcome return to form' by critics, as the 31-year-old franchise returns this week with a sequel fit for the digital age.

Reuniting the beloved trio Woody (), Buzz () and Jessie (Joan Cusack), the film sees Bonnie's toys go head-to-head with the rising influence of technology, in the form of her new tablet called Lilypad.

While overall well-received, some fans questioned the necessity of Toy Story 4 given the acclaimed ending to the original trilogy in 2010.

But with this fifth film set to hit cinemas on Friday, critics have praised this instalment for justifying its existence with a hard-hitting message on the dangers of social media and screentime.

Star Joan, who has emerged from semi-retirement to reprise her role as Jessie, was also lauded for her leading turn in the film, while childhood fan 's song I Knew It, I Knew You was branded an 'insanely catchy' addition to the franchise.

Awarding the film four stars, Empire's Helen O'Hara wrote: '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 said: 'Toy Story 5 comes an astonishing 31 years after the original and does the enduring franchise proud...

'[Director Andrew] Stanton and [writer Kenna] Harris arguably take too long integrating the Buzz brigade into Jessie's quest, but once all the toys start working together for a common goal, their collective can-do spirit proves stirring.

'The same goes for the insanely catchy Taylor Swift song, I Knew It, I Knew You, co-written with regular collaborator Jack Antonoff, on the end credits.'

Praising Joan's role as Jessie, The Times' Kevin Maher gave the film four stars, writing: '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.'

Writing in Deadline, Damon Wise said: 'Yes, it's a rinse-and-repeat of the usual formula, but the digital-age backdrop adds an intriguing dimension; Stanton and Kenna Harris' 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.

'Stanton's film is a fun, thoughtful, multi-generational family film based on a well-written script that genuinely tries to say something new while staying faithful to a well-worn premise. 

'In that sense, given that it holds up much better than the last one, it feels like this would be a good place to bow out... Strange but true; there could be a little more life in this old warhorse yet.'

In Variety, Owen Gleiberman called the fifth run a 'nimble, moving, irresistible sequel,' and while comparing each film to an era The Beatles' music evolution, he wrote: 'It's a sublime summing up, a movie that reflects the whole series in its magic mirror, and (just maybe) a perfect ending.'

Robbie Collin in The Telegraph called the film a 'warm and wry update,' writing: '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.'

However, not all critics were as complimentary, with The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey only awarding the film two stars.

She wrote: 'We’ve already watched Jessie and then Woody learn to live on, and 5's attempt to achieve unnecessary emotional closure ends with a reveal that only becomes more ludicrous with every second spent thinking about it.'

The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw wrote: 'As a piece of family-entertainment content it has the unblemished sheen of a brand new smartphone. 

'But at heart, it has gone dead. 

'For all the intensive, high-energy creative work that has clearly gone into this film’s every frame, the jeopardy, the novelty, the ideas and the passion are lacking; the crucial Toy Story theme of mortality feels underpowered, and the film even calamitously loses its nerve with its own big idea.'

While sequels to beloved films like Toy Story typically garner mixed reactions, Toy Story 5 has also been praised by fans as an important addition to the franchise.

'I'm glad the villain of the new Toy Story is a child's tablet,' shared one fan on X.

'I hope the film conveys how screens eat up a child's hobbies, interests, literacy, [and] ability to function socially. I hope it provokes millions of parents to think twice before making the iPad a babysitter,' posted a second.

A third added: 'lilypad isn't just a toy story character, it’s the struggle. everyone who has children already knows.'

Toy Story 5 is written by Stanton and Harris, who has been a part of Toy Story since the release of the first film in 1995, and it is co-directed by Kenna Harris.

They said in a statement: 'It's been a hilarious and poignant journey exploring how our favourite team of legacy toys might respond to today's world of technology, and we're thrilled to share this first glimpse with audiences.

'Having the remarkably talented Greta Lee bring Lilypad to life - balancing a playfully antagonistic tone with humor and heart - has been incredible.'

Toy Story 5 will be released on June 19, 2026.