Toy Story 5: visually stunning, but just another sequel in terms of story

When the first Toy Story was released back in 1995, it was a real revolution. Not only because it was the first feature-length film animated entirely by computer, but because Pixar managed to combine that technical breakthrough with a terrific story and characters.

Thirty years later, the series is still one of the great benchmarks in animated cinema, although I think that, especially in recent years, it has lost something important along the way: each new Toy Story has stopped being a cinematic event..

The thing is, however good a formula may be, repeating it five times eventually takes away its power to surprise. Especially when the early installments set the bar so high and brought their respective stories to such satisfying conclusions.

That's exactly how I felt about Toy Story 5. I think it's a good film, with simply spectacular animation and an interesting message, but when it comes to plot and storytelling, it falls short of its predecessors.

The plot of Toy Story 5

This time, Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the toys face a problem many parents will surely recognize: children are spending more and more time in front of screens.

Bonnie, now eight years old, gets a smart tablet called Lilypad, which quickly becomes the center of her attention. This puts her traditional toys in a difficult position, as they have fewer and fewer chances to do what they were made for: entertain their owners.

Jessie takes a leading role in this installment, while Woody and Buzz reunite to help their friends and confront this new threat.

From there, we get adventures, humor, touching moments and a few new characters, following a structure familiar to anyone who has seen the earlier films.

Absolutely spectacular animation

This is where Pixar once again shows why it remains the standard-setter among the world's major animation studios.

The technical quality of Toy Story 5 is astonishing, to the point that in certain scenes it's hard to believe we're watching computer-generated images.

The best example comes right at the beginning, with the desert island sequence and the many Buzz Lightyears trying to escape from it. Visually, it's a magnificent scene, with image quality that at times looks more like live-action cinema.

And the best thing is that this is no exception, because virtually the entire film maintains an exceptionally high standard.

The lighting, materials, textures and integration of the characters into the various settings have reached an impressive level of sophistication. Compared with that first film from 1995, the leap is spectacular.

What's more, Pixar manages to preserve the characters' recognizable appearance: they are still unmistakably toys, even though the settings and many other elements come remarkably close to realism.

For me, this is the film's strongest point and the biggest reason to see it.

The message works

I think pitting traditional toys against screens is a very apt idea, given what it means for children today.

After all, while technology is part of our lives and offers wonderful possibilities, it has also hugely changed how all of us—adults and children alike—entertain ourselves.

The film explores this loss of importance of traditional play through a conflict that fits perfectly into the world of Toy Story. Toys need children to play with them, and if a tablet monopolizes their attention, the toys' very reason for existing begins to crumble.

I also like how such an everyday situation is used to revisit some of the series' recurring themes, such as the passage of time, friendship and the need to find our place when circumstances change.

The problem is that, interesting though the premise is, it doesn't ultimately produce a particularly interesting story.

A story we know all too well

If there's one thing that disappointed me about Toy Story 5 , it's that the screenwriters seem less inspired than in previous installments..

We still get an entertaining adventure, charismatic characters and moments of humor that work well. But many of the situations, conflicts and messages feel far too familiar.

The series has spent several films exploring what happens when children grow up, stop playing or change their preferences. This fifth installment introduces technology as a new threat, but ultimately falls back on ideas we already know.

Nor do I think the plot is as well constructed as in the earlier films. It's easy to follow and moves at a good pace, but it lacks that ability Pixar once had to keep surprising you with brilliant ideas and make every new film feel essential.

And I think this is the key to my verdict: if Toy Story 5 had been the first film in the series, I would probably think it was very good. But after four installments that I consider superior, it's hard to feel the same enthusiasm.

This isn't a bad film. It's simply that Pixar has stretched the franchise so far that this fifth installment ends up being a lesser Toy Story film.

Conclusion: is Toy Story 5 worth watching?

Yes, because it's still a good animated film, with great characters, an interesting message and impressive technical achievements.

Visually, it's an absolute marvel, and certain scenes show just how far Pixar has come in these thirty years. But I'd also like the studio to rediscover some of its old ability to surprise us with new stories, instead of continuing to stretch a series that has already had several wonderful endings.

Toy Story 5 is entertaining and a feast for the eyes, but story-wise it's just another sequel. And when the earlier films set the bar so high, that inevitably counts against it.

Toy Story 5 fact sheet

Detail	Information
Title	Toy Story 5
Director	Andrew Stanton
Co-director	Kenna Harris
Screenplay	Andrew Stanton and Kenna Harris
Production company	Pixar Animation Studios
Distributor	Walt Disney Pictures
Music	Randy Newman
Release in Spain	17 June 2026
Running time	102 minutes
Genre	Animation, adventure, comedy, family
Platform	Disney+
Original voice cast	Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee, Tony Hale and Conan O'Brien