Toy Story 5 Review: Pixar's Toys vs. the Tablet Era

Is Toy Story 5 good?

Yes — Toy Story 5 is one of 2026’s best-reviewed wide releases, with a 92% Critic Score, a 95% Audience Score, a 76 Metascore, a 3.7 on Letterboxd, and a 7.6 on IMDb. Andrew Stanton returns to the series he helped define and steers it toward a theme every parent recognizes: the moment a tablet becomes more interesting than the toy box. The numbers align across critics and families because the film earns its emotions instead of coasting on nostalgia — even when Lilypad the tablet threatens to steal every scene.

What is Toy Story 5 about?

Bonnie’s new Lilypad tablet becomes her favorite companion, and Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the gang must prove that imagination still beats an algorithm. Greta Lee voices Lilypad as a chirpy, passive-aggressive rival for Bonnie’s attention, while Joan Cusack’s Jessie carries much of the emotional weight as the toy who fears obsolescence most acutely. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen slip back into Woody and Buzz with zero rust, and the film’s “Toy meets Tech” premise gives Pixar a concrete metaphor for screen-time anxiety without lecturing adults in the audience.

Should you watch Toy Story 5?

Absolutely — this is the summer’s default family outing and one of the strongest franchise entries since Toy Story 3. At 102 minutes it respects attention spans, Taylor Swift’s original song lands as a genuine story beat rather than marketing wallpaper, and the $160 million opening weekend reflects real demand, not just brand recognition. Skeptics who felt Toy Story 4 ended the saga cleanly should still give this a shot; Stanton finds new stakes in what it means to be replaced.

Is Toy Story 5 OK for kids?

Yes — Toy Story 5 is rated PG for thematic elements and rude humor, and it stays firmly in Pixar’s accessible lane for ages six and up. The screen-time conflict may hit parents harder than children, which is exactly the point: the film invites post-show conversations about balance without punishing Bonnie for growing up. Nothing here approaches the existential terror of the incinerator scene from Toy Story 3, but a few abandonment beats may require a hug for sensitive younger viewers.

How does Toy Story 5 compare to Inside Out 2?

Both Pixar sequels tackle modern childhood anxiety — Inside Out 2 mapped teenage identity, while Toy Story 5 confronts digital distraction — and both became massive box-office events. Where Inside Out 2 turned Riley’s mind into a laboratory for new emotions, Toy Story 5 keeps its conflict external and playable, letting toys literally compete with a device for a child’s love. The comparison also highlights Pixar’s evolving franchise strategy: one film grows with its human, the other keeps fighting for relevance in hers.