Toy Story 5’s First Reactions Just Instantly Ended the Debate About Pixar’s “Unnecessary” Sequel

The Toy Story movies are among the most beloved animated films ever made, with four fantastic installments already released. However, the announcement of Toy Story 5 didn’t excite all fans. Many felt Pixar had already provided a satisfying conclusion with the third film in 2010, and Toy Story 4 (2019) simply revisited these characters to show what happened next. This makes the decision to create Toy Story 5 – essentially restarting a finished story for the second time – understandably controversial. Fortunately, early reactions from journalists and film critics are now available, and they are overwhelmingly positive, which should ease concerns.

Early viewers are raving about Toy Story 5. Andrew Salazar of Discussing Film called it a “genuine home run,” and Jazz Tangcay from Variety described it as “magical and pure perfection.” Film critic Scott Menzel added that the movie is a heartwarming return to form for Pixar, and a reminder of why the Toy Story series is considered one of the best ever. The film is being widely praised as another success for the franchise, and for good reason.

Why Toy Story 5’s Reactions Are So Positive

Even though Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) are a big part of the cast, Toy Story 5 shifts its focus to Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack). The story revolves around a tablet named Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee), which steals the attention of Bonnie (voiced by Scarlett Spears). In the case of Jessie, that brings forth her old abandonment trauma, as she sees another owner leaving her behind. Those story elements seem to have resonated well with journalists.

Tangcay says, “Jessie finally gets the story she deserves! It’s emotional, funny, genuinely warm, and perfect in every way.” Meredith Loftus from Collider also adds that “Toy Story 5 hit me in places I was unprepared for! Exploring the divide between technology and toys through Jessie results in a deeply profound, moving story that had me in a puddle of tears. I put it up there with Toy Story 2 & 3. It’s *that* excellent!”

In the slightest of critiques, io9‘s Germain Lussier wrote that the movie is “a tiny bit disjointed at the start as it builds multiple different story lines,” but continues that it pays off with a “phenomenal third act.” There is also praise for Taylor Swift’s song, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which Tangcay and others call “perfect,” while Daniel Baptista from The Movie Podcast singles out Conan O’Brien’s new character, Smarty Pants, as an “all-time great” franchise character.

It’s not surprising people are talking about whether we need Toy Story 5. Pixar has consistently delivered strong sequels with meaningful stories and heartfelt emotions. According to reports, this installment will be the most emotional yet, focusing on Jessie’s backstory and introducing her original owner, Emily, and early reactions seem to confirm that.

With there still over one week to go before the movie’s release, Pixar is clearly confident in the sequel, and rightly so. Even without good reviews, this movie was destined to be a box office hit and almost guaranteed to break the $1 billion barrier (something the previous two films managed as well). The reactions only help that cause, giving us another installment to love, laugh at, and no doubt cry over.

Toy Story 5 releases in theaters on June 19th.

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2026-06-10 15:41