We just passed the halfway point of the year, and I can confidently say that Toy Story 5 is definitely one of my favorite 2026 movies. Pixar’s latest gave me everything I wanted out of a sequel to a franchise I’ve grown up with my whole life, and seeing Jessie finally get her moment is a big reason why. Days after I walked out of the theater with a big smile on my face over the new animated film, I decided to give its predecessor, Toy Story 4, another shot, and I’m very happy I did! Let’s get into it.
What I Thought About Toy Story 4 When It First Came Out
While it took me a double-take to believe it, Toy Story 4 came out seven years ago. I remember going to see it in the theaters opening weekend just like I did for its newest installment – but I recall being very disappointed and feeling kind of icky about it. Given, for context – it was the first Toy Story movie that came out since I became an adult.
My most potent memory about the movie was the Toy Story 4 ending where Woody and Buzz say goodbye to each other with “To infinity and beyond”. I can recall the heavy sigh the scene incited from me like it was yesterday. To me, I think it felt like Pixar was trying to recreate the perfect ending of Toy Story 3 with another heartfelt goodbye between two major characters, and it just didn’t hit the same as last time, in what I would consider one of the best Pixar movies ever made.
Otherwise, I remember liking Forky and thinking Toy Story 4 was OK overall, but just kind of unnecessary. What a difference seven years makes!
What I Think After My Recent Rewatch After Seeing Toy Story 5
After loving Toy Story 5 as much as I did, I started to question my previous feelings about Toy Story 4. Was it really as bad as I thought it was? After my latest viewing, I can confirm that I was way too harsh on the sequel, and I think I know why. Toy Story 4 had to follow Toy Story 3, and even though it had been almost a decade since it had come out at that point, I wasn’t sold on the idea of Woody, Buzz and the gang coming back yet. Technically, I still think of Toy Story 4 as the weakest of the movies, but really not by much.
This time, I really appreciated Toy Story 4 for how it took some time to explore Woody’s life post-Andy. I kind of think of it as a metaphor for being an empty-nester parent who’s trying to find your purpose after your kid goes to college. I haven’t had that experience myself, but I’ve seen my parents struggle to redefine themselves since I went away to college and became an adult. With that in mind, I found Woody’s journey to be really meaningful, and his decision to “retire” (which becomes a hilarious gag in 5) and go after Bo Peep isn't sad, but a really beautiful start of a new chapter for him.
After watching Toy Story 5, I also was curious about seeing more of Bonnie from before and how the toys adjusted to being part of her room before. I really like how both 4 and 5 explore different ways that toys can be helpful to kids through Bonnie – who I realized now is very different from Andy and very much of her generation. And, I'm happy we have multiple kids in the Toy Story franchise.
The conclusion that I’ve come to is that every Toy Story movie has been made with complete love and care, and I’ll be happy to take more as long as there’s another good story to tell. And I like how each one has a few different main characters to come back to depending on how I feel the next time I want to go back and watch a Toy Story movie. If you felt similarly to me about Toy Story 4, I very much recommend a rewatch!
