Toy Story 5 premiered last night in Los Angeles, and the first reactions to the Pixar and Disney film are coming in.
More than 30 years after the original animated film was released, its sequel continues to entertain audiences, based on their first impressions after the screener.
“Toy Story 5 is a wonderfully heartfelt return to form for Pixar Animation Studios and a reminder of why the Toy Story franchise remains one of the greatest film series ever made,” film critic Scott Menzel shared on X, the microblogging platform formerly known as Twitter.
Menzel said that the latest Toy Story film ranked “right alongside the first three films,” adding that the fifth installment delivered “a perfect blend of humor, heart, and that signature Pixar magic.”
Watch on Deadline
Daniel Baptista of The Movie Podcast said that “Toy Story 5 is a GENERATION-DEFINING experience and exactly the story we need right now,” praising Pixar for delivering “a meaningful, moving, and masterful must-see movie.” Baptista also noted that Conan O’Brien’s Smarty Pants is “an all-time great TS character.”
Germain Lussier of Gizmodo shared on X that he felt that the start of the film was a “tiny bit disjointed” as it “builds multiple different storylines,” but noted that “they end up paying off with a phenomenal third act filled with all the heart and humor you expect from Pixar.” The critic said that the film has “top-tier stuff.”
Kyle Buchanan of The New York Times posted on X his surprise at the animated film, noting that it “has the typical Pixar polish and emotional resonance but isn’t afraid to mess with your expectations (the dad is mid).”
The Nerds of Color “fully embraced” the sequel, noting on X that “it’s a worthy inclusion to this legendary franchise that finally does far more with Jessie, truly evolving her in a way that reminds us why this is one of the most human film series ever.”