Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of Pixar’s plastic posse are back, but this time their competition does not come from another toy box. Toy Story 5 pits traditional play against a shiny new tablet, bringing the familiar mix of comedy, adventure and emotional sabotage back to Rotterdam cinemas.
Film details
- Title: Toy Story 5
- Premiere date in the Netherlands: 17 June 2026
- Director: Andrew Stanton
- Co-director: McKenna Harris
- Runtime: 102 minutes
- Genre: Animation, adventure, comedy
- Country: United States
- Original language: English
- Subtitles: Dutch with the English-language version
- Age rating: 6+
- Original voice cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Greta Lee, Tony Hale and Conan O’Brien
- Watch the English original in Rotterdam: Toy Story 5 (OV) at KINO
- Dutch-language screenings: Toy Story 5 (NL) at KINO, Toy Story 5 (NL) at LantarenVenster
- Also listed in both Dutch and English versions: Cinerama (use the dropdown menu to select version)
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What’s the vibe?
Bonnie has a new favourite thing, and it does not have a pull string, cowboy hat or existential crisis. Lilypad is a bright green tablet with her own ideas about what is best for Bonnie, leaving Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the other toys wondering whether children still need them.
That gives Toy Story 5 a very current conflict: toys versus technology. The story takes the familiar fear of being replaced and gives it a modern upgrade, with screens taking over the role once occupied by newer, shinier toys.
There is plenty here to entertain younger viewers, including colourful animation, physical comedy and recognisable characters. Adults may feel the premise land a little closer to home, especially if they have ever tried to negotiate screen time with a child who has suddenly developed the legal skills of a senior barrister.
Trailer
Check out the trailer below.
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Why you might like it
- Eyes: Pixar animation, colourful new characters and the return of one of cinema’s most recognisable groups of toys.
- Heart: The franchise once again explores friendship, purpose and the uncomfortable fear that someone you love may no longer need you.
- Mind: The toys’ battle with Lilypad opens up questions about screen time, imagination and how childhood play is changing.
Critical reception
The first reactions to Toy Story 5 have been largely enthusiastic. Early viewers praised the film’s humour, emotional weight and timely focus on children’s relationship with technology. Several responses also highlighted Jessie’s larger role in the story and described the film as a worthy continuation of the Pixar series.
The critical response has not been completely uniform. Some early reactions mentioned a slower or slightly disjointed opening, but said the film finds its footing and delivers a strong emotional payoff later on. Comparisons with Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 have already appeared, which is either high praise or an extremely dangerous way to manage expectations.
Rotten Tomatoes had begun collecting reviews at the time of writing, while Metacritic listed the film ahead of its wider international release. As scores can shift quickly during opening week, it is worth treating early averages as provisional rather than final.
The original Toy Story arrived in 1995 and became the first fully computer-animated feature film. The fifth instalment brings the central characters into a story about a form of technology that now feels completely ordinary to children, which gives the franchise a neat full-circle moment.
Scene to watch for
Watch the toys’ first encounter with Lilypad. The tablet does not need to behave like a traditional villain to feel threatening. Her appeal to Bonnie says everything, while the toys slowly realise they may be competing with something that never gets tired, lost under a bed or stepped on barefoot at 02:00.
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Recommended pairing
This one works well as a family afternoon with an early meal or a sweet treat before the screening. Add a screen-free activity afterwards, such as drawing, building something or visiting a playground, partly to honour the film’s message and partly to prove the tablet has not won yet.
Adults revisiting the series can pair it with a relaxed drink and a conversation about which Toy Story ending should technically have been the final one. There are several defensible answers and at least one friendship-ending answer.
