Disney logo Image via Disney By Carolyn Jenkins Published Oct 2, 2026, 12:15 AM EDT Rotten Tomatoes | Letterboxd | Metacritic Carolyn Jenkins is a voracious consumer of film and television. She graduated from Long Island University with an MFA in Screenwriting and Producing where she learned the art of character, plot, and structure. The best teacher is absorbing media and she spends her time reading about different worlds from teen angst to the universe of Stephen King. Sign in to your Collider account Add Us Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Listen Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Franchises are the name of the game in recent years, but for the good ones, that doesn’t diminish their value. Amidst the epic scale of The Avengers and even Dune , there is Toy Story . A children’s franchise that initially premiered in 1995, the Pixar initiative weaves compelling tales that never get old and has released a sequel just this year. Told from the perspective of sentient toys whose home is a child’s bedroom, Toy Story is the gift that keeps on giving.
Now three decades later, the franchise is more popular than ever. All five movies of the Toy Story series are sitting comfortably on Disney’s Top 10, proving that it is the best series of the year. No matter what state the world is in, it’s clear that everyone can find a friend in Toy Story .
Image via Walt Disney Studios Multiple Buzz Lightyear toys in a forest in 'Toy Story 5' Image via Pixar Animation Jessie, Bullseye, Smarty Pants, and other toys in 'Toy Story 5' Image via Pixar Animation Studios Emily hugging Jessie in a flashback in 'Toy Story 5' Image via Pixar Animation Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Image via Pixar Animation Studios Close Image via Walt Disney Studios Multiple Buzz Lightyear toys in a forest in 'Toy Story 5' Image via Pixar Animation Jessie, Bullseye, Smarty Pants, and other toys in 'Toy Story 5' Image via Pixar Animation Studios Emily hugging Jessie in a flashback in 'Toy Story 5' Image via Pixar Animation Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Image via Pixar Animation Studios Critically lauded as the best animated film of all time , there is no question why Toy Story still resonates. Like any good Pixar film, the narrative is more than a surface-level children’s story. This particular narrative uses toys in a child’s bedroom to weave what is essentially a buddy cop story. Cowboy Woody ( Tom Hanks ) is one of Andy’s favorite toys but feels that he may be replaced when the child gets a space ranger, Buzz Lightyear ( Tim Allen ). The humor comes into play as Buzz has an identity crisis of sorts. He believes he is a real space ranger instead of just a toy.
Buzz and Woody must overcome their differences in one of the great movies about male friendship . Toy Story is humorous in a way that is accessible to children but also so clever that adults still get gratification out of it. What could have been just a one-off instead evolved into a sprawling franchise that only gets better as it progresses.
The Toy Story franchise is full of heart and devastation , as the direct sequel indicates. It is arguably the best of the franchise as it delves into complex issues of abandonment with the introduction of Joan Cusack’ s iconic character, Jessie. Another Western-style doll and part of Woody’s Roundup, Jessie is discarded by he…