Toy Story was the first fully 3D computer-animated film, and it’s withstood the test of time. It still holds up over 30 years later. It and its sequels are easily some of the best movies that Pixar has ever made thanks to the memorable characters, the relatable emotions, thought-provoking themes, and unique sense of humor. 

That being said, people commonly say that the Toy Story movie series should have ended after its third installment, save for the occasional holiday special. I originally agreed with this, as Toy Story 3 provided a perfect ending for the ongoing story and felt like a satisfying send off to the characters. Now, though, I’m honestly happy it didn’t end there.

Sure, Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the toys said their goodbyes to Andy and found their way to a new kid that will play with them. That does feel like a fantastic ending, but it also feels like the passing of a torch. It’s saying goodbye to the older audience so they can now have adventures for a newer audience.

Additionally, Toy Story 4 is genuinely phenomenal. It’s extremely well-animated and well-detailed, hilarious, and heartfelt. It also has Woody go through incredible character development that pushes his arc and the overall story forward beyond Toy Story 3.

Woody made a sacrifice so that another toy can experience the joy of being played with, and moved on to help discarded toys find kids who will treat them right. He’s spent years knowing what it’s like to belong to a kid, but had to move on to help others, and to do something for himself instead of whatever kid he belonged to. It was a powerful lesson for the character to learn. Because of this, Toy Story 4 was also another sad goodbye that felt earned. It was another satisfying conclusion to the series.

That being said, Toy Story 5 is looking pretty solid. It has an interesting premise and a conflict that reflects the world we live in today. Each Toy Story film is exactly what’s needed for the audience at the time it comes out. With the growing fear of AI taking on too much of a role in our society, it makes sense for the toys to fear an AI device taking over Bonnie’s time and love. Woody’s leaving looks to have not been retconned, which is nice. They’re staying in contact the same way we might stay in contact with people via social media even if we never see them in person. It’s good to see Toy Story 4’s ending stay intact.

I originally agreed that Toy Story 3 should have been the ending to the series, but I’m happy I gave Toy Story 4 a shot. I’ll gladly do the same with Toy Story 5. It seems that Pixar remains to be taking great care of the franchise, and I’ll be intrigued to see where it goes if it were to continue after the fifth installment.

Read Next: ‘Soul’ Review