After an extremely lucrative and universally acclaimed fifteen-year run that fittingly ended the franchise in 2010 with Toy Story 3, Pixar and Disney decided to resurrect the gang of toys once more nine years later with Toy Story 4. At the time, it seemed like a decision spurred more by commerce than creativity, with a string of less-than-stellar films raising the need for a guaranteed hit. Nothing could be more guaranteed than Woody and Buzz, even though none of the belated sequels (Monsters University, Finding Dory, Cars 3) to their company-defining originals had lived up to expectations. Luckily, it worked wonderfully, with its story of growing up and finding a new purpose in life aligning perfectly with the audience who have aged with these films.

Now, another seven years later, a new sequel emerges in the simply titled Toy Story 5. A fourth entry was risky, but the bet paid off. Doubling down again just seems foolhardy. And yet, this one works even better than the last one, and could/should be in conversation in terms of quality with the rest of the series. Toy Story 2 is still my undisputed favorite, but you can’t go wrong with any of the initial three.

It might not be something that they would like to be reminded of, but the kids who grew up watching the first Toy Story are likely now in their late twenties or early thirties. That means they’ve now reached the point in life where they start having kids of their own. However, kids today aren’t as interested in physical toys as previous generations. “The age of toys is over!” claims an abandoned one to Jessie (Joan Cusack), who’s still holding strong as Bonnie’s preferred method of playtime. Screens, specifically a tablet called Lilypad (Greta Lee), have invaded every home in the neighborhood. Friends are now made online, not on the playground or in someone’s yard like the old days.

Co-writers/directors Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris (the former having directed or written the company’s biggest hits like Finding Nemo, WALL-E, and all previous entries in the Toy Story franchise) reach all ages within the audience. Taking a page out of Inside Out 2’s $1.6 billion box office gross playbook, feelings of anxiety and embarrassment emerge within Bonnie for the first time, unraveling her confidence and growth. Kids should be conflicted about their favorite color or flavor of ice cream, not where they rank on someone’s friend list in a mobile game. A whole generation has grown up too fast, robbed of the innocent pleasures of playing pretend games solely fueled by their imaginations.

Supporting that notion is the use of an exaggerated, almost coloring-book art style for the sequences where Bonnie plays with the toys. The voice actors ham up their lines in self-parody, and there’s always a soap opera-level twist around the corner. For the parents in the audience, these sequences, apart from being laugh-out-loud hilarious, offer a reminder about the benefits of indulging your child’s creativity. All those silly, seemingly ludicrous moments where they make up stories should be cherished for their purity. It may just be a material item, most likely stemming from a merchandising line, but a toy can be anything a child wants it to be.

Also for the parents is the appearance of Woody (Tom Hanks) sporting a bald spot, a midlife crisis fashion statement in the form of a poncho, and a bit of a gut. He’s been out rescuing toys that face neglect from kids who are gifted tablets. Eventually, Bonnie’s parents succumb to the pressure and buy one for her, which essentially pushes Jessie, Buzz (Tim Allen), and the rest of the cast one step closer to the donation bin. The central focus of this plot thread is Jessie, who went through a similar phase of abandonment decades earlier with her original owner. Once is heartbreaking, twice is enough to destroy one’s confidence in their ability to fulfill their intended purpose.

Those voice actors might all be decades older (and a few have passed on), but none of them have lost a step. Aided by the stunning animation, they’re always able to get a laugh or cry out of us. Newly added to this cast is Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants, a bulky potty training device seemingly from the mid-2000s. With its need for AA batteries and wired connections, his era of technology never posed a threat to physical toys. But for all their differences, both he and Jessie have been passed over by Lilypad. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so the pair work together to bring Bonnie back to her former, happy self.

On its face, Toy Story 5 is another sequel for Pixar, a growing trend where the milking of brands pays for the increasingly infrequent ventures into original storytelling. For as simultaneously cynical and accurate as that statement might be, it doesn’t consider the wealth of talent within the studio, both new and returning, that keep these materials fresh for worldwide audiences. You probably won’t find a better family film all year, or a franchise that consistently exceeds its already mighty expectations.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures will release Toy Story 5 in theaters nationwide on June 19th.