Toy Story 5

Toy Story 5 in Theaters June 19th!

My favorite kids (and adults) movie franchise is back. I was blown away when Toy Story 4 came out as it had improved on the excellent three movies that came before. Toy Story 5 however is not the entertainment that its predecessors were.

The toys are back in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” and this time it’s Toy meets Tech. Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen), Jessie (voice of Joan Cusack) and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad (voice of Greta Lee), a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. Will playtime ever be the same?

The trailer also shows the anticipated reunion of Woody and Buzz following Woody’s decision to leave the gang and start helping lost toys at the end of 2019’s “Toy Story 4.” As the toys face the tech devices of today, it’s going to be all hands on deck with some familiar and all-new characters. Several actors have joined the incredible roster of voice talent including Craig Robinson as Atlas, a cheerful talking GPS hippo toy; Shelby Rabara as the excitable camera toy Snappy; Scarlett Spears as the sweet and shy 8-year-old Bonnie; Mykal-Michelle Harris as Blaze, an independent 8-year-old girl who loves animals; and Matty Matheson as the tech-fearing toy Dr. Nutcase. Also rounding out the voice cast are John Ratzenberger as the wisecracking piggybank Hamm; Wallace Shawn as Rex, the anxiety-riddled tyrannosaurus rex toy; Blake Clark as the ever-loyal Slinky Dog; Jeff Bergman as the sarcastic Mr. Potato Head; Anna Vocino as the nurturing Mrs. Potato Head; Annie Potts as the adventure-loving Bo Peep; Bonnie Hunt as the wise rag-doll Dolly; Melissa Villaseñor as Karen Beverly, Bonnie’s homemade toy fashioned out of a plastic knife; John Hopkins as the dignified hedgehog plush toy Mr. Pricklepants; Kristen Schaal as the plastic triceratops toy Trixie; Ernie Hudson as the action figure Combat Carl; and Keanu Reeves as Canadian daredevil toy Duke Caboom. The previously announced voice cast includes Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Greta Lee (Lilypad), Conan O’Brien (Smarty Pants) and Tony Hale (Forky).

Directed by Academy Award® winner Andrew Stanton (“WALL•E,” “Finding Nemo,” “Finding Dory”), co-directed by Kenna Harris (“Ciao Alberto”), produced by Lindsey Collins (“Turning Red,” “WALL•E,” “Finding Dory”), and features an original score by Academy Award® winner Randy Newman who returns to score his fifth “Toy Story” feature. The film releases exclusively in theaters nationwide on June 19, 2026. “Toy Story 5” is directed by Academy Award® winner Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Kenna Harris, produced by Lindsey Collins and features an original score by Oscar® winner Randy Newman, who returns to score his fifth “Toy Story” feature. The film releases exclusively in theaters June 19, 2026.

An animated movie relies on voice acting. Some of the original characters no longer sound the way they used to, and it was disappointing. Joan Cusack is brilliant and was known for her voice work as Jessie. Her voice is no longer recognizable as the character she had played in the previous movies, same with Tom Hanks. This newest Toy Story movie covers Jessie through three generations of doll owners, and has a nostalgic touch, and I found that story line slow moving. The kids will be happy, but the usual quicker pace with more humor that these animated movies offer the parents was lacking.

There are two story lines here that converge later in the movie. The opening scenes with the Buzz Lightyears was brilliant. And that is where it ended for me. The main story line, kids with their toys, and today’s generations focusing on their tech devices, is pertinent and smart, but this story line was as I said above, too slow moving for my taste. Again, showing Jessie through several different generations of kids was heart felt, and while most other reviews are much more favorable than my review here, this is my honest opinion. I was disappointed as I have found all the previous movies to be terrific, especially the last two.

The occasional one liners were funny, but I found the movie to be a disappointment over the previous movies. So many animated movies entertain us adults as much of the kids, but not this one. I think the younger kids will love the movie, but adults may not.

Get your tickets here.