Toy Story 5 opens in cinemas worldwide on Friday, June 19, and the early word is unusually generous for a fifth installment. Time Out's reviewer describes the new film as the best the franchise has produced since the original trilogy, with Jessie stepping into a central role that Woody and Buzz no longer occupy.
The premise sounds familiar: toys fearing obsolescence. But the execution here swaps plastic dinosaurs for touchscreens.
Quick take
- Toy Story 5 hits theaters worldwide Friday, June 19
- Jessie (Joan Cusack) carries the lead, with Tom Hanks's Woody and Tim Allen's Buzz taking smaller roles
- Andrew Stanton directs, his first Pixar feature behind the camera since Finding Dory
- A talking device named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, drives the central conflict
What the film is doing
The fifth chapter hands Jessie the heaviest emotional workload yet. Bonnie, a shy child, increasingly abandons physical play for the glow of a smart device that helps her forge digital friendships. That device, Lilypad, gets credited with ending the era of the toy chest. Even legacy tech toys like Smarty Pants, a potty-training gadget voiced by Conan O'Brien, get benched.
Returning faces from prior films include Tony Hale's Forky, Keanu Reeves's stunt biker Duke Caboom, and Ernie Hudson's Combat Carl. They form the rotating ensemble that drives the rescue-mission plotting, which the reviewer notes is unusually dense.
Jessie's arc extends beyond Bonnie. She ventures to a farm outside town where she meets another withdrawn child, Blaze, played by Mykal-Michelle Harris. Meanwhile, Bullseye's run-in with an actual horse leads to one of the film's newer emotional pairings. A fleet of upgraded Buzz figures also appears, reworking callbacks from earlier chapters.
Our analysis
There's a layer of self-awareness running through the marketing. The reviewer opens by noting that Woody now has a bald spot and a paunch, a quiet nod to the franchise aging alongside its audience. That meta angle works because Toy Story has always traded in being replaced, outgrown, and forgotten. The 2025 version of that fear is the screen, not the garage sale.
Stanton, better known for Finding Nemo and WALL-E, brings back the pace that Toy Story 4 lacked. That matters here because the story bounces between set pieces quickly, and without momentum the sentiment curdles into schmaltz.
The skeptic's argument is straightforward: it's odd for a studio that profits from young eyeballs to moralize about screen time. Time Out acknowledges that contradiction and dismisses it. The film's argument isn't anti-tech so much as pro-balance, and that's a stance most parents can live with.
There's also a strong craft note. The reviewer points out that this entry generates emotional attachment for roughly a dozen toys at once, not just one protagonist. That breadth is rare in sequels that tend to shrink their ensemble. Jessie is the anchor, but the supporting cast earns its minutes.
What it means for you
If you bounced off Toy Story 4 but stayed loyal to the franchise, this is the reset you wanted. If you walked away from the series after the third film, June 19 is worth a test screening.
For families, the parental question is loaded right now: how do you raise kids with tablets without losing the toy box? The film doesn't offer a tidy answer, but it frames the question without lecturing.
For nostalgia-tripping adults, the meta-aging angle cuts both ways. Some viewers will find the winking references charming. Others will feel the franchise has nothing new to say about itself. The June 19 release will sort them quickly.
Bottom line
Toy Story 5 earns its place in the lineup. Jessie carries the emotional weight, the supporting cast gets room to land jokes and heart, and the gadget-versus-toy argument feels current without feeling preachy. Open it June 19.
Frequently asked questions
When does Toy Story 5 come out?
Friday, June 19, in cinemas worldwide.
Who voices Lilypad?
Greta Lee voices the tablet character Lilypad.
Who directs Toy Story 5?
Andrew Stanton, who previously directed Finding Dory.
Is Woody in Toy Story 5?
Yes, though Woody and Buzz take smaller roles than in earlier films.
What's the plot of Toy Story 5?
Jessie tries to keep Bonnie's attention as a tablet device takes over the household.
Source: timeout.com
