TOY STORY 5 (2026)

Genre: CG Animation
Director: Andrew Stanton
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Conan O’Brien, Scarlett Spears, Greta Lee, Shelby Rabara, Mykal - Michelle Harris, Craig Robinson, Bonnie Hunt, Lori Alan, Jay Hernandez, John Hopkins, Wallace Shawn, Kristen Schaal, Blake Clark, Tony Hale, Jeff Bergman, Anna Vocino, Ernie Hudson, Krys Marshall, Jerome Ranft, Melissa Villaseñor, Annie Potts, Matty Matheson, John Ratzenberger, Keanu Reeves
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: PG
Released By: Walt Disney
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 18 June 2026

Synopsis: 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?

Movie Review:

Going by the number of toilet jokes in Toy Story 5, one might be forgiven for thinking that Pixar has finally decided to send its beloved franchise down a rather distasteful path. Fear not. Every single one of those jokes lands beautifully, largely because they come courtesy of Smarty Pants, a potty-training toy with an extraordinarily foul mouth.

It is such an ingeniously ridiculous concept that one wonders why nobody thought of it sooner. And with Conan O'Brien lending his voice — and perhaps some improvisational flair — the character delivers some of the movie's biggest laughs.

Every time this reviewer thinks the Toy Story saga has reached a perfect conclusion, another sequel comes along. And every time, the question arises: do we really need another one? Remarkably, the answer continues to be yes. Against expectations, Toy Story 5 once again reminds audiences why this series has remained so cherished since its debut in 1995.

While Woody and Buzz Lightyear are still very much part of the adventure, the spotlight this time falls on Jessie. Longtime fans will immediately recall the emotional devastation of Toy Story 2, when Jessie recounted her memories of Emily accompanied by Sarah McLachlan's heartbreaking "When She Loved Me". That sequence remains one of Pixar's finest emotional moments, and this latest chapter revisits similar themes with tremendous heart.

More importantly, it provides Jessie with a sense of emotional closure that feels earned rather than manufactured. Joan Cusack once again brings warmth and vulnerability to the character, reminding audiences why Jessie has always been one of the franchise's most beloved toys.

Alongside the emotions is the boundless creativity that has defined Pixar for decades. New characters prove to be inspired additions. Greta Lee voices Lilypad, an unsettlingly efficient tablet toy whose cold logic poses an unexpectedly formidable threat to Bonnie's room. The character embodies the modern world's increasing reliance on screens, and the film cleverly mines both humour and anxiety from that premise.

Meanwhile, the technologically upgraded Buzz Lightyears searching for Star Command provide some of the movie's funniest moments. One spectacular aerial sequence involving the army of Buzzes is so brilliantly staged that audiences at the preview screening erupted into applause and cheers. It is a reminder that Pixar still knows how to deliver pure cinematic exhilaration.

Of course, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen remain reliably excellent as Woody and Buzz. Their chemistry and familiarity continue to anchor the franchise, providing a comforting sense of continuity amid the new faces and adventures.

Perhaps the greatest achievement of Toy Story 5 lies in what it says without preaching. As generations increasingly find themselves glued to tablets and trapped in endless doom-scrolling, the film gently celebrates the joy of imagination, companionship, and physical play. Adults who grew up with Woody and Buzz will likely bring their own children to the cinema, hoping to introduce them to the same magic that defined their childhoods — and perhaps inspire them to spend a little more time playing with toys and a little less time staring at screens.

Thirty years after the original changed animation forever, Toy Story 5 proves there is still plenty of life, laughter and heart left in the toy box.

Movie Rating:

(Just when you think the franchise has said its final goodbye, Toy Story 5 returns with enough heart, humour and imagination to remind us why we fell in love with these toys in the first place)

Review by John Li