Lamar Reviews - "Toy Story 5" (Airdate 6/26/2026)

 

The big question is can a 5^th Toy Story follow all the other Toy Story movies and still be good? I think How to Train Your dragon, Kung Fu Panda, and The Lego movies have pulled it off, but with only 3 films each. 5 could be pushing it, but if they had the right story with a plot that resonates with the times, it just might work. When the battle is toys and play verses screens and technology, it is the perfect storyline. Even though, sadly, that battle has already been won. Or has it?

I think one of the reasons we have Toy Story 5, is because the original Toy Story in 1995 got it so right. Everyone of the characters were perfect. The writing had the feel of the original Looney Tunes cartoons because it is written on two levels. On one level a child can understand and find funny, the second level the parents find something entirely different that they find hilarious. There are many animated movies that parents are forced to sit through, the Toy Story is not one of them. Parents eagerly take their kids to see those movies.

The movie opens with little Bonnie, voiced by Scarlett Spears having a pretend wedding between Forky, and Karen the plastic knife. Caught up in the romantic moment Buzz, voiced by Tim Allen, trying to come up with the courage to ask Jessie, voiced by Joan Cusack, if she will marry him. This becomes a running gag through the entire film.

Bonnie is a very shy child that has a hard time making friends. Her parents give in and buy her a Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, like all the kids at her school to help her make friends. As you can imagine she is mesmerized and hypnotized by the screen. So much so she stops playing with her toys. It turns out no kids play with toys anymore so the gang we love are all going to be heading to the donation bin. Or as Rex the Dinosaur says, “Extinction!....not again!”

This calls for an emergency call to the mostly retired Wood, voiced by Tom Hanks.  Can he save the day for the toys?

The movie is a quick 1 hour and 42 minutes, Rated-PG for some thematic elements and rude humor.

So, back to the original question, is this 5^th installment worth watching? Yes, it is, for a lot of reasons.

First and most important, this does not come across like a cash grab. They thought this out and worked hard to protect the Toy Story brand.

Most of your favorite characters and their voices are here. A few are missing, like Bitey White and Carl Reineroceros are not because Betty White and Carl Reiner have passed away.

Some new characters have joined. Smarty Pants, a potty training tech toy voiced by Conan O’Brien. And Atlas, voiced by Craig Robinson, a talking GPS hippo Toy to name a couple.

Just like the other 4 Toy Stories, you will laugh, get sentimental, sad cry and happy cry. It’s really good.

My Score: 5 Juice boxes.