Toy Story 5 held its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, generating a flood of social media reactions that paint the film as a genuine return to form for the animation studio — and a potential franchise high point. Official critical reviews remain embargoed until June 16, but Disney/Pixar allowed premiere attendees to post brief reactions after the screening. The film opens wide on June 19.
The fifth installment centers on a frog-like tablet called “Lilypad,” voiced by Greta Lee, which consumes the attention of Bonnie, now eight years old. Buzz (Tim Allen), Woody (Tom Hanks), and Jessie (Joan Cusack) must race to rescue playtime from the device’s grip.
The irony of that premise — given Pixar was co-founded by Steve Jobs, the architect of the iPad era — was not lost on observers. Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton directs alongside co-director McKenna Harris, marking Stanton’s first time helming a Toy Story film after helping write all four predecessors.
Early reactions zeroed in on Jessie as the emotional core. Reviewers praised Joan Cusack’s voice performance as the film’s beating heart, with several placing the sequel alongside Toy Story 2 and 3 in the franchise canon. The toys-versus-technology conflict, which could have read as a heavy-handed message, drew praise for its restraint and nuance. One reviewer noted the third act pays off what a slightly disjointed opening builds, with Pixar’s signature blend of humor and heartbreak arriving in force.
The night’s biggest surprise came after the screening. Taylor Swift, who wrote the film’s original song “I Knew It, I Knew You” with longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, performed the track live at the piano before being joined on stage by Randy Newman for a duet of his franchise cornerstone “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” Swift skipped the traditional red carpet step-and-repeat but appeared for a group cast photo and, in a moment that delighted onlookers, asked Tom Hanks to sign her personal Toy Story VHS.
Her soundtrack contribution made history this week, becoming the first song by a female artist to receive playlist pickups from every Mediabase-monitored country station in its debut week. The film opens on June 19 — the 20th anniversary of Swift’s debut single, “Tim McGraw.”
