Toy Story 5 has earned a 92 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its June 19 opening, with critics describing the Pixar sequel as charming, emotionally grounded and one of the better entries in the franchise’s three-decade run.
Reviews that began appearing earlier this week praised the film for avoiding the narrative fatigue that can weigh on long-running animated series. Several critics noted that the script found new emotional territory rather than repeating the beats of earlier installments. Pixar has faced scrutiny in recent years over the quality of some theatrical releases, and Toy Story 5 appears to have quieted those concerns for now.
The film introduces new characters alongside the returning core cast, including Tom Hanks as Woody and Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear. Early screeners said the balance between nostalgia and fresh storytelling was one of the film’s strongest qualities, giving longtime fans something genuine without excluding younger audiences encountering the franchise for the first time.
Taylor Swift contributed an original song to the soundtrack, “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which has already charted independently of the film’s release. The song’s early chart performance added to the movie’s pre-opening buzz, with the soundtrack drawing streams from audiences who haven’t yet seen the film.
Box office analysts are projecting an opening weekend in the range of $180 million domestically, which would place it among the strongest animated openings of the year. The June 19 release — Juneteenth, a federal holiday — gives families an extra day off on a long weekend, a favorable commercial timing that Disney and Pixar have used well in the past.
The 92 percent Rotten Tomatoes score puts Toy Story 5 in strong company within the franchise. The original Toy Story and Toy Story 2 both hold scores above 97 percent, while Toy Story 3 earned 98 percent. Toy Story 4 came in at 97 percent, making this entry the lowest-scoring of the five — but still comfortably in critical acclaim territory.
Pixar’s theatrical slate has faced questions since the pandemic-era streaming releases of Soul and Luca, which bypassed cinemas. Toy Story 5’s strong reviews are a positive signal for the studio’s theatrical strategy. For comparison, Scary Movie’s record opening earlier this month showed that audiences are still turning out in significant numbers for comedies, suggesting the theatrical market remains strong for the right films.
Audiences looking for alternatives have had Mexico 86 on Netflix as one of the month’s most-discussed streaming titles, though theatrical releases like Toy Story 5 are targeting a different moment altogether. Pixar’s official page has trailers and screening information for the June 19 release.
With a long weekend opening, strong reviews and a Taylor Swift song already in circulation, Toy Story 5 arrives with more favorable conditions than almost any animated release in recent memory. Whether the audience matches the critical response will be clear by Sunday night.
