The latest installment in the Disney & Pixar animated film series "Toy Story," "Toy Story 5" (directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by Kenna Harris), will be released in Japan on July 3rd. To commemorate the start of advance ticket sales in the US (released June 19th), a US trailer full of the "favorite" scenes depicting the toys' grand adventure was released on May 29th.
"Toy Story" was Disney & Pixar's first feature film, with the first installment produced in 1995 and released in Japan in 1996. The story of a boy named Andy's toys coming to life and going on adventures when humans aren't looking, and the full CGI that brought toys like Woody and Buzz Lightyear to life, became a worldwide hit. The second installment was released in 1999 (2000 in Japan), the third in 2010, and the fourth in 2019. Throughout the series, actor Toshiaki Karasawa voices Woody in the Japanese version, and entertainer George Tokoro voices Buzz Lightyear.
In the latest film, "Toy Story 5," Woody leaves Bonnie's room and works with his friends to help abandoned toys. Jessie, a cowgirl doll, takes over as the "sheriff" of Bonnie's room and leads the toys, watching over the imaginative and shy Bonnie as she grows up. Bonnie loves playing with toys like Jessie and Buzz, but the other kids have grown out of their toys and are engrossed in tablets, making it difficult for her to connect with them and make friends.
When Bonnie's parents, worried about her, present her with a state-of-the-art tablet, the "LilyPad," her daily life is turned upside down. Seeing Bonnie engrossed in the screen like other children, Jessie worries that the smile that shone in her playtime is fading, and she asks Woody for help. Teaming up again with Woody and Buzz, Jessie rises to the challenge of bringing Bonnie back to life... As Jessie and the other toys begin to question their own existence, wondering, "Are toys no longer needed these days?", the dynamic duo of Woody and Buzz Lightyear join forces once more to confront the threat of "digital."
In the Japanese version, Jesse's voice will be provided by Yumi Kusaka, the new character Smarty Pants will be voiced by Hayato Sano Sano of "M!LK", and Forky will be voiced by Ryo Ryusei.
◇There's also the "classic" scene where everyone stops moving when a car passes by.
The newly released US trailer features exciting scenes that are characteristic of "Toy Story."
Woody returns to the toys who feel threatened by the latest tablet, the LilyPad, that arrived at Bonnie's house. Buzz proudly wears a star on his chest as the "acting leader" of the toy room, and Woody distracts Buzz for a moment to put a star on his own chest—a familiar exchange throughout the series. Expectations are high for the return and adventures of this iconic duo.
However, even with Woody and Buzz's dynamic teamwork, they struggle to stop the lily pad's alarm, finding themselves at the mercy of the lily pads... How will chubby Woody and overzealous Buzz cope with these cutting-edge toys?
Meanwhile, Jessie, believing that Bonnie still needs them, rushes out of the room on a grand adventure to restore Bonnie's smile, which was lost due to the arrival of the lily pads. Riding on Bullseye, she speeds along with Woody, Buzz, and for some reason, a whole bunch of Buzz Lightyears, but the film includes the classic "Toy Story" scene where they all stop in their tracks when a car approaches, providing plenty of laughs. Will the toys be able to bring back Bonnie's smile? Toy Story 5 opens nationwide on July 3rd.
