Review: "Toy Story 5"

On November 22nd, 1995, Pixar Animation Studios reinvented animation. The release of Toy Story, the first ever feature-length CGI animated motion picture, was a blockbuster smash. It earned rave reviews from critics and the public, grossed over $400 million dollars, and even a won a Special Achievement Oscar for being the first ever CGI animated feature. Pixar has expanded the “toy-verse” a great deal since the original, having each of the characters from the first film make new friends in various numerous short films, half-hour television specials and four feature-length sequels. Toy Story 5 (2026) was released on June 19th, 2026. Here are my thoughts:

Picking up from where the fourth film left off, the toys’ new owner, Bonnie, is so desperate to make new friends. In an attempt to help her do that, Bonnie’s parents buy her a “Lilypad” to help facilitate virtual connections. They soon realize it might not have been the best option as the device begins to consume her time and alter her day-to-day attitude. Furthermore, the device has Bonnie form connections with kids who seem like they care about her, but they don’t. 

Meanwhile, Buzz Lightyear is on the verge of proposing marriage to his long-time love, Jessie the Cowgirl (who’s been Buzz’s love interest since Toy Story 2 (1999)). Jessie is overwhelmed by the pressures of being Sheriff, having been promoted at the end of “4.” Together, they also attempt to help the “Bonnie” situation to no avail, and they summon the only toy whom they believe can help the situation, Woody. 

“Toy Story 5,” reunites the all-star voice cast of Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear and Joan Cusack as Jessie. New additions include Geta Lee as Lilypad and Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants, a potty-training toy. Jeff Bergman and Anna Voicino voice Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head succeeding the Potato Heads’ original voice talents, Don Rickles and Estelle Harris (who passed away in 2017 and 2022). The film is co-written/co-directed by Andrew Stanton and McKenna Harris. Stanton co-wrote the four previous “Toy Stories” and co-wrote/directed Finding Nemo (2003) and Wall-E (2008) and (each winning Best Animated Feature Oscars). Harris worked as a story artist on Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) and directed the short film Ciao Alberto (2021), part of the Luca (2021) franchise.

“Toy Story 5,” is about how technology can consume us and deceive us into thinking, saying, and doing the wrong things if we let it. It’s meant to help, but it’s not meant to live our lives for us. Everyone, not just kids but adults, at some point has to figure out how to work with technology but not let it become a distraction from the beautiful gifts real life has to offer. A virtual friend is not real, but a physical friend is one the most real things possible. The message of real friendship, and that friends are what see us through, has been present in the previous “Toy Story” films and it continues in the new one. 

Margaret Kerry

When Walt Disney produced animated features, the voice actors cast in the movies not only recorded their voices but were also filmed performing on the studio’s soundstages as artistic references for the animators. There were, however, some characters who required no voice, but still needed a model. One who played a key role as the model for the character Tinker Bell in Peter Pan (1953) was Margaret Kerry.

When “Peter Pan” was released, a rumor spread that Marilyn Monroe was the inspiration for Tinker Bell’s design in the movie, but that is 100% false. Margaret Kerry was no stranger to “doubling/modeling” having served as a camera double for Elizabeth Taylor in the Oscar-winning National Velvet (1944). She auditioned as Tinker Bell’s model and worked on the movie for six months. 

While she provided the gestures, the studio provided the props. They gave her a mirror to stand on, which helped create the scene in the film where Tinker Bell gazes at her own reflection and isn’t sure if she’s gained weight or not. They also gave her a huge pair of scissors and keyhole which inspired the scene where Tinker Bell is trapped in a jewelry box and desperately tries to keep Wendy from kissing Peter Pan. Tinker Bell’s Supervising Animator, Marc Davis, brilliantly captured all of her talent in his design. 

In addition to modeling Tink, Margaret Kerry also modeled and voiced the red-haired mermaid in the film’s Mermaid Lagoon scenes. Her voice is heard when Peter Pan shows up to the lagoon and they gush and said “Did you miss me?” Besides her Disney contributions, she made various film and television appearances, including playing an unnamed Fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935) and two first-season episodes of The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968). Margaret Kerry passed away at the age of 97 on June 11th, 2026. She was one the last surviving cast members of “Peter Pan,” in addition to Kathryn Beaumont (who voiced Wendy Darling) and Paul Collins (who voiced brother John Darling)

Sadly, Margaret Kerry was never awarded the Disney Legend Award, which is the award recognizing contributions to the Walt Disney Company. Her unsung talents, however, certainly helped “Peter Pan” become a beloved classic. She was a light to this world and her modeling talents certainly “lit up” the character of Tinker Bell. 

Review: "EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert"

On June 24th, 2022, Baz Luhrmann directed Elvis, a film that explored Elvis Presley’s (played by Austin Butler) career along with his relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks). The film grossed $288.7 million dollars and earned eight Oscar nominations as well as many positive reviews from critics. While working on the film Lurhman discovered miles of unseen footage from Elvis Presley’s career and personal life from Elvis: That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis on Tour (1972), two concert films released just before Presley’s untimely death in 1977. Lurhman had initially hoped to edit the footage he found in his original movie, but instead decided to turn the footage into a special compilation of its own, EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert, released on February 27th, 2026. Here’s what I thought:

This documentary film deepens exploration of Elvis Presley’s celebrity along with his humanity, but unlike the 2022 film, you only hear the voice of the real Elvis Presley throughout it’s duration. There’s an interview clip in the film when Elvis is being interviewed about the pressures of living up to his image and he explains “The image is one thing, the man is another.” Throughout his career, Elvis Presley dealt with fame with various difficulties, same as any other celebrity would. However, he never stopped making his fans feel valued.

Furthermore, there are clips with Elvis talking about how he would have a hard time not taking it personally when critics criticized his dance moves. He, himself, never actually thought that he did anything wrong whenever he danced onstage and didn’t understand why some people mocked his moves. You also get to hear Presley talk about how he’s a lifelong lover of music and he plays it just because it’s what he loves to do. You also get to learn the things that inspired Elvis Presley’s songs, i.e. his mother’s passing inspired him to write “That’s Someone You Never Forget.” You can even feel the love that he brings to all of his songs including: “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Walk A Mile In My Shoes,” etc.

This “man behind the legend” story is home-run hit for Baz Luhrmann and Elvis Presley and it can deepen your appreciation for both of their talents. Although Elvis Presley himself has been deceased for almost 50 years, his music never has and never will stop being entertaining. And Baz Lurhmann is a brilliant director whether he’s making an aesthetic/artistic piece like Moulin Rouge! (2001) or a documentary like “EPIC.” 

Review: "Disneyland: Handcrafted"

When Disney+ launched on November 12th, 2019, one of the first shows created exclusively for the streaming service was the 6-part miniseries The Imagineering Story, the story of how Walt Disney founded his team of engineers who imagine, or “Imagineers.” The miniseries was directed and executive produced by Leslie Iwerks.  Leslie Iwerks is a documentary filmmaker, whose grandfather, Ub Iwerks was the first person to animate Mickey Mouse. Leslie’s father, Don Iwerks, is also known at Disney for inventing the 360 Degree camera which produced the former Disneyland park attraction America the Beautiful.

Leslie Iwerks, has worked on numerous Disney-themed projects, including The Man Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story (1999), which is a tribute to her late grandfather and The Pixar Story (2007). She received a Best Documentary, Short Subjects, Oscar Nomination for the Short Film Recycled Life, also released in 2007, and on January 22nd, 2026, released her latest documentary to both Disney+ and YouTube, Disneyland: Handcrafted. My thoughts are as follows:

“Disneyland: Handcrafted,” delves deeper into the excruciating details of construction that went on as Walt Disney and his team Imagineers built Disneyland. It features no first-person narration, but several audio “excerpts” from Walt Disney, his family (daughter Diane and nephew Roy), and imagineers Harper Goff, Marty Sklar, Bob Gurr, and Blaine Gibson. Each discusses their own memories of working their fingers to the bone as they built the park, how it’s budget escalated as they moved closer and closer to opening day, July 17th, 1955, and how both the work and financial constraints were so overwhelming, that very few people believed that the park would be successful (except for Walt himself!)

The documentary acknowledges each of Disneyland’s beloved lands, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Frontierland, etc., and the audio interviewees explain that every part of the park faced some sort of problem. The imagineers simply always did the best they could to solve them. Two of those interviewees include Harriet Burns and Bob Gurr. Burns was Disney’s very first female imagineer, and she oversaw the designing of the Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Haunted Mansion, while Gurr designed the Matterhorn Bobsleds, the Submarine Voyage, and the Double Decker Buses on Main Street. At 94 years old, Gurr remains one of the only two imagineers alive today who worked at Walt Disney Imagineering during Walt Disney’s lifetime. (The other is Orlando Ferrante, who is 93. Ferrante worked on designing Disneyland Paris and helped launch the Disney Cruise Line in Venice. Sadly, he is not featured in the documentary.)

“Disneyland: Handcrafted” is guaranteed to deepen your appreciation for the history of Disneyland and those who worked to make it come to life. While many of those people are sadly deceased, it’s easy to imagine them being proud that their park is still beloved—nearly 71 years later. No one could have ever predicted the kind of success they had. This documentary will also deepen your appreciation for Leslie Iwerks’s skills as a documentary filmmaker, and how she continues the talent that runs in her family.