Toy Story 5 delivers an awkward warning for parents about screen time, but one change marks a big stride forward. In the latest instalment, Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang face an existential crisis as Bonnie, now eight, casts aside her old toys for a frog-shaped tablet called Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee).
A Timely Tale for Parents
For Keir Starmer, the release of Toy Story 5 couldn't come at a better time. In a week when the Prime Minister announced that under-16s will be banned from social media by spring 2027, Pixar's box office behemoth rides into town to back the bold move – kind of. The new movie stops short of suggesting devices are wholly bad for kids, but it shines a Hollywood-sized spotlight on the potential perils of young children's online 'friendships', giving parents more than a gentle prod to think longer and harder about screen time.
No Time for Subtlety
The film wastes absolutely no time getting right to the point. When your target audience is small children and sleep-deprived parents, subtlety isn't an option. In-your-face is better. Things begin with Bonnie directing Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Buzz (Tim Allen) in a typically dramatic, action-packed wedding scene. She then musters up the courage to invite her neighbours to play, but they snub her advances. Moments later, she mournfully asks her parents why no one wants to be her friend.
Bonnie, a picture of wholesomeness, innocence and imagination, inventing make-believe games with her toys, is quickly juxtaposed with images of sloth-like children, all exhibiting a severe case of 'tech neck', their faces lit up by glowing tablets and devices in house after house. The message is clear – tech has replaced toys, and it isn't good.
A Classic Adventure with a Modern Twist
What follows is a classic Toy Story action-adventure. Lilypad quickly becomes Bonnie's favourite toy after helping her connect with girls from her dance class in a digital space called 'the pond'. Her old toys are condemned to a box in the garage. Things turn sour when Bonnie's online 'pals' tease her about her toys, leaving her humiliated, upset and angry. Her mum suggests a break from Lilypad, who is, somewhat unexpectedly, hit with pangs of guilt.
Meanwhile, well-meaning strangers find Jessie and Bullseye and take them to the address scribbled on the cowgirl's leg, leaving the toys stranded at a farm in the middle of nowhere. Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz and the toys come up with a plan to return them to Bonnie. Jessie, though, has a plan of her own. She wants to unite Bonnie with Blaze, an older child who lives on the farm and shares her love of playing.
To pull the whole thing off, the toys must work together with Lilypad and some of Blaze's old devices, including a hippo-shaped sat nav system, Smarty Pants potty training machine and pink digital camera.
Balance is Key
In the end, the message is that devices aren't actually all bad. As is often the case, balance is key. A world in which children use both toys and devices is a better one, it seems. Of course, the more cynical viewer could argue Pixar, a major player in the screen game, would say that. But the film is a hit, nevertheless. In amongst everything else, it includes Jessie's heart-rending origin story, Woody's emotional reunion with the rest of the toys and even some romance.
Self-Deprecation and Progress
As always, there are plenty of jokes to keep both children and adults entertained too. This time, self-deprecation is heavy on the menu, with plenty of gags about the crew getting older. Woody's bald spot and bulging belly will no doubt strike a chord with dads of a certain age and lifestyle. But in a movie plot centred on the advent of new technology, the biggest step forward is perhaps the elevation of a female character, Jessie, to leader of the playroom and main protagonist.
The Toy Story franchise might be getting old, but Woody's physical imperfections aside, the signs aren't obvious. Some might say Toy Story has gone 'woke'. The truth is, five movies in, it's as progressive as ever – and that takes some doing. Directed by Andrew Stanton, it's the first film in the series without any involvement from co-creator John Lasseter. And on this showing, there's plenty of life in the old Slinky Dog yet.
Toy Story 5, certified as PG, is released in UK cinemas on Friday June 19.
