Movie Review: Toy Story 5
Playtime faces off against screen time in ‘Toy Story 5.’ The film is mostly clean, but a potty-training device makes for a few unnecessary double entendres.
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Guest (Male): Halt! Who goes there?
Guest (Male): Whoa, whoa! I come in peace.
Guest (Male): It’s been too long, cowboy.
Adam Holz: In Pixar's new movie Toy Story 5, Woody, Jessie, and Buzz are back for another animated adventure. This time around, the beloved characters we've spent three decades getting to know have a new nemesis: screens.
Jessie the cowgirl loves that her owner, Bonnie, still plays with her. Meanwhile, abandoned toys like Woody live a harsh existence on the streets. They're literally on the outside looking in at kids who've replaced their old-fashioned toys with mesmerizing screens.
Bonnie's parents have intentionally sought to keep her childhood screen-free, but increasingly Bonnie feels isolated from her always-online friends. Seeing how disconnected Bonnie is from her peers, her parents give her a tablet to join the digital realm.
And at first, it works. But soon it's clear to her parents and the toys that online access is gobbling up most of Bonnie's waking attention.
Guest (Male): I want to talk to you, device.
Guest (Female): Please, call me Lily.
Guest (Male): Me and the toys have been working all summer to try and get Bonnie to make friends, but then you had to ruin it. You’re not even listening to me.
Guest (Female): I’m always listening.
Adam Holz: Excessive screen time is front and center here as Jessie, Buzz, and Woody try to keep Bonnie from becoming a digital zombie. Other content concerns include toilet humor, Bugs Bunny-style gender mix-ups, toy romance, mild interjections, and some animated peril.
This franchise feels edgier than it used to be. Some families may feel it's not worth the hassle. Still, for fans of the series, this film will likely feel poignant and resonant, especially in today's tech-saturated landscape.
It's funny and heartfelt, and it might even bring a tear or two to parents' eyes. So we're giving Toy Story 5 a three and a half out of five for family-friendliness. Read the full review at pluggedin.com/radio. I'm Adam Holz for the Plugged In movie review by Focus on the Family.
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How Do Christian Parents Keep Up with Their Children’s Screen Consumption?
The expert media staff at Plugged In have compiled a must-read resource to help you understand the media your children consume. Years of researching and analyzing the latest media trends are compiled in Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family.
Offering practical advice and strategies to help your children navigate the ever-changing landscape of pop culture, Becoming a Screen Savvy Family includes social media, music, streaming services, video games, movies, and more to help you dialogue with your children about the content that they are exposed to. The effects of technology and media consumption on children are far-reaching, impacting their mental health, sleep patterns, attention spans, and social skills.
In Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family, you’ll learn
- the effects on your children’s biology, behaviors, and beliefs;
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- how to screen those screens; and
- practical strategies for limiting screen time and thinking critically about media.
Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family will quickly become an essential tool to guide your family’s relationship with media and your child’s screen consumption.
About Plugged In Entertainment Reviews
Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."
Each month, PluggedIn.com is visited more than 1 million times by people looking for detailed information about what's really in popular movies, videos, television episodes, songs and games. Entertainment industry ratings only tell you so much. We go deeper, diving into specific content and the meaning behind it. Our award-winning website also offers news and blogs.About Adam Holz, Paul Asay and Johnathan McKee
Adam Holz After serving as an associate editor at NavPress' Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In's reviews along with hosting The Plugged In Show and the Plugged In Entertainment Review radio feature.
Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books. He has over 20 years youth ministry experience and speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, He can be heard each week on the Plugged In Entertainment Review radio feature and The Plugged In Show. You can follow Jonathan on his blog, getting a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.
Contact Plugged In Entertainment Reviews with Adam Holz, Paul Asay and Johnathan McKee
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