Toy Story 5 puts tablets at the center of Bonnie's next chapter
Disney and Pixar’s sequel uses Bonnie’s screen time to explore how devices are reshaping childhood play, according to The Verge.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 makes phones and tablets the pressure point for its returning toys, with Bonnie Anderson’s attention pulled toward a connected device. In a review for The Verge, Charles Pulliam-Moore writes that the sequel treats screen-centered childhood as both a social reality and a threat to imaginative play.
The film is set a few years after Toy Story 4, according to The Verge. Bonnie, now 8 and voiced by Scarlett Spears, still creates stories for Jessie, Buzz and Forky when she is alone, but she feels uneasy playing with toys around new neighbors.
The Verge reports that Bonnie’s parents respond to her struggle to make friends by giving her a Lilypad tablet, a device many children around her already have. The tablet, voiced by Greta Lee and referred to as Lily, can listen continuously and connect with other smart devices, putting Bonnie’s toys on alert.
Pulliam-Moore writes that the bigger disruption comes from how fast Lily becomes central to Bonnie’s day. Through the Lily’s Pond platform, Bonnie plays games with other children and joins group chats, leaving her toys worried that they are headed for storage.
A sequel built around screen time
The review frames the movie as a story about a broader habit, not only Bonnie’s household. The Verge says Woody and Bo Peep see people outside the home spending long stretches focused on screens, a shift that gives the toys more chances to move around unnoticed.
That idea also becomes a running joke, according to Pulliam-Moore. Humans are so absorbed in their devices that groups of living toys can move through outdoor spaces without attracting attention.
The Verge says the movie does not present every gadget as harmful. Instead, Pulliam-Moore writes, Toy Story 5 argues that people’s choices about how they use devices shape whether those devices help or hurt them.
The review also notes that the film gives Bonnie’s parents a practical dilemma. They understand that constant tablet use is a problem, but The Verge says they also see that the device is where many children Bonnie’s age are building friendships.
For the toys, that trade-off is painful. Pulliam-Moore writes that Jessie, Buzz, Forky and the others recognize that Lily does not spark Bonnie’s imagination the way toy-based play does, even though the tablet’s actions are driven by a wish to make Bonnie happy.
Creative team and cast
Andrew Stanton directed the film and co-wrote the script with Kenna Harris, according to The Verge. The returning voice cast includes Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, Joan Cusack as Jessie, Tony Hale as Forky and Annie Potts as Bo Peep.
The Verge lists additional cast members including Conan O’Brien, Craig Robinson, Shelby Rabara, Mykal-Michelle Harris, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Bad Bunny, Keanu Reeves, Ernie Hudson, Lori Alan, Jay Hernandez, Kristen Schaal, Melissa Villaseñor and Blake Clark.
Pulliam-Moore calls the film a strong return for the franchise, citing its take on childhood in an era shaped by major technology companies. Toy Story 5 is scheduled to open in theaters on June 19, according to The Verge.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.