Toy Story 5
*** ½

The latest film from Pixar features good storytelling, animation, and humor, in a film that the entire family will enjoy. The film is directed by two-time Oscar winner Andrew Stanton (WALL-E, Finding Nemo), who wrote the film with McKenna Harris .
The film revolves around eight-year-old Bonnie, voiced by Scarlett Spears. Bonnie wants to make friends, such as with the twins across the street, but she is extremely shy and sensitive. She still plays with her toys, unlike many in her age group who are always on their tablets.
To help Bonnie connect with others, her parents buy her a frog-shaped tablet called Lilypad “Lily”, voiced by Greta Lee. Bonnie loves the device and is constantly on it.  Jessie, the cow girl, voiced by two-time Oscar nominee Joan Cusack (In & Out, Working Girl), who is still scarred from when Emily left her, tries to limit Lily’s control. She believes that Bonnie needs to meet friends by playing, not online.

Lily, decides to connect Bonnie with classmates via friend requests, gaming, etc. These friends are always on their devices and pressure Bonnie to do the same while on a sleepover, giving up Jessie and Bullseye who had snuck into her suitcase.

Jessie and Bullseye eventually end up being taken to Emily’s former home. Instead of finding Emily, Jessie discovers the house has new occupants, including eight-year-old Blaze, voiced by Mykal-Michelle Harris. Jessie’s only chance of getting back to Bonnie comes from Blaze’s discarded, obsolete devices, such as a GPS hippo called Atlas, voiced by Craig Robinson, a camera named Snappy, voiced by Shelby Rabara, and a handheld toilet-training game Smarty Pants, voiced by Conan O’Brien.

Jessie’s goal is to connect Blaze and Bonnie, as she thinks they would make great friends. Her adventures with Bulleye and the obsolete devices take a good deal of the film. Woody, voiced by two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Philadelphia), and Buzz, voiced by Emmy nominee Tim Allen (Home Improvement), are also featured. Woody now has a paunch and a bald spot, while Buzz is trying to work up the courage to ask Jessie to marry him.  In addition, a crate of new Buzz Lightyear toys has been stranded on a desert island where their large crate wrecked and washed ashore. The film follows their adventures.

The film looks at the difference between play and game. My wife Tammy often talks about how when we were young we would be outside playing, but now everyone is inside on a device. The film’s message to parents is to is let children play and find friends, not grow up too soon and be consumed by a piece of technology.

I enjoyed the film – it is entertaining, creative, funny and has a good message.