I’m a huge fan of the Toy Story movies. I think the first three create one of the best trilogies in the history of cinema. While I was initially disappointed in the fourth entry, I’ve grown to like it, even though I still take issue with the arc of Woody’s character.
When it was announced that there’d be a fifth entry in this franchise; the obvious thought of ‘money-grab’ came to mind. However, this shouldn’t be viewed solely as a negative. I mean, movie studios have to make money. They have employees they need to pay and they have to turn a profit to keep doing what they’re doing.
Although money is an incentive to keep this franchise moving forward, there seems to be a level of care and intentionality to these movies. These movies are beloved and I like to be believe the creators behind them care about the story’s legacy. After all, the initial entry in the series forever changed animation.
When the above picture was released as a teaser for the next entry, I was immediately intrigued. It’s impressive that a single image can communicate the entire storyline of this next film. While no one knows the exact storyline, we can draw a lot from the image.
Tim Allen, who voices the character of Buzz Lightyear, has called the script “brilliant” and squelches any idea that the fifth installment is solely focused on money. Stating the obvious, he receives a paycheck from this movie and part of his job is to create…ahem…buzz for the movie. At the same time, he doesn’t need this movie. At his age with the success he’s had, I want to believe he’s actually persuaded by the “very, very clever story” as the enthusiasm he has towards this next entry.
The Lamentable Blessing of Screens
Getting back to the above image, the toys are, once again, distraught over the newer, shiner toy. The bells and whistles of Buzz are no match for the glow of a screen.
I feel the need to always strike a balance by highlighting the blessings of screens. Again, this is a movie newsletter. Screens are a major aspect of what’s written about here and everything this newsletter has to offer is being viewed on a screen.
When it comes to children, however, the increasing tactile-less childhood deserves our lament. The lack of normal brain development that’s fostered through an embodied childhood experience, is, in all seriousness, deforming children - mentally and physically.
Placing a screen in the hand of a young child - instead of a tactile toy - is harming them. That’s not an exaggeration. I could cite an article, but there are too many to cite. You can simply Google and find a plethora of data that points to correlations with ADHD, insomnia, anxiety, decreased social skills, and even brain damage, among other concerning things.
In light of that, I’m very intrigued by the direction Toy Story 5 will choose to take its characters. Screens are a blessing and can create fun moments with our children - in moderation - because they’re also a detriment to their development.
Without a doubt, this is a touchy subject because it steps on our toes. It exposes adult’s selfish desires to keep their kids silent and distracted while they scroll away on their own devices. And it’s this reality that intrigues me about this fifth installment.
Toy Story 5 is scheduled for release in June of 2026, so we’ve got a while before we know more. Will the toys succeed in reclaiming kid’s attention? Will the adults of the story model healthy screen time habits? What will the overall message of the movie be? We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m pretty confident of this - I’ll be there opening night.