Giving parents of Gen Alpha a wake-up call

By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter

Movie Review
Toy Story 5
Directed by Andrew Stanton

TOYS once again come to life only to be greeted by an unexpected invader in Toy Story 5, as Jessie, Buzz, and the gang grapple with the arrival of Lilypad, their child Bonnie’s first gadget. The franchise has fully arrived in the digital age, and the film is just as bittersweet as its predecessors but is understandably more straightforward in lamenting how fast kids grow up than before.

Millennials who remember these toys fondly may scoff at the idea of a fifth movie coming out in 2026, especially after the perfect ending that was Toy Story 3 which marked our generation’s bittersweet acceptance of adulthood (and celebration of the inner child). While the generally weaker fourth movie had its own strengths — like the invention of an unhinged fork-turned-makeshift plaything and the concept of self-actualization for toys that have become so easily discarded — Toy Story 5 is an even more solid effort, with an all-too-important mirror reflection for parents with digital native Gen Alpha kids today.

In short, if you care about whether kids of this generation (and the next) will be all right, this is a film worth watching.

Director Andrew Stanton, who helmed the parent-focused Finding Nemo, steers the ship in the right direction, now that the people who grew up on Toy Story are either parents themselves or of age to be cool aunts and uncles to the children of today. It’s even more insightful if you think about how the toys have always been doing some sort of surrogate parenting.

But unlike Andy in the first few movies, whose parents are barely there, this movie’s portrayal of Bonnie’s parents offers a striking imitation of how many parents are trying to navigate the all-encompassing allure of the digital age. It’s a quite realistic depiction of parents who want the best for their kids, though they usually don’t fully understand what their child really needs.

The same goes with Bonnie, whose fate is driven by the toys who are the silent, unrecognized heroes of her story, and who initially wage war against the Lilypad and other gadgets taking over every household. Tech plot point aside, it’s the burden of enriching a child’s creativity and imagination that the toys must carry.

Bonnie’s parents set a screentime limit and try to guide her, but things like making lasting friendships and gaining self-confidence are learned on one’s own (and perhaps with the help of secretly sentient toys). Toy Story 5 conveys this beautifully, and presents it as a fact of life that adults must come to terms with, online or in real life. Trying to be a good influence is better than not trying at all, lest all kids become zombies glued to their screens and unable to engage in social and tactile play.

It’s also perfect that Jessie was the sheriff in this one, having been forgotten and abandoned more than Buzz or even Woody. (For Woody fans, don’t fret, because he does return to the gang to provide assistance — though he is curiously reduced to a comic relief character with a shiny bald spot).

Every “When She Loved Me” needledrop is a potential tearjerker for anyone with abandonment issues. Is it manipulative to play a sad tune while Jessie reflects on being discarded? Sure. Call me manipulated, then, because I felt that! On the opposite end of the spectrum, the gags and laughs are sufficient to keep this a fun movie, though not so forced as to distract from the core message.

There’s a nice familiarity hearing the aging voices of Joan Cusack as Jessie, Tim Allen as Buzz, and Tom Hanks as Woody, because the adults in the crowd do know they age and there’s no point hiding it. They deliver solid voice performances with the rest of the cast, displaying genuine emotion but also keeping things lively and animated to retain children’s attention. After all, the appeal of films like this is to entertain the whole family, watery-eyed adults and curious kids alike.

Another aspect of this that adults can relate to is, funnily enough, how technology is a threat to jobs. Like how many people are gung-ho about adopting AI, Bonnie and other kids are enamored with their smart tablets, and the toys are left wondering how long their job of giving kids playtime will stay relevant. It’s dark, as Jessie meets some toys along her adventure who no longer serve a purpose, because no one wants to end up like that. Even the old gadgets like Smarty Pants are discarded in favor of newer models like Lilypad. It’s a fascinating meditation on the shortening lifecycle of objects, people, and relationships, if you let digital convenience and efficiency take over.

Those going in to see what Pixar has to say about kids and tech (similar to how everyone flocked to Inside Out to get insights on teens and growing up) will not be disappointed. Toy Story 5 concludes with acknowledging the pros of technology and offers a realistic form of acceptance that admits there’s no turning back for the iPad generation. But most importantly, it champions opportunities for social, tactile, and imaginative play, which are still essential for a child’s development even if they’ll grow out of it when they get older — and perhaps it’s the parents of Gen Alpha who need this wake-up call the most.