Story

Cowgirl Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack) and her horse Bullseye (voiced by Alan Cumming) try to help their girl Bonnie (voiced by Scarlett Spears) to make friends. Unfortunately, this is challenging because everyone seems to be glued to technological devices. Bonnie’s parents buy her a Lilypad tablet (Greta Lee) – ‘Lily’ for short – in the hope that it will help her fit in and make friends.

Jessie calls in her friends Buzz (voiced by Tim Allen) and Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) to fight against the technological uprising, but they’re forced to consider the way times have changed and technology has become a part of children’s lives.

Can Jessie and Lily work together in Bonnie’s best interests, and will Bonnie finally make a friend?

Themes

Bullying; cyberbullying; technology; playing; abandonment; growing up

Violence

Toy Story 5 has some violence. For example:

• There are several instances of characters falling and pushing each other in a slapstick way, but there are no injuries.
• Woody and Buzz loudly argue with each other several times.
• Jessie yells at Lily and other technology-related toys.
• Jessie attacks Lily and hits her.
• Jessie shoves another toy and he falls backward.
• Several Buzz toys kidnap Woody and dangle him from a rope, and he gets chewed by a pig.
• Several times Bonnie is left out of things or bullied online, particularly when other children find out that she still plays with toys. Children send her mean messages online, making fun of her and calling her a baby.
• Bonnie asks some children to play with her, but they laugh and run away.
• When talking to a technology-related toy, Jessie refers to him as ‘you kind’ in a very hostile way.

Sexual references

Toy Story 5 has some sexual references. For example:

• Jessie kisses Buzz after he tries to propose.
• Lily says suggestively about another character, ‘When you get a chance, can you introduce me to the ring bearer? Awooga!’

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

There’s no use of substances in Toy Story 5.

Nudity and sexual activity

There’s no nudity or sexual activity in Toy Story 5.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in Toy Story 5:

• Several Buzz toys pat and interact with forest wildlife. This seems to be a reference to the Snow White movie.
• There are some recognisable branded toys, like Mr Potato Head.
• Lily is like other children’s tablets including the LeapFrog LeapPad brand, which has released an actual Lilypad tablet.
• There are a lot of toys and merchandise being marketed to children in association with the movie and its characters.

Coarse language

There is some mild coarse language in Toy Story 5, including ‘stupid’ and ‘Flush me!’

The movie also includes several examples of crude humour, including ‘doody’ and ‘fart’ jokes. There’s also a toy designed to help children with toilet training, which makes toilet-related jokes.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Toy Story 5 is a contemporary twist on the classic Toy Story movies, which started with the 1995 original. In this fifth instalment, the focus shifts to cowgirl Jessie and her horse Bullseye.

It’s a fun watch and likely to appeal to families looking for a sweet, heartfelt movie. It’s best suited to children aged over 5 years. We recommend parental guidance for children aged up to 8 years because of the movie’s bullying themes and mild violence.

The main messages from Toy Story 5 are that you don’t have to change for anyone and being yourself will help you make friends who are right for you.

Values in Toy Story 5 that you could reinforce with your children include friendship, love, teamwork and growth. The movie also emphasises the importance of being yourself.

Toy Story 5 could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues and questions like the following:

• When Bonnie receives mean online messages, she shows her mother. This is a brave choice, and you could emphasise the importance of talking to a trusted adult if you experience or witness cyberbullying.
• Other children often make Bonnie feel left out or different, until she finds a friend who’s just like her. Why is it important to keep being yourself? How do you think the other children could have treated Bonnie instead?
• The movie depicts the prevalence of technology use in children and suggests that it has stopped them playing with toys. In the end, the movie presents a balance between playing with real toys and using technology. You and your children could talk about healthy screen and technology use.