1 of 6 | Jessie battles Lilypad for Bonnie's attention in "Toy Story 5," in theaters Friday. Photo courtesy of Disney/Pixar
LOS ANGELES, June 16 (UPI) -- Toy Story 5, in theaters Friday, is about technology encroaching on play time but specifically about how that impairs real-life friendships. Toys are no longer simply the vehicle for children's imagination, but also interpersonal connection.
Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) is too shy to ask the neighbors to play with her. Her parents reluctantly buy her a LilyPad tablet (Greta Lee), which the company nefariously sells as a way to make friends.
Toy Story 5 shows how kids zone out on screens, but also their parents do too. Jessie (Joan Cusack) is the toy leading the charge to find Bonnie a human friend who will actually play with her rather than sit together staring at their screens.
It is nice to see this sequel focus on Jessie, who was introduced in Toy Story 2. Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) become supporting characters for her, the way ensembles should focus with sharing the focus in each entry.
