A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Woody, Buzz and Jessie are back again.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME")
RANDY NEWMAN: (Singing) You've got a friend in me.
MARTÍNEZ: "Toy Story 5" delivered the biggest opening weekend of 2026, earning $160 million domestically. But while a success on the big screen in the latest in the series, a small screen is throwing a wrench into things.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOY STORY 5")
LORI ALAN: (As Linda Anderson) Bonnie, there's a package for you.
GRETA LEE: (As Lilypad) Hi there. I'm Lilypad. Let's play.
MARTÍNEZ: We first met Bonnie a couple of movies ago when she got Andy's toys. Now she's gotten a tablet called Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, and the tablet is taking Bonnie's attention away from her toys.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOY STORY 5")
JOAN CUSACK: (As Jessie) Me and the toys have been working all summer to try and get Bonnie to make friends with the Jordan twins across the street.
LEE: (As Lilypad) Yeah.
CUSACK: (As Jessie) But then you had to ruin it...
LEE: (As Lilypad) Got it.
CUSACK: (As Jessie) ...With all your stupid - you're not even listening to me.
LEE: (As Lilypad) Oh. No, I was listening. I'm always listening.
MARTÍNEZ: Rhitu Chatterjee covers health at NPR, including kids' mental health, and Aisha Harris is a critic at NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. So let's first start with reactions about the movie. Aisha, you're leading us off.
AISHA HARRIS, BYLINE: Look, I think a lot of people will agree with me - nothing can top the first three "Toy Story" movies. But I do think this is a worthy addition to the franchise. You know, it's riffing on a lot of the same themes as previous movies when it comes to the toys having these existential crises and the fear of being obsolete. But it's very obvious that this movie, in particular, was approached with thoughtfulness and care. So I really appreciated that aspect of the movie.
MARTÍNEZ: And it's a natural evolution to get to screens because that's what kids have in their hands nowadays - screens. Rhitu, I understand that you also had a member of the target audience for the film with you in the theater.
RHITU CHATTERJEE, BYLINE: So yeah, I went to watch the movie with my 6-year-old son, Neil.
NEIL: It was very fun, and it was the best "Toy Story" movie I've ever seen.
CHATTERJEE: So I have to say, A, I loved it, too. It was wholesome, funny, and portrayed a real tension. You know, families are experiencing right now, younger and younger kids getting sucked into online worlds and virtual friendships on their devices.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. Now, the first "Toy Story" came out in - what? - 1995. So, wow, 30 years out at this point. And it sounds like this new movie isn't necessarily just playing for nostalgia, Aisha.
HARRIS: Yeah. I mean, nostalgia is definitely a part of this. It's also very concerned about kids today and their overreliance on screen time when it comes to interacting with others and making new friends.
MARTÍNEZ: So, Rhitu, you often cover the way screens can cause problems for kids sometimes. What did you think of how screen time issues were portrayed in "Toy Story 5"?
CHATTERJEE: Oh, I thought the movie did an excellent job. You know, recent studies show that even kids as young as 4 and 5 have their own devices, and it honed in on one aspect of this that is so real for parents and kids, and that's how hard it is for kids whose parents haven't given them a device yet because if all your friends are on devices then you are left out because screens are now the social capital. And the movie also touched on online bullying. It was accurate about kids being hooked to devices late into the night, waking up first thing in the morning and reaching for their device. And I thought it also did a good job of portraying that virtual friendships, virtual socializing can't really replace in-person time with friends and the role of imaginative play. Those are really important for normal development in children.
HARRIS: I completely agree with Rhitu. I think this is a very even-keeled approach, and look at the world we live in now, right? Like, it's demonstrating the harms that too much screen time can do, but also it's balanced out with Jessie and the toys learning how digital and analog can really coexist and how digital doesn't have to be our enemy, right? And so I do think that this is a balanced way of looking at it, but I also just wonder is it too late to be having this conversation? Like, could this movie have come out 10 years ago and maybe felt even fresher, especially when we have AI as the new fear that we are all kind of concerned about? But you know what? This is still a fun movie. I still hope people go out and see it, and I think it will resonate with a lot of viewers, both young and old.
MARTÍNEZ: Aisha Harris is a critic with NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. Rhitu Chatterjee covers health for NPR. Thanks to you both.
CHATTERJEE: My pleasure.
HARRIS: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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