The toys are back! And although I did enjoy Toy Story 4 for what it offered, it wasn’t my favorite storyline. Toy Story 5 has entered the chat to redeem itself and the franchise. Is Toy Story 5 kid friendly? It is for kids, but for parents, you may have your heart ripped out. Maybe it was just me, but I ugly cried several times. Here’s what parents need to know in this Toy Story 5 Parent Guide.
Toy Story 5 Parents Guide
Toy Story 5 is a toys versus tech showdown. When Bonnie is struggling to make friends, her parents buy her a Lilypad. Lilypad is a tablet device that allows Bonnie to have group chats and play games with friends online. However the toys worry that the age of toys is over and their kids won’t need them anymore. When Jessie embarks on an adventure to help Bonnie at a sleepover, she is accidentally taken to another house and must find a way to get back to Bonnie before it’s too late.
Parents need to know there is some mature humor and potty talk in Toy Story 5.
Toy Story 5 Age Rating
Toy Story 5 is rated PG for rude humor and some thematic elements which means some content may not be appropriate for all ages. Parental guidance is suggested.
Language
There is no profanity, but there is quite a bit of potty talk due to one of the characters being a toilet game that helps children go to the bathroom. Also words like stupid, loser, leech, and shut up are used which younger kids may mimic. There’s also an instance when a character says, “He’ll wipe your a–…, but does not complete the word.
Mature Content: Is Toy Story 5 Too Scary for Kids?
The villain in Toy Story 5 is not dark and scary like the villains in Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4. There is some imaginative play with the toys that involves poison and some pretend murder scenes.
There are some strong emotions that may be hard for sensitive and empathetic kids. Bonnie struggles to make friends, and she gets sad, and her friends make fun of her.
Jessie and some of the toys get angry at the devices and lash out. Some characters are seen in peril and are worried and sad.
There are poop jokes and poop emoji symbols.
Some characters get married and kiss.
Mature themes like fighting, loneliness, grief, self-doubt, and abandonment are explored.
Is Toy Story 5 Appropriate for Kids Under 8?
You can expect rude humor like name-calling, potty talk, and sarcasm as well some sad and emotional scenes. To sum it up, Toy Story 5 is kid friendly for ages 8 and older. Can younger kids watch and be fine? Sure. With a runtime of 1 hour and 42 minutes, it may be too long for younger children, but they’ll be happy to see their old pals like Buzz, Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, and more.
Toy Story 5 does an excellent job of connecting all of the Toy Story films and storylines without sacrificing its own. That’s probably why I felt this film so deeply. The tech versus toys showdown is a showdown many of us have had in our own homes. What is too much? Where’s the balance? Am I hurting or helping?
As Jessie is going through the roller coaster of emotions trying to help Bonnie while simultaneously feeling so useless and unappreciated is a feeling I’m sure many mothers, fathers, and caregivers have felt. Jessie described Bonnie as creative and silly in a way that other kids don’t get and my body just started convulsing. We’re just over here trying to hold onto to a little more childhood and a little more innocence before big bad tech gets a hold of our kids. I didn’t even question the random army of Buzz Lightyear toys.
Pixar really nails it. I can’t think of another franchise that exemplifies friendship for kids and adults on the big screen quite like Toy Story. Toy Story 5 brings it full circle with the humor, emotion, and play that makes audiences feel at home.
