London, en.SERU.co.id – In promotion for Toy Story 5 (released June 19, 2026), Tom Hanks repeatedly highlighted the film’s central theme: the rivalry between classic toys and digital technology, particularly screen addiction in children. Hanks called this phenomenon “terrorizing.”
In a recent interview with the BBC, the actor who’s been voicing Woody since the very first film, didn’t hold back. He pointed to a scene in the movie where you look out over a city at night and see all those blue phone glows coming from kids’ bedrooms.
“There’s a moment in the movie where we look out on the cityscape and we see that blue glow of a phone in bedrooms and whatnot, and it does strike terror into the heart,” he said.
He also added generational context:
“One generation has this thing that defines them technologically in society, and they pour everything into it.”
Toy Story 5 follows Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and Jessie (Joan Cusack) as they face a new rival: Lilypad, a frog-shaped tablet narrated by Greta Lee. The film depicts how children (including Bonnie) are increasingly captivated by digital devices, abandoning traditional toys. Pixar calls it “Toy meets Tech.”
Hanks and the other cast members emphasize that technology isn’t portrayed as a pure enemy, but rather as something complex. Tim Allen adds a personal perspective:
“Being on a tablet isn’t playing with a toy. It’s playing with dopamine.”
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Allen also recounts his experience with his daughter, who struggled to focus on a long film because she was used to short content on social media (like 7-second clips on Instagram). He even had a small argument because her daughter wanted to predict the plot too quickly.
Hanks also highlighted a quieter moment in the film that hits hard: Bonnie getting her feelings hurt by something she sees on the Lilypad tablet.
“No toy hurts your feelings if you’re playing with it,” he noted. That line seems to resonate with a lot of parents right now.
The cast isn’t painting technology as pure evil. Greta Lee, for one, pointed out that screens have real upsides—but parents still need to set boundaries, get kids outside, and even let them feel bored sometimes to spark real imagination.
*(Sources: BBC News, The Guardian, The Telegraph and other outlets quoting the same key moments)
