‘Toy Story 5’ takes aim at creepy AI toys: ‘I’m always listening’

When the first Toy Story movie debuted in 1995, Google didn’t exist, and Apple was hovering on the brink of bankruptcy. It would have been hard to imagine that, more than 30 years later, Pixar would still be making Toy Story films — and even harder to predict that the newest entry would pit Buzz Lightyear and a balding Woody against a villainous AI tablet named Lilypad.

But that’s exactly what happens in “Toy Story 5,” which places classic toys like Mr Potato Head, Rex, and Slinky Dog face-to-face with the unsettling threat of technology.

In the trailer, Bonnie — the young girl who inherited Andy’s toys after he left for college in “Toy Story 2” — is outside playing with her toys when a surprise package arrives containing the Lilypad tablet. Bonnie quickly becomes completely absorbed by the device, barely reacting when her parents tell her that screen time is over.

The “Toy Story 5” trailer positions Lilypad, known as Lily, as a sinister antagonist. When Jessie confronts the tablet about Bonnie’s well-being, Lily appears not to pay attention, prompting the cowgirl to demand that the tablet listen to her.

“I’m always listening,” Lily says ominously, repeating Jessie’s impassioned speech in a computerised voice… and then translating it into Spanish.

“Tech’s invaded our house,” Jessie tells Woody. “I’m losing Bonnie to this device.”

Woody responds, “Toys are for play, but tech is for everything.”

Will “Toy Story 5” tug at kids’ heartstrings enough to make them rethink excessive screen time? That may be a stretch. But at the very least, it offers something to watch that isn’t quite as mind-numbing as Cocomelon.