It’s an excellent sequel. The Pixar team didn’t do anything they wouldn’t do if they were on their own. It has heart; it made me feel something multiple times. It wasn’t complicated—the plot was a bit simple and felt slightly spaced out—but the core story and emotional arc are still there, with a heart-warming ending and a few delightful surprises. ¹

One of the many reasons I like Toy Story is that it’s a great measure of how far we’ve come, using computers to create full-length motion movies. This release didn’t disappoint. The film is incredibly sharp in IMAX, with good depth of focus. The colours are balanced and not over-saturated. The animation feels movie-like—like 24 FPS with some blur during motion—but just enough to make it feel real. Pixar made a great choice using a brand-new rendering style for the play bits. ² The sound isn’t loud or overwhelming, but warm. Almost no music is used; it’s like a faint spirit of the great past, which was excellent and added to the seriousness and real-life feeling of the film.

My family were really enjoying themselves, and for a little while I felt like a kid again. I had one hysterical laugh. ³ We all become kids at heart, and we forget how important it is to play and do something just for the fun of it. That’s why Toy Story has a special place in my heart. Does the story need to be retold when the world has changed so much around us? I think, yes. It could be a different film with different characters, because this one—more than the previous parts—focuses on issues we have as humans: growing up, raising kids, making friends, struggling to be socially accepted, and rebelling against evil, even when it takes the form of people you know who aren’t your family. Add some animals, too, and highlight the important role pets play in our lives—they’re not just for play; they help keep us humane and alive.

I’ll watch this again, unlike Part 4, which I only rewatched once as background. Part 4 was one I didn’t like so much, and Part 5 was worth my time, attention, and money. Go take your family to the theatre and have a great time. Or watch it at home—but make sure you aren’t interrupted by the gadgets we rely on so much.

I have gone back to reading physical books. It all started from a holiday when I decided to take nothing with me except my iPhone, Nintendo 3DS with the Phoenix Attorney Trilogy, and a Stephen King paperback I bought a few moments before boarding my plane. I didn’t miss any of my devices; I had amazing sleep and I enjoyed time playing the game I wanted to finish for a long time, and reading a paper book — something I never thought I would do again. I switched to digital books after I got my PocketPC computer, and since then have been using e-readers, Kindle, and lately just reading from my iPhone. But it all changed since I realised that I can’t decide what I should take with me on holiday. It was just taking too much of my energy. I had this idea to only take a book with me.

Lately I’ve been seriously working on my sleep routine. One of the important steps is a rule I have. No screens after 8 p.m. These evenings I find myself reading a paperback, and I hope it’s good for me. It is certainly enjoyable although I do miss watching TV with my wife after the kids are asleep. My behaviour sets a good example for my kids; subconsciously they started to copy me and are spending more time with a book than usual. This rule — no more screens after 8 — worked better than Screen Time restrictions. Perhaps I could use my Kindle, but something tells me that an act of physical owning and reading a book is a superior experience.