Toy Story 5 is the funniest the series has been for me, even if it might end up being one of its more forgettable entries. Toy Story 3 is still the franchise’s most profound when it arrived 15 years after the original film and spoke directly to an audience that had grown up with Andy. It gave people the kind of nostalgia and continuity they were ready for.

So, when Pixar finds an angle through the takeover of iPads and the Roblox-ification of childhood, we are primed with a very predictable premise. The toys are no longer competing only with time or growing up. They are competing with screens that know how to keep a child looking. 

Whether that is a genuine attempt to stay relevant or simply another way of keeping the franchise alive, it is hard not to admire the idea. 

What lingers is its lens on connection and what holds us together as the world keeps changing, even in the whimsy of a child. And the end credits song, Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which carries us back to her country-pop roots.

Jessie steps forward

Aside from the introduction of tech play, the first sequence already makes it clear that Jessie (Joan Cusack) is taking on a larger emotional role here. Woody (Tom Hanks) gets some time to polish his boots before eventually being pulled back into the chaos with the rest of the gang. Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) gets caught in his own strange space-age mess with the kind of high-speed toy panic this franchise loves to stage.

Bonnie ditches toys for tech play

Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) is basically the new Andy now, except her childhood has more tabs open. She still transforms the gang into unwitting characters from different genres and eras in 2D treatment when she plays. But, she’s also feeling ostracized and pressured by screen-ager friends.

Sitting nearby is Lilypad (Greta Lee), a frog-shaped smart tablet bright enough to make the toys look a little dimmer. It looks exactly like one of those iPads with a green, funky case that you see kids carrying around at family functions. It is one more thing to play with and one more little world calling her name. The toys are still there, but now they are waiting between notifications and an attempt at sabotaging batteries. 

When all these attempts go wrong, the gang’s plan is to find Bonnie a friend who can still meet her in imaginative play. 

Is the screen the villain?

What Bonnie goes through as an eight-year-old is a reality for a lot of kids whose screen time stretches beyond moderation. In some ways, it feels a notch higher than Gen Zs and Millennials spending most of the week glued to work laptops while still trying to carve out time on a Sunday to “live a life.”

The inevitability of tech play is announced like an impending doom when Bonnie spots the twins she wants to play with lolling on a couch in a bleak living room, their faces looking washed in the glow of their phones. It’s more unsettling than Sid’s vicious grin in the first film, or Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear’s refusal to redeem himself in Toy Story 3.

Bonnie’s friends even plan a sleepover just to end up on their Lilypads, not going a day without talking to each other face-to-face. It’s a room filled with excited kids slowly drained of energy by the devices in their hands. It’s strange enough that the kids packed into LAN parties and computer shops of our time, armed with the most creative trash talks, suggest a healthier version of real-world connection.

By the end, what keeps the film from becoming too preachy is that Lilypad is not treated like a Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear by-product. The toys still matter, but the tablets do too. One gives shape to touch and make-believe, and the other opens up a metaphysical escape. Parents need to understand that it’s a matter of finding the balance between enough screen to discover new worlds. And enough real life for their kids to remember how to build one themselves.

The things that raised us

I lost touch with toys years ago, so I tried to make the story’s angle make sense through my grief for the glossies and magazines that raised me. I thought about the Filbar’s and grocery newsstands I grew up nagging my parents to take me to. Now Filbar’s fully houses collectibles and toys, which is its own little irony. 

The magazines left us. At least my favorites did. Now they survive as digital flipbooks on my iPad, which surprisingly works for my tactile self. Though these devices can never recreate the wrinkling of a spine that suggests I probably loved my mags too hard. I do love the illusion of turning the pages and being able to carry it everywhere. It does act like a thread to my younger, more idealistic self. Which, for me, is an important kind of connection.

And maybe Toy Story 5 circles around the idea. That we never really lose the essence of fun and connection, even if the world changes. It is an innate thing to us. We may go to our screens to virtually meet people, then we come back to the small shared spaces where the sense of belonging is tangibly real. 

Right now, fun lives in both the AFKs and in the realms of social media—half-present, half-elsewhere, but wholeheartedly connected.

For the longest time, the Century Tuna Superbod competition felt like something I admired from afar. As someone who spends weekends chasing finish lines, logging kilometers on Strava, and squeezing training sessions between deadlines, I always associated Superbod with fitness models, perfectly sculpted physiques, and the bright lights of a competition stage.

That perception is changing. Standing at the recent Superbod Life community run, surrounded by runners, walkers, gym-goers, and people simply trying to become healthier versions of themselves, it became clear that Century Tuna is redefining what it means to be a “Superbod” in 2026.

The focus is no longer solely on how you look. It’s about how you move and how you fuel your body. More than anything, it’s about how you show up for yourself every day.

Fitness is becoming more connected

Over the years, I’ve noticed how much fitness has become intertwined with technology, both as an athlete and as someone who covers tech for a living.

Training used to mean showing up and hoping for the best. Now most of us track our runs, monitor our recovery, analyze our workouts, and share milestones online. Fitness has become more connected, more measurable, and surprisingly more social.

Century Tuna’s recent Superbod Era Strava Challenge tapped directly into that reality. More than 58,000 Filipinos joined, turning individual workouts into a shared movement. Whether you were chasing a race goal or simply trying to hit your daily step count, everyone found a place in the challenge.

I rely on Strava myself to stay accountable, so I understand the appeal. Seeing progress on a screen sounds simple, yet it often becomes the extra push that gets you out the door for one more run.

A community beyond the competition stage

What stood out to me most is that Century Tuna is building something that extends beyond a single competition season.

The newly launched Superbod Life Community on Facebook creates a space where fitness feels more approachable. Instead of focusing solely on transformations and trophies, the community centers on three pillars: Move Super, Fuel Super, and Live Super.

Move Super encourages members to stay active through expert-led discussions and accessible workout routines. Fuel Super focuses on practical nutrition tips and healthier eating habits that fit into real schedules. Live Super highlights the importance of sustainability, recovery, and building habits that last.

As athletes, we know consistency is the hardest part of any fitness journey. Motivation comes and goes. Community is what keeps many people moving.

The first Superbod Life community run, held in partnership with Megaworld and led by brand ambassadors Atasha Muhlach and Emilio Daez, made that clear. What started as conversations and shared progress updates online became real-world connections on the road.

Fitness can feel intimidating. Seeing people of different ages, backgrounds, and fitness levels show up together was a reminder that wellness doesn’t belong to a select few.

Fueling the lifestyle

If there’s one challenge I constantly face, it’s finding enough time. Between covering events, producing content, attending meetings, and training for races, meal preparation rarely goes according to plan.

That’s where convenience becomes important. Century Tuna recently introduced the Super Bowl, a ready-to-eat tuna and rice meal designed for people who are always on the move.

Packed with protein, Vitamin B3, and Omega-3 DHA, it offers a quick option for days when cooking isn’t realistic and skipping meals isn’t an option. At PhP 29 per can, it’s an easy add to a packed schedule.

I’ve eaten countless post-run meals in cars, airports, press rooms, and race venues, so I get why products like this exist. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is making better choices easier to sustain.

How to join the community

If this resonates, you don’t need a stage to start. The Superbod Life Community lives on Facebook, where members trade workout tips and keep each other accountable. You can find it at facebook.com/groups/superbod.life.

For those still chasing the stage, the on-ground casting call for Superbods 2026 happens at Space at One Ayala, Makati City, on June 27 to 28, from 9 AM to 5 PM. Pre-registration is open at bit.ly/2026-superbods-pre-registration, in case you’d rather skip the line.

The Superbod era looks different now

The biggest takeaway from all of this is that the Superbod journey is no longer reserved for people chasing a title. It can start with a morning walk, a first 5K, a healthier lunch, or simply deciding to move more than you did yesterday.

Technology is making fitness more accessible. Communities are making it more welcoming. Brands like Century Tuna are recognizing that wellness isn’t a destination reserved for a few. It’s a lifestyle more people can participate in.

Perhaps that’s what being a Superbod means today. Not standing under stage lights. Sometimes, it’s showing up for yourself, one workout and one healthy choice at a time.

Sony Pictures has released a new trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, giving fans their most extensive look yet at Tom Holland’s next outing as the web-slinger.

The trailer explores Peter Parker’s life after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, where the world was forced to forget his identity. While it reveals several new characters, returning faces, and a looming threat, it still keeps the film’s central story largely under wraps.

Peter Parker faces a new reality

The trailer shows Peter living a lonely existence as Spider-Man. With nobody remembering who he is, Peter appears to be fighting crime on his own while watching his former friends move on with their lives.

Sony’s official synopsis describes Peter as a full-time Spider-Man struggling in a world that no longer remembers him. Seeing his old friends move forward without him sparks a change that may be beyond his control.

The footage also hints that Peter is dealing with a mysterious physical transformation. Brief moments suggest something is changing within him as he continues carrying the burden of protecting New York City alone.

Familiar faces and new allies appear

Several notable characters make appearances throughout the trailer.

Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker alongside Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, Mark Ruffalo, and Sadie Sink.

The trailer offers a closer look at Mando’s return as Mac Gargan, better known as Scorpion. Bernthal’s Frank Castle, also known as The Punisher, also makes an appearance, teasing a more street-level side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Meanwhile, Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner appears to play a role in helping Peter understand what is happening to him.

Despite showcasing these characters and multiple action sequences, the trailer avoids revealing how they connect to the film’s larger conflict.

A threat no one can see

According to Sony, Peter will face “a powerful villain no one can even see.”

The studio’s synopsis suggests that Peter’s personal struggles and the arrival of this mysterious threat will drive the story forward. However, the trailer stops short of revealing exactly who or what he is up against.

That leaves plenty of questions unanswered heading into the film’s release.

For now, Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears set to explore the emotional consequences of No Way Home while introducing new challenges that could push Peter Parker further than ever before.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day dawns in Philippine cinemas on July 29. Tickets are now available.

Watch the trailer