Jessie faces her fears in Pixar's spooky new adventure.
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October 16, 2013 In
the new ABC special, Toy Story of Toy Story of Terror!, airing
Wednesday night, we find Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and a
select few other toys watching a scary movie while on a road trip with
Bonnie and her mother. A flat tire forces them to spend the night in a
motel and self-styled thespian Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton) winds
up cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack) by jokingly predicting horror-movie doom
for the gang at every turn. But when the toys begin to disappear one by
one, Jessie finds herself alone, trying to figure out what's really
going on.
While it would be fitting for Pixar to put their first television special in the small but capable hands of Woody and Buzz, the toys who started it all, it's a welcome surprise to see Jessie play the reluctant hero this time out. Her fears of abandonment and enclosed spaces are well-known to fans of Toy Story 2 and 3, and it's rewarding to see her confront them and become empowered. It also provides a nice lesson for the, ahem, young intended audience without being preachy.
It took two years to bring Toy Story of Terror! to television, and
every second of that time is visible on screen. This is an animated
short that would be equally at home in a movie theater, if not for the
commercial-break cliffhangers. As with all the Toy Story films, the
attention to detail in regards to the look and feel of the characters,
who represent different eras and genres of toys, is masterful, and
should please Toy Story fans as well as toy collectors.
Despite its short running time, Toy Story of Terror is chock full of Easter Eggs and references to previous films. The art in the motel is from the upcoming feature The Good Dinosaur, the names of characters from previous films can be seen on packing slips and, well, on gravestones. We also get to meet an intact Combat Carl, voiced by Carl Weathers! You may recall from the first film that torturing Combat Carls was one of Sid's specialties.
The voice acting is stellar as always, particularly by Joan Cusack as
the plucky but traumatized heroine. As he did in Toy Story 3, Timothy
Dalton steals every scene he's in with his hilariously over-the-top
narration of the unexplained events that start to befall the toys.
Weathers also shines, as he delivers Combat Carl's dialogue in the third
person. Tim Allen's blustery Buzz and Tom Hanks' exasperated Woody
anchor the proceedings as always.
One can only hope that this is just the first of many more television specials that further the adventures of our favorite Pixar characters. At the very least, we can treat ourselves to Toy Story of Toy Story of Terror! every Halloween.
While it would be fitting for Pixar to put their first television special in the small but capable hands of Woody and Buzz, the toys who started it all, it's a welcome surprise to see Jessie play the reluctant hero this time out. Her fears of abandonment and enclosed spaces are well-known to fans of Toy Story 2 and 3, and it's rewarding to see her confront them and become empowered. It also provides a nice lesson for the, ahem, young intended audience without being preachy.
Despite its short running time, Toy Story of Terror is chock full of Easter Eggs and references to previous films. The art in the motel is from the upcoming feature The Good Dinosaur, the names of characters from previous films can be seen on packing slips and, well, on gravestones. We also get to meet an intact Combat Carl, voiced by Carl Weathers! You may recall from the first film that torturing Combat Carls was one of Sid's specialties.
One can only hope that this is just the first of many more television specials that further the adventures of our favorite Pixar characters. At the very least, we can treat ourselves to Toy Story of Toy Story of Terror! every Halloween.
