Toy Story That Time Forgot

Toy Story That Time Forgot is a prehistoric-themed 22-minute[1] animated television special, produced by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Television Animation that aired on ABC on December 2, 2014.[1] It was written and directed by Sam & Max creator Steve Purcell and produced by Galyn Susman. Michael Giacchino composed the music for the special.[1] Most of the regular cast from the Toy Story series reprised their roles, including Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Kristen Schaal as Trixie, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, and Joan Cusack as Jessie, with Kevin McKidd and Emma Hudak joining as new characters Reptillus Maximus and Angel Kitty, respectively.[2][3] The special was Rickles' final project that he completed before his death on April 6, 2017, and was the last Toy Story production for five years until the release of Toy Story 4 on June 21, 2019.[4] The special received critical acclaim.

Toy Story That Time Forgot
Television release poster
Written bySteve Purcell
Directed bySteve Purcell
Starring
Music byMichael Giacchino
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerGalyn Susman
Running time22 minutes
Production companies
DistributorDisney–ABC Domestic Television
Release
Original networkABC
Original release
  • December 2, 2014 (2014-12-02)
External links
Website

Plot

During a post-Christmas playdate, Trixie, a toy triceratops, is sad that Bonnie never depicts her as a dinosaur when they play. Bonnie later takes Trixie, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Rex, and aphorism-spouting Christmas ornament Angel Kitty to her best friend Mason's house for a play date. Bonnie ends up tossing the toys into Mason's playroom to join Mason in playing with his video game console.

Bonnie's toys discover the playroom is dominated by "Battlesaurs", a huge dinosaur-themed playset that Mason received for Christmas, led by warrior Reptillus Maximus and The Cleric. Trixie is delighted to interact with them as a dinosaur. She and Rex are armed as warriors, unaware that Woody and Buzz have been taken prisoners. Reptillus and Trixie quickly grow close, but it is soon revealed that the Battlesaurs have not yet been played with, and therefore do not know that they are toys. To Trixie's horror, Mason's other toys are violently attacked in an arena. Woody and Buzz are then brought in to fight, but Trixie defends them. The Cleric denounces Trixie for bearing Bonnie's name on her foot; she flees to get Bonnie's help, and Reptillus is sent after her. She shows him his own toy package, which enrages him.

In the arena, the Cleric takes control of Rex's robotic armaments and forces him to seize Woody and Buzz. They realize the Cleric is aware of Mason and their status as toys; with Mason preoccupied by the video game, the Cleric maintains authoritarian control over the Battlesaurs, and apparently, the playroom. The Cleric intends to destroy Woody, Buzz, and Angel Kitty by tossing them in the air vent. In Mason's bedroom, Reptillus confronts Trixie as she is about to deactivate the video game. She convinces him that "surrendering" to a child for playtime will broaden his horizons, and he reluctantly turns the game off. Mason finds Reptillus, and Bonnie begins playing with him, which convinces Mason to do the same. The children return to the playroom just in time to unknowingly save Woody and Buzz, and they play with the Battlesaurs and other toys in a variety of non-combat settings. Reptillus calls the experience "glorious".

Back in Bonnie's room, Trixie tells the other toys that she is "Bonnie's dinosaur", and is happy in every role Bonnie has for her. Angel Kitty gives one last moral and inexplicably vanishes.

During the credits, Reptillus happily bears Mason's name on his hand and looks forward to seeing Trixie at Mason and Bonnie's next playdate, already scheduled for the following week.

Cast

Production

The special was originally planned to be a six-minute short, but John Lasseter liked the idea and suggested making it into a holiday special.[1] The special took three years to make,[5] with two years spent on story development.[6] The team took time to design the Battlesaurs as if they were a real cartoon and toy line.[1] The story was made in three acts.[6]

In the UK, Toy Story That Time Forgot was broadcast by Sky Movies and aired on December 6, 2014, four days after the US' air date. The TV special was also broadcast on Channel 4 and then later sister channel E4 in 2017.

Marketing

The first look poster for Toy Story That Time Forgot, created by comics artist Mike Mignola, was released at Comic Con 2014.[7]

Home media

Toy Story That Time Forgot was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 3, 2015.[8] Bundled with the physical copies is a fake intro to the Battlesaurs cartoon, animated by the Japanese production company Studio Trigger.[9][10]

Reception

The special received 6.79 million viewers, and received acclaim from critics.[11] On Disney Channel, it received 3.27 million viewers, making it the most-watched broadcast on the network that night.[12]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 91% of critics have given the special a positive review based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 7.50/10.[13] At Metacritic, the special has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[14]

IGN said, "Toy Story That Time Forgot may not have time for the addicting sentiment that we've grown accustomed to with these characters, but it's still a lot of fun."[15] CinemaBlend rated it 4.5 out of 5, saying "Delivering the humor, heart and toy-filled adventure that we've come to expect from the Toy Story franchise, Toy Story That Time Forgot is another wonderful, entertaining and playful installment to the franchise, and well worth a watch for kids and kids-at-heart."[16]

References
  1. Sciretta, Peter (July 24, 2014). "'Toy Story That Time Forgot' Is A 1980's Nostalgia Bomb That You're Gonna Love (Comic Con 2014)". /Film. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  2. Han, Angie (January 17, 2014). "ABC Announces 'Toy Story That Time Forgot' Christmas Special". Slashfilm. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  3. Leigh Miller, Victoria (November 25, 2014). "'Toy Story That Time Forgot' Exclusive Key Art: Angel Kitty Hangs With the Gang". Yahoo! TV. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  4. "Master of the insult: Comedian Don Rickles dies at 90". USA Today. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  5. T.J. & Julie (July 24, 2014). "'Toy Story That Time Forgot' San Diego Comic-Con Panel Wrap-up - Premiering on December 2, 2014". Pixar Post. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  6. Dickens, Donna (July 24, 2014). "Trixie Takes Over In 'Toy Story That Time Forgot' Christmas Special". HitFix. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  7. Couto, Anthony (July 22, 2014). "SDCC 2014: Toy Story That Time Forgot Poster by Hellboy's Mike Mignola". IGN. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  8. Anthony Couto (August 6, 2015). "Toy Story That Time Forgot Coming to Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD on November 3". IGN.
  9. Plunkett, Luke (October 27, 2015). "The Best 80s Cartoon That Never Was". Kotaku. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  10. "Pixar x Studio Trigger = Battlesaurs". Catsuka. October 25, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  11. Kondolojy, Amanda (December 3, 2014). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'The Flash' & 'Chicago Fire' Adjusted Up; 'Marry Me' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  12. Kondolojy, Amanda (December 15, 2014). "Friday Cable Ratings: 'Gold Rush' Tops Night + NBA Basketball, 'Friday Night SmackDown', 'SportsCenter', 'Edge of Alaska' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  13. Toy Story That Time Forgot at Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  14. Toy Story That Time Forgot at Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  15. Matt Fowler (November 29, 2014). "Toy Story That Time Forgot Review". IGN.
  16. "Toy Story That Time Forgot Review: The Toys Are Back For Their Next Great Adventure". CINEMABLEND.
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