TV Show Info
TV Show Name: Toy Story That Time Forgot
Studio: Pixar Animation Studios
Genre(s): Animated/Seasonal/Comedy
Release Date(s): December 2, 2014
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Guys, we might be in trouble…again
Christmas is over, and Bonnie has a playdate with her friend Mason. Taking Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Rex, Trixie, and Angel Kitty, the playdate is interrupted when Bonnie learns that Mason got a new game system for Christmas. Buzz, Woody, Angel Kitty, Trixie, and Rex find themselves left in the playroom with Mason’s new toys…the Battlesaurs. Unfortunately, the Battlesaurs don’t know that they are toys since they have never been played with…and the leader of the Battlesaurs doesn’t like that new toys are going to ruin his plans for ruling!
Written and directed by Steve Purcell, Toy Story That Time Forgot was an animated Christmas special first airing on ABC on December 2, 2014 and followed the Halloween Toy Story special Toy Story of Terror! which aired in 2013. Originally intended to be a short, the special was extended to give it a Christmas theme.
I’m so precious that it hurts
Toy Story has a ton of potentials and could continue on endlessly…which doesn’t mean it should. While the first special felt somewhat of a necessity to show that the toys are with Bonnie and “happy”, the franchise runs the risk of wearing itself thin if it puts out specials yearly. What could have been a nice Christmas episode, felt like a rather ho-hum entry that admitting did have some moments.
The special should have dealt with the holiday, but it would have run the risk of the ugly comparison to The Christmas Toy which came out in 1986 and was immediately compared to Toy Story (it does feel that Toy Story ripped off a lot of the plot, etc. from The Christmas Toy). This kind of puts the holiday out of bounds, but I would have rather had a Christmas story to give the special some sort of direction…instead it feels just like an average (though quality) cartoon.
You messed with the wrong dinosaur…toy
It is obvious that the story was crafted to limit the bigger stars by having a story that focused on Rex and primarily Trixie. I actually prefer that the story wasn’t a typical Woody or Buzz story. It is nice to have some of the other characters fleshed out, but this feels just like a Toy Story cartoon. I also loved the sickeningly sweet Angel Kitty which always knows just what to say.
The series does exceed in the standard look of a regular cartoon. It is clean, crisp and the character designs are fantastic. I love how the special looks and you can tell that a lot of work was put into it.
Despite a great look and a strong cast, Toy Story That Time Forgot is pretty forgettable as a whole. I admire the Toy Story franchise for trying new things, but I felt that this wasn’t executed as well as it could have been. The real story in Toy Story That Time Forgot should have been the involvement of video games and how it has changed how children play with toys (or play with them less). Despite my criticisms, the it is a quality special and I feel actually slightly better than the Halloween entry. The special is surely not the last time the toys will rise and talk of an official Toy Story 4 has surfaced.
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