Toy Story of Terror!

Toy Story of Terror! is a 21-minute computer-animated Halloween television special produced by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Television Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures, October 16, 2013, based on the Disney Pixar *Toy Story* movies. It is set shortly after the events of *Toy Story 3* and *Toy Story Toons*, and premiered on the American television network ABC on October 16, 2013. It was written and directed by Angus MacLane, produced by Galyn Susman, with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Timothy Dalton, and Kristen Schaal reprising their roles of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Mr. Potato Head, Rex, Mr. Pricklepants, and Trixie with Carl Weathers as Combat Carl and Stephen Tobolowsky as the motel manager.[2] Michael Giacchino composed the music for the special.[3] The film's soundtrack was released on October 15, 2013, on Amazon.com and iTunes in digital format.

## Plot

Bonnie Anderson and her mother are going on a road trip to visit Bonnie's grandmother; Bonnie has brought Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Rex, Mr. Pricklepants, Mr. Potato Head, and Trixie with her. The toys are first seen sitting in the trunk of Bonnie's mother's car watching a horror film. When the car's tire hit a small rock and gets a flat tire, Jessie is knocked into a tool box. The others manage to free her, but Jessie is traumatized as the experience reminds her of the many years she spent abandoned in a box. Mrs. Anderson parks the car at the Sleep Well Motel, where they must spend the night as a tow truck cannot be sent out until the next morning.

Once Bonnie and her mother are asleep, most of the toys exit Bonnie's bag to explore the motel, ignoring Woody's warnings that they could easily be left behind at the motel. Jessie is left alone in the bag when Woody and Buzz leave to gather the others, at which point her claustrophobia drives her from the bag as well. When the toys all meet up, they realize Mr. Potato Head is missing. At this point, Mr. Pricklepants begins to narrate ongoing events as if it were part of a actual horror film, considering himself an expert. The toys then begin to search for Mr. Potato Head. Trixie walks to a floor vent, into which she suddenly falls down. The others enter the vent, where they hear Trixie's screams. While the others try to find her, Mr. Pricklepants and Rex (and possibly Trixie, as well) are taken by a mysterious creature. Woody, Buzz, and Jessie encounter Mr. Potato Head's arm, which points their way to a bathroom in the motel. In the bathroom, Woody, Buzz, and the arm are also snatched. Jessie is then grabbed by an action figure named Combat Carl, who tells her that events in the motel may have permanently separated him from his owner, Billy, as well as from his own right hand, which was eaten by the mysterious creature. He urges her to flee to her owner for safety, but she insists on trying to rescue her friends. Carl is also taken, and the creature finally comes for Jessie in the bathtub. It is revealed to be an iguana named Mr. Jones. Jones grabs Jessie and takes her to the motel's manager, Ron, who is responsible for thefts against his guests. He steals unattended belongings of motel guests (which is mostly toys), then sells them in online auctions. Ron puts Jessie in the back room of his office, in a glass cabinet where she reunites with Bonnie's other toys and Combat Carl and meets Billy's other toys and other kids's valuables that have been stolen over the years and have been yearning for a escape.

As morning approaches, someone buys Woody for $2,000 and Ron packs him into a box. Jessie is sold soon after, but Ron is distracted by the arrival of the tow truck and Jessie is left on the counter. A delivery lady takes Woody's box out to her truck, and Combat Carl tells Jessie that their only hope to rescue Woody and escape is for Jessie to travel to the truck in a box. Terrified, Jessie insists that she cannot enter a box. Combat Carl tells her it is the only way, and teaches her his iconic phrase, "Combat Carl never gives up. Combat Carl finds a way." She then repeats it, substituting her name for his. She frees a sold robot toy from a box, and that toy helps pack her into the box with the flaps unsealed. However, the delivery lady, finding the flaps open, tapes the flaps shut, trapping Jessie and bringing her box to the truck. Jessie is initially overcome by claustrophobia, but then she uses Carl's phrase to calm herself. She finds a paper clip which she uses to unseal herself and free Woody. They return to the office, where the Andersons are about to check out. Mr. Jones attacks Jessie, but she manages to retrieve Mr. Potato Head's arm (and Combat Carl's hand) from the iguana's mouth and saves Woody, Buzz, Rex, Trixie, Mr. Potato Head, Mr. Pricklepants, and all of the stolen toys. Bonnie and her mother are meanwhile seen checking out of the motel, completely oblivious to the fact that Bonnie's toys have been stolen, until Jessie uses the arm to pull down the curtain covering the back room's entrance, exposing the presence of the thefts. Ron tries to deny everything, but after Mr. Jones walks up, holding Jessie, Ron is forced to confess and gives Bonnie back her toys, and Mrs. Anderson threatens to turn him over to the police. The Andersons resume their trip to visit Bonnie's grandmother.

During the credits, Combat Carl and the rest of Billy's toys board the delivery truck in hopes of returning to their owner. Two police officers later arrive to interrogate and arrest Ron, who attempts to escape by hijacking their police car but is forced to flee on foot after immediately crashing it into the motel sign; the officers initiate a manhunt for him.

## Cast

* Tom Hanks as Sheriff Woody
* Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear
* Joan Cusack as Jessie
* Carl Weathers as Combat Carl and Combat Carl Jr.
* Stephen Tobolowsky as Ron the Motel Manager
* Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants
* Wallace Shawn as Rex
* Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head
* Kristen Schaal as Trixie
* Kate McKinnon as PEZ Cat
* Lori Alan as Mrs. Anderson
* Peter Sohn as Transitron
* Emily Hahn as Bonnie Anderson
* Dawnn Lewis as Delivery Lady
* Jason Topolski as Dracula and a Tow Truck Guy
* Ken Marino as Pocketeer
* Christian Roman as Old Timer, the clock timer
* Laraine Newman as Betsy
* Tara Strong as the computer voice
* Angus MacLane as Officer Wilson, the police officer
* Josh Cooley as Officer Phillips, the police officer
* Dee Bradley Baker as Mr. Jones

## Critical Reception

The special has received critical acclaim, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 93% based on 15 reviews,[7] and a Metacritic score of 79% based on seven reviews.[8] Matt Roush of *TV Guide* said, "ABC's *Toy Story of Terror!* is a delightful half-hour vignette of gags, action and self-empowerment, couching its never-give-up message in terrific non-stop entertainment."[9] Brian Lowry of *Variety* said, "*Toy Story of Terror!* is about a quarter the length of the average animated feature, but everything else here could easily be mistaken for the bigscreen version, from the pacing and humor to Michael Giacchino’s score."[10] Rob Owen of *Pittsburgh Post-Gazette* said, "It’s a small adventure befitting the 30-minute running time but it’s also clever in the way it ultimately puts the "*Toy Story*" characters in a recognizable situation, which is similar to the big-screen movies."[11] Neil Genzlinger of *The New York Times* said, "Once the annual avalanche of Halloween-themed episodes, specials and movies overtakes TV, you probably don't expect to be using the word 'charming' very often. But charming perfectly describes one such entry, *Toy Story of Terror!*"[12] Todd VanDerWerff of *The A.V. Club* said, "The *Toy Story* franchise has always operated best with a note of existential panic, and there’s some of that here, but it feels like the special leans awfully hard on the films that gave rise to it."[13] Robert Lloyd of *Los Angeles Times* said, "Themes from earlier *Toy Story* movies are also recycled, which should bother no one. Although Woody and Buzz get their screen time–with Jessie, they are the 'Jules et Jim' of computer-animated cartoons about sentient playthings—it is the plucky cowgirl, facing her fears, whose story this is.