Toy Story That Time Forgot is a Christmas TV special that aired on December 2, 2014 on ABC, which was directed by Steve Purcell and produced by Gayln Susman. The score is composed by Michael Giacchino. It features the Toy Story characters and takes place after Toy Story 3.
During a post-Christmas play date, the gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It's all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie's room in this Toy Story That Time Forgot.
Plot[]
One holiday afternoon, on the 27th of December (two days after Christmas), when Bonnie plays miscellaneous roles (Santa's Workshop, Goblin Fairy, Restaurant, and Dinosaur Escape), Trixie is sad that Bonnie never plays with her like a dinosaur when Bonnie chooses Angel Kitty. Jessie, along with Rex and Mr. Potato Head, comforts Trixie when she assures that she will be a dinosaur for the next playtime. Bonnie later takes Trixie, Woody, Buzz, Rex, and Angel Kitty to her friend Mason's house for a play date. When they get there, Bonnie sees Mason playing a video game with his new Optimum X. Mason invites her to play the video game and she tosses her toys into Mason's playroom.
There, the toys discover that for Christmas, Mason also got a complete toy line of warrior dinosaurs called the Battlesaurs, which are led by Reptillus Maximus and the Cleric. Reptillus takes Rex and Trixie to get suited up by their armor guy Ray-Gon. Unbeknownst to them, the Cleric orders some of the other Battlesaurs to take Woody and Buzz as prisoners as he welcomes the group to Batteopolis. Trixie and Reptillus start to develop romantic feelings. Trixie admires the Battlesaurs, while Reptillus is intrigued by her world. Into their conversation, the Cleric summons them to the "Arena of Woe".
At the arena, Trixie is horrified to see Reptillus slaughter Mason's toys (some of whom are old friends with the group) in gladiatorial combat. Soon Woody and Buzz enter the ring. Woody explains the situation is because Mason hasn't played with the Battlesaurs and that they don't even know they're toys which Buzz ironically finds "incredible". They try to use a red crayon Woody somehow armed himself with as a shield and a weapon against Reptillus. But when the latter method breaks it and the latter just comically fails, the duo are left defenseless. Woody humorously evades the Reptillus' attacks before Buzz gets into a brief scuffle with him. They briefly push Reptillus back with Buzz's wings, but he soon corners them on the edge. Before he can land a final blow, Trixie intervenes and demands him to stop. However, a giant 6-foot beast named Goliathon comes into the arena and swallows the cowboy doll and space ranger. Trixie tries to free them, but she is repelled and knocked over, revealing the name of Bonnie on her hand (which is the mark of surrender). The Battlesaurs deem Trixie because of this. Trixie escapes Rex, who is controlled by his robotic modifications, to get Bonnie's attention. The Cleric orders Reptillus to stop her. While chasing her, he is shown the box he came in, shocking him.
Meanwhile, the Cleric gets Rex, using a remote control, to pull Woody and Buzz out of Goliathon while Angel Kitty is spit out. They then discover that the Cleric is the only Battlesaur who actually knows they're all toys and is determined to make sure the others don't find out so he can stay as their ruler. The Cleric then has Woody, Buzz, and Angel Kitty sent to be disposed of in a ventilation fan that will shred them.
Meanwhile, Trixie reaches Mason's video game power outlet, but Reptillus confronts her. Trixie convinces Reptillus of the greatness and importance of being a toy. He turns the game off and lets himself be found by Bonnie and Mason, who go play with the toys. Back in the playroom, Buzz and Woody are almost shredded to death. Bonnie and Mason enter the room, thus saving Woody and Buzz in time. Bonnie and Mason play new roles, as they pretend that they have a dance party as Bonnie has Woody and Buzz to break-dance, saving a toy castle from bad guys as Mason holds Socky with metal robot arms, Bonnie using Goliathon and a bone vehicle as cars, and, as their final role, Mason and Bonnie pretend that Trixie and Reptillus are flying. The Battlesaurs are transformed by their experience of playtime and settle on a more peaceful existence. Soon it was time to leave for home.
Bonnie puts her toys back in her rocket backpack and the toys are driven off to home. That night, Bonnie's mom calls her for dinner. When they come out, Rex happily kisses the floor when he feels good to be home. Jessie curiously asks how their playdate went, and Woody, Rex, and Buzz tell their friends about their trip. Trixie feels better by saying that she could be anything when it comes to playtime because she has the word "Bonnie" on her palm during the visit. Angel Kitty tells them to enjoy their gifts. Her wise speech warms the toys' hearts. Then they suddenly realize that Angel Kitty's mysteriously vanished, much to their bewilderment.
During the credits, later that nighttime, Reptillus (with Mason's name on his palm) says he looks forward to seeing Trixie again next Tuesday around 3:30 PM, then he presses the Battlesaurus crest as his heart glows a red light as the episode ends.
Additional voices by: Peter Chelsom, Robert Pike Daniel, Simon Kassianides, Ross King, Mark Levang, John Pirkis, Julian Stone, Jason "jtop" Topolski
Production[]
The special was originally planned to be a six minute short. However, John Lasseter liked the idea and suggested making it into a holiday special.[1]
The special took three years to be made,[2] with two years spent on story development.[3] 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.[3]
Steve Purcell says he chose to cast Kevin McKidd as Reptilius Maximus because he liked his role in Rome. This choice eventually inspired them to give English accents to all Battlesaurs. According to Purcell "It made it feel even more exotic to an American audience, and it felt like that kind of genre."[4] According to McKidd, the expressions of Reptilius are largely based on his own expressions.[5]
Purcell mentioned that a story element that was ultimately dropped involved a bastion of rebel toys fighting against the Battlesaurs.[4]
Home media[]
Toy Story That Time Forgot was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 3, 2015, in honor of the 20th Anniversary of the Toy Story franchise.
Music[]
The score to Toy Story That Time Forgot was composed by Michael Giacchino, with additional music by Andrea Datzman.
This special marks the first time in Toy Story history where there is no introduced human-based toys, as all the introduced toys were animals (including Angel Kitty, Reptillus Maximus and the Cleric). Ironically, it is also the first piece of Toy Story media outside of the films to introduce a human owner, that being Mason.
There are references to Toy Story of Terror!:
A Transitron poster is on the wall in Mason's house.
Mason has an iguana in a terrarium on top of a shelf. It is laying on a branch of the same shape as that of Mr. Jones in Toy Story of Terror!
Knick, the snowman from Knick Knack, appears in his snow globe in the bottom left corner of the very first shot.
Under the gingerbread house's window is what looks like a blue owl. Its face forms a Hidden Mickey.
The Battlesaurs boxes bear the distinctive pattern of the Luxo Ball along with the inscription, "Luxo".
Two of Mason's toy cars (a black one and a white one) reuse the model of the ambulance from Up.
The Battlesaurs not knowing that they're toys mirrors how Buzz didn't know he was a toy back in the first Toy Story film and the New Buzz in the second film.
When Reptillus holds Buzz against his chest, his voice box goes, "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!" This also happened when Woody bashed Buzz during their fight at Dinoco in the first Toy Story movie, and when Emperor Zurg battled Utility Belt Buzz in Toy Story 2.
Several of Mason's toy cars are repaints from World Grand Prix racers Shu Todoroki, Rip Clutchgoneski, Carla Veloso, and Miguel Camino, as well as the sewer truck in which Acer falls in Cars 2.
There also appears to be a toy version of Tractor from Cars.
The Cleric references Star Wars when he says, "I find their lack of armor disturbing."
This is the third time Michael Giacchino would replace Randy Newman in an entry in a franchise that he traditionally would do the score for, after Cars 2 and Toy Story of Terror!
Michael Giacchino indicated during the 2014 San Diego Comic Con that one of his musicians owns the original horn used in Planet of the Apes and that he intended to use it in the special.[1]
At the beginning of the TV special, Bonnie plays with Woody as Santa Claus. Ironically, Tom Hanks, the voice actor of Woody, also played Santa Claus in the 2004 film, The Polar Express.
The Aliens returned in the special. However, Jeff Pidgeon didn't reprise his role. This is the first time they've been seen since Partysaurus Rex.
Mason's dad is the only character who speaks, but doesn't make a full onscreen appearance. At the beginning of the TV special, he is briefly seen opening the door for Bonnie and her mom, but his face isn't shown. At the end of the TV special, he can be heard telling Bonnie's mom that she and Mason should have another playdate next week.
This is the second time Jessie appears without Bullseye. The first being Toy Story of Terror!
However, Bullseye is featured in one of the special's deleted scenes, along with Dolly and Hamm.
The Battlesaurs army is similar to the 1987 animated series, Dinosaucers.
The song that Angel Kitty plays as the toys were lead to the ventilation fan is "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel".
When the special was planned as a 6-minute short film, it was only going to be Rex and Trixie who were going to go over to Mason's house with Bonnie. But when John Lasseter convinced the filmmakers to make it a 22-minute Christmas special and give the characters and idea more screentime, he suggested that they add Woody and Buzz.
This is the second Toy Story production to include a classic cartoon sound effect after Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. The bone bite sound effect (originally from various Hanna-Barbera cartoons) is heard a few times when the Dimetrodons bite Trixie's tail and then the guards' heads. It is also second Pixar production to use that sound effect after Finding Nemo.
This special marks the first time a Toy Story-related media doesn't primarily star any of Andy's toys (not counting the miniseries, Toy Story Toons, as it still heavily involves them). Instead, it stars Trixie, who is one of Bonnie's own toys.
Mason's solar system model.
In Mason's room, there is a solar system model, and Bonnie mentions one of the planets: Neptune.
This TV special marks the last time Woody, Buzz, and Jessie have Andy's name written on the bottom of their boots. It also marks the last time Bonnie plays with Woody and considers him to be her favorite toy. Starting with Toy Story 4, Woody, Buzz, and Jessie have Bonnie's name written on their boots, and Bonnie no longer plays with Woody or considers him to be her favorite toy. However, she does play with him in the film's flashbacks. She also plays with him when she goes on a road trip with her parents.
This TV special was the final Toy Story production that Don Rickles, the voice of Mr. Potato Head, starred in and finished before his death in 2017. Pixar used archival recordings of Don Rickles for Mr. Potato Head's speaking role in Toy Story 4.
