Day 15: I don’t have any training!

October 15, 2022

Dear Disney,

In 1995, history was made. The first full length fully digital animated movie was made, Toy Story. Darling and I loved it. Toy Story was endearing, and interesting, and so cool. Even to this day, Darling and I will sit down and watch Toy Story and get drawn back to our childhoods. Since that original movie, four other movies and multiple shorts were created. Each of them wonderful. For this 15th day of Disney Halloween let us look at the Halloween special released October 2013, “Toy Story of Terror!”

“Toy Story of Terror!” follows sometime after Toy Story 3. I won’t spoil too much of that movie, but understand that the Woody and Buzz and the gang now live with Bonnie, a little girl of 4 or 5. Bonnie brought Woody, Buzz, Jessie and some of the other friends on a road trip. Using as portable DVD player, the toys were watching a horror movie to set the scene and get everyone scared. Bonnie, her mom, and the toys, stop for the night in a hotel. Outside, it is dark and stormy. After Bonnie and her mom are asleep, the toys explore the hotel room. While exploring, Mr. Potatoe head goes missing. Then another toy goes missing. Then another, until finally it is only Jessie. Jessie is saved by another toy named Combat Carl. He shows her what has happened to her friends. The hotel clerk has set his iguana to go and steal all the toys so that the clerk can re-sale them on the internet. Jessie, working with Combat Carl, unmask the clerk to Bonnie’s mom. Bonnie’s mom calls the police and everyone is saved.

The plot is predictable and cliched, but we love this short. The over-arching plot is a common horror film convention. The more personal story is that of Jessie, working through her abandonment issues and fear of being alone and left. That is the real story. That very real fear of being left behind by your friends and family.

For all the Toy Story franchise, the plot is less important than each characters over-arching story. It’s this large picture that makes this franchise, and really most Pixar productions, so wonderful. The dialogue is clever. The animation is smooth. These toys are as real as any character that is actually alive.

We won’t say that we watched this every year since it came out, but since Disney+ has made this, and many other films, easily obtainable, it has become one of our perennial favorites.

Sincerely,

Jim Dear and Darling