“Toy Story of TERROR!” brings the fun & the wit of this acclaimed Pixar film trilogy to the small screen

Jim Hill

11 years ago

Given that — back when John Lasseter first began toying with
the idea of building a movie around the secret life of toys in the late 1980s /
early 1990s — Buzz & Woody's very first adventure was supposed to have
been a holiday special, it's kind of fitting that Pixar has finally circled
back around to this idea with "Toy Story of TERROR!" (which airs
tonight on ABC from 8 – 8:30 p.m. ET /
PT).

So how does this Halloween-themed adventure stack up against
the three "Toy Story" feature films
? Surprisingly well, actually. Director
Angus MacLane and producer Galyn Susman took a character that was only briefly
seen in the original "Toy Story"
(i.e., Combat Carl, that G.I.
Joe-like action figure which Sid blew up in his backyard using an M-80) and
then folded him in with a story element had been lightly touched on in "Toy
Story 2
" (i.e., Jessie's dislike of small, dark spaces. Which came from
being locked away for years in a box by Al of Al's Toy Barn). The end result is
a genuinely entertaining 22 minute-long holiday special, where Jessie (with the
help of Combat Carl. Who is voiced by Apollo Creed himself, Carl Weathers) is
finally able to overcome her fears and help her friends escape from …

Nope. I'm not going to get into any specifics bout "Toy
Story of TERROR!" 's plot. Other than to say that there are times that
this animated Halloween special appears to be channeling Kevin Williamson's
"Scream
" movies. What with Timothy Dalton's Mr. Pricklepants
constantly mentioning the various horror film tropes that "Toy Story of
TERROR!" pays tribute to / hilariously sends up.

Please be aware that there are a couple of scenes
(Especially the one where Jessie is hiding in the bathroom behind a shower
curtain. Yep. You read that right. This supposedly family-friendly Halloween
special actually includes a nod to "Pyscho
") that might be a little
too intense for the small fry (Speaking of which: That's how Angus landed the
opportunity to direct "Toy Story of TERROR!" He's the guy who helmed
"Small Fry," the "Toy Story Toon" that was attached to 2011's
"The Muppets
"). But overall, this first-ever Pixar TV special is very
entertaining. Which is why I'm now really looking forward to that "Toy
Story" Christmas special, which is supposed to air on ABC & ABC Family
during the 2014 holiday season.

Long story short: "Toy Story of TERROR!" brings
the fun & the wit of this acclaimed Pixar film trilogy to the small screen.
And if you can't catch this Halloween special when it airs tonight on ABC, be
sure and seek it out on ABC Family on Saturday, October 19th from 8 – 8:30 p.m.
ET / PT on the first night of that cable channel's "13 Nights of
Halloween" programming event.