Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Potato Head and the gang are back in the Halloween special feature, “Toy Story of Terror!” Bonnie and her mom are stuck in a motel overnight due to a flat tire. But, in the middle of the night, something keeps taking our friends. In the end, an iguana is stealing the toys so the motel manager can sell them on the internet. It’s a low stakes version of “Toy Story 2.”

I enjoy this version of continuing the toys’ story better than “Toy Story 4.” “Toy Story 3” felt like the perfect ending to the “Toy Story” films, but I still wanted to know more about their lives with Bonnie. I feel like the shorts and specials help keep “Toy Story” fans engaged without going too far. I felt like this was a worthy addition to the canon, whereas I thought “Toy Story 4” was an unnecessary money grab.

One thing I loved about the shorts and specials, like this one, is how they managed to get the original voice actors back. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn and Timothy Dalton all return so it feels like a proper “Toy Story” feature. A lot of times, shorts and TV series can’t get the high prices actors of the original features, so they get people who sound similar and it comes off like a store brand version of the product.

This special also allows for someone else to be the star. The feature films put the focus on Woody and Buzz. The shorts and specials allow for the supporting characters to step up. This time, it’s Jessie who steps up and saves the toys. She overcomes her fear of being trapped in a box, established in “Toy Story 2,” to use Mr. Potato Head’s arm to pull the curtain and expose the manager’s plot to steal the toys. It wouldn’t work in a 2 hour movie, but for a 30 minute special, it’s wonderful.

I want to see more shorts and specials from popular Pixar productions. I would love for them to work out more from “A Bug’s Life,” “The Incredibles,” “Finding Nemo,” “Inside Out” and others. These movies have been an important part of childhood for so many and there are further stories to be told. But, not every film needs a sequel, so expanding these stories through the shorts and through holiday specials is a great way to bring the characters back without putting out a bad movie.

Overall, I would certainly recommend this for any Disney or Pixar fan. I would recommend this for any “Toy Story” fan. It was a lot of fun.

Ranking: 4 stars out of 5

What did you think of “Toy Story of Terror?”

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

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