Toy Story - Tutto un altro mondo

I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 (C H R I S T M A S ) MOVIES AND SPECIALS.

SO PLEASE BEWARE OF SOME REVIEWERS THAT ONLY HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE NO AGENDA! I REVIEW MOVIES & SPECIALS AS A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN! I HAVE DISCOVERED MANY GEMS IN MY QUEST TO SEE AS MANY " C H R I S T M A S " MOVIES AS I CAN.

This 2014 "Christmas Special" has cute ideas and some amusing moments but it "Sacrifices" our favorite toys (Buzz and Woody) and repeats themes that we have seen before.

During a post-Christmas play-date, Trixie is sad that Bonnie never depicts her as a dinosaur when they play. Bonnie later takes Trixie, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Rex, and aphorism-spouting Christmas ornament Angel Kitty to her friend Mason's house for a play date. Bonnie ends up tossing the toys into Mason's playroom to join Mason in playing with his video game console.

Bonnie's toys discover the playroom is dominated by "Battlesaurs," a huge dinosaur-themed play set that Mason received for Christmas, led by warrior Reptillus Maximus and The Cleric. Trixie is delighted to interact with them as a dinosaur. She and Rex are armed as warriors, unaware that Woody and Buzz have been taken prisoner.

This is not much of a "Christmas Special" however it is enjoyable!

Toy Story continues to be the best protected franchise ever filmed, as Pixar makes sure every entry with these characters is top notch. As usual, everything looks amazing, there are fun new toys to meet, and the pacing is brisk. You never have to worry about filmmakers who don't know their audience with Toy Story--they are so careful and demand the best for their viewers. Every moment that ends up on screen furthers the story and can be appreciated by any age viewer. There is a bit of a dig at gaming culture, as the message seems to favor active play over technology and screen time. But if you don't love the way Bonnie gets Mason to turn his dinosaur battlefield into a all-toy dance off, then I don't want to know you.

It's just after Christmas. Bonnie has a play date with Mason. She brings along Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Trixie the triceratops, Rex, and Angel Kitty. Mason got a new video game and he has't play with his other new toy, the Battlesaurs. Bonnie's toys meet Reptillus Maximus who is taken with Trixie. The Cleric has set up a gladiatorial world where the other toys are smashed by the Battlesaurs. Trixie explains the joys of play to Reptillus Maximus.

The central message is to play more with imagination and toys, less with the video games. Trixie is the lead in this half hour special. She's alright to lead a special and the message is passable. There are a couple of fun scenes especially when Woody and Buzz are in it. Angel Kitty speaks with a child's voice which caught me off guard. She could be funnier. The show looks good, has some good moments but isn't anything particularly special. It's a reasonable showcase for Trixie.

It's always fun to see "the old gang" get back together. The Toy Story characters have so endeared themselves to our hearts that there is an automatic connection with them every time they appear on screen. In "Toy Story That Time Forgot", some new blood is introduced.

For a basic plot summary, this little short tells the story of a Christmas playdate at a friend of Bonnie's. While at the friend's house, Bonnie is sucked into playing a new video game instead of playing with the toys. So, Woody, Buzz, and the gang must "go it alone" and interact with a new set of dinosaur toys (led by Reptillus Maximus) that still don't yet know they are toys.

Like I said, it's great to see and hear from the toy characters again. In this installment, dinosaur Trixie gets a lions share of the screen-time, much like Combat Carl stole "Toy Story of Terror". That being said, each of your favorite character has at least a line or two.

The only reason I can't give this the full five-stars? Because I think that maybe a bit more time was given to the battle dinosaurs than necessary. What makes Toy Story great is the emotion and the humorous interaction between the characters. Both of those things are indeed present here, but there is a lot of "setup" to pull it out of the story.

So, I have to say that I liked last year's Halloween special a bit more than this Christmas effort. That being said, this one is still quite enjoyable and will, at times, have you both laughing and feeling in equal measure.

This-like most Toy Story media-is engaging with some smart observation about our relationship to toys. Trixie is given a rote character arch but it is works. The prehistoric dinosaur-toys are daft and rival Toy Story 1's Buzz for laughs. But if you have read the Land that Time Forgot you pick-up on several injokes about the novel that really fun.