Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Toy Story That Time Forgot Blu-ray Movie Review

Don't forget to experience this new mini-chapter from the 'Toy Story' universe.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 28, 2015

Toy Story is still cool. After all these years and three feature films, the original "toys to life" gang -- Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack), Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), Trixie (voiced by Kristen Schaal), and Rex (Wallace Shawn) -- remains one of the most delightful bunches of digital plastic ever to grace the silver screen. In Toy Story That Time Forgot, they take their adventures to the small screen for big battle against some unruly prehistoric action figures that think they're real-life warriors, not a child's playthings. Originally aired on ABC on December 2, 2014, the short is a breezy and fun escape that returns to a familiar world for an all-new adventure.

They're back! A dinosaur Toy Story.

It's Christmastime. All of the presents have been opened and the favorites chosen. Yet Bonnie (voiced by Emily Hahn) is still enjoying some of her old standbys like Trixie, Rex, Buzz, Woody, and Jessie, even if she's not playing with them exactly as intended. Instead she's giving some -- particularly Trixie -- a mild Christmas makeover. She packs them up for a playdate with her friend Mason (voiced by R.C. Cope) who has, this Christmas, hit pay dirt. Not only did he receive practically the full line of Battlesaurs action figures and play sets, he also scored a hot new video game system, complete with a virtual reality headset. Mason's immersed in the video game and Bonnie, excited to check it out herself, tosses her toys aside to adventure in the digital realm. The gang is approached by an entire army of Battlesaurs, including the group's martial leader, Reptillus Maximus (voiced by Kevin McKidd). He gets Trixie and Rex suited for war. They think it's all fun and games, but they quickly learn that the Battlesaurs mean business and that they intended to fight to the death. The toys' only hope for survival is to convince Maximus that he's a toy, not a wartime leader. That could be a tricky prospect, however, with the cunning Cleric (voiced by Director Steve Purcell) secretly driving the issue.

More than a casual "put down the video game controller and appreciate the simpler toys and games in life" request, Toy Story That Time Forgot's most basic theme explores the idea that one is happiest when one finds his or her own place in the world, essentially finding fulfillment in fulfilling the purposes for which one was created. For the kids, that's playing with the toys and finding happiness in them. For the toys, that's providing that tactile, functional, and foundational element of contentment for the children. It's a happy full circle sort of story that uses the theme more as a bookend and springboard for the central action, which is sufficiently exciting. It's not very large in scale and the scenes are, of course, somewhat limited under the constraints of a 22-minute program, but the short satisfies with a playful sense of adventure and fun new characters mixed in with several old favorites.

Toy Story That Time Forgot Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Even as it's just a made-for-TV short rather than a full-blown feature film, no expense was seemingly spared with Toy Story That Time Forgot and Disney's 1080p transfer reveals all in rather spectacular fashion. The image is sharp and vibrant, with colors that prove exacting and bright throughout. Rex's green hide, Trixie's baby blue paint, and Reptillus Maximus' fierce, martial red-dominant scheme are the highlights -- they're the main characters -- but the transfer reveals all manner of diverse colors with striking exactness. Details are terrific. Rex and Trixie boast a nicely complex plastic "hide" that reveals their leathery skin textures to perfection. Bits of misapplied and scuffed paint on the affable Triceratops add some wonderful textural highlights. Other characters are sharp and well defined, right down to little plastic nuances, tiny details on armor, and other small details that add a lot of visual excitement to the overall experience. The arena background, where most of the movie takes place, appears a bit hazy but by design. Foreground character details, however, are spot-on terrific. A bit of banding crosses a few backgrounds but the image is in otherwise pristine condition, resulting in another top-tier digital animation transfer from Disney.

Toy Story That Time Forgot Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Toy Story That Time Forgot arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The short packs in a fair bit of excitement despite its curt runtime. Music is nicely integrated, usually dropped well below the top-prioritized, clear, and center-based dialogue. Definition and separation are strong points, and there's a nicely enveloping surround immersion. A few heavier beats heard when the Battlesaurs sing their theme song offer a more punchy musical moment that's robustly defined both in music and lyrics. Characters swarm the stage from all directions and congregate in the middle when Trixie and company first meet their adversaries, representing one of the most intense and entertaining moments the track has to offer. Light supportive effects during battles are nicely integrated around the stage, too.

Toy Story That Time Forgot Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Toy Story That Time Forgot contains a commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, and more. A Disney digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Reptillus! (1080p, 10:51): A catch-all look at the importance of building a detailed backstory for the new characters, character design, digital animation and study in the real world, and voice acting.
• Toy Story Goes to Comic-Con (1080p, 3:39): The cast discusses their past experiences at Comic-Con and offer a glimpse into what they shared with fans at the convention.
• Karaoke: My Unexpected Friend (1080p, 3:59): Two choices: Reptillus Sings and You Sing, the difference being the former is performed by the character and in the latter the lyrics are absent, allowing the viewer to sing without accompaniment.
• Battlesaurs -- Animated Opening (1080p, 0:50): A mock-up opening sequence for the fictitious Battlesaurs TV program.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Battlesaurs Christmas (3:06), Prisoners of Bone (1:22), SOS (1:07), Trixie's Proposal (1:55), and Light of Play (1:51). With Director Steve Purcell introductions.
• Audio Commentary: Director Steve Purcell and Head of Story Derek Thompson offer an insightful track that discusses some intimate details about character definition, constructing story themes, outside inspirations, character and environmental design and visuals, and more. The filmmakers manage to cram plenty of detail into a track necessarily condensed under the film's runtime constraints.
• Sneak Peeks (1080p): Previews for Disney Movie Rewards, The Good Dinosaur, and Inside Out.

Toy Story That Time Forgot Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Toy Story That Time Forgot is essentially a snapshot from the Toy Story universe, a short that's absent a more fulfilling arc and epic scenes but that nevertheless finds that nice, warm, familiar Toy Story center that's surrounded by plenty of funny bits and a few fine moments of action and mild peril. The voice cast is terrific -- the old standbys easily fall right back into character -- and the new ones, including Kevin McKidd and Director Steve Purcell (who is voicing a character that looks eerily inspired from The Skeksis in The Dark Crystal), fit right in. The movie is short but should find a fair bit of replay value with fans, young and old(er) alike. Disney's Blu-ray release of Toy Story That Time Forgot features excellent video and audio. A nice little supplemental section is included, too, with a total runtime that's about double that of the movie. Recommended.