Toy Story/Fridge

Toy Story

• I had a moment of Fridge Brilliance pointed out to me by a friend. In the original Toy Story, Buzz thinks he's a real Space Ranger. So why does he 'freeze' whenever a human is around? Because deep down, he always knew he was a toy, but found living in denial easier.
  • I believe it's explained somewhere (might be in the animated series) that it's protocol to freeze at the sight an unknown life form.
  • Or this: you're stuck on an alien world, and suddenly everyone does the same thing (in this case, freeze). Wouldn't it be smartest if you did the same thing? That's essentially what Buzz is doing, at least while he thinks he's a Space Ranger.
• Regarding Sid: In the first movie, Sid was the only thing stopping the toys from reaching Andy in time. But 15 years later, Sid (and his garbage truck) provided the only way that they could reach Andy before he left for college! Egad! --ndmp45
  • Turns into even more fridge brilliance when you relize Sid gave Woody the match in the first movie. It didn't work though when he needed it to work, but it sparked an idea. IT'S A Heel Face Turn!
• The first two presents Andy got for his birthday were a lunchbox and some bedsheets, to the incredulity of the other toys, and undoubtedly to the viewers. However, it makes a whole lot of sense if that was a Buzz Lightyear lunchbox, and Buzz Lightyear bedsheets. As evidenced when Sarge reported that Andy was really excited about the last present, probably because he already knew what it was. And, for further evidence, his entire room is redecorated in Buzz Lightyear paraphernalia afterwards. Why not his lunchbox and bedsheets as well?
  • We actually see Woody in despair over seeing Andy's bedsheets have been replaced with those of Buzz later.

Toy Story 2

• In Toy Story 2, Woody's right arm rips when pulled against Buzz's left arm--in the previous film, Buzz's left arm falls off, whereas Woody's right arm falls off later in the film.
• Toy Story 2:
  • When the toys are in the luggage conveyors at the airport, why doesn't Jessie intervene at all in the fight between Woody and Stinky Pete? Because she was having a panic attack being locked up in a closed space with no light. When Woody finds her again, she's in a fetal position and shivering.
  • Furthermore, it's kind of odd how earlier Jessie and Woody and Bullseye were playing around like crazy when the toys in Andy's room wouldn't play unless Andy was there to play with them. But as far as Jessie, Bullseye, and Pete are concerned, this is the last chance they'll ever get to actually play before they're shipped to the Museum.
    • Actually, the other toys also play amongst each other. Remember Woody and quick'n'draw having a 'gunfight'? It just only ever was a background event.
• A small case of Fridge Brilliance in Toy Story 2: Why was Stinky Pete the only Woody's Roundup toy that was still in the box? Because Stinky Pete toys were in such low demand that stores had trouble selling them, so it wasn't difficult to find a surplus of Stinky Pete dolls.
• Anyone else pick up on how Buzz's brainwashing and shift to Spanish could be slight nods to the original concept for Toy Story 3? Simply ignore the part of Buzz being recalled, but having a malfunction, and you have at least part of the premise worked into the story.
• A rather subtle theme of character building; in Toy Story 2, Rex is consumed with beating the Buzz Lightyear video game. In Toy Story 3, Trixie gets a message from "Velocistar237" (presumably another dinosaur toy), who is proudly boasting "I made it to the dark fortress!" And in the end credits, Rex and Trixie are seen bonding over playing a video game. Apparently dinosaur toys are avid gamers...
• When we first meet the Roundup Gang in Toy Story two, they treat Woody almost reverently, the Prospector even referring to him as 'the prodigal son'. That all made perfect sense to me, it meant that they were finally getting out of storage. But the other day I realized there was another layer there. None of them had ever met a Woody toy before, but judging by their reactions they had all seen the Woody's Roundup show before. Woody is the main character of the show, referred to in the opening as 'the very best' and always portrayed as the great hero who saved the day (and their characters) in the end. So here we have these three toys, locked away in the dark for years, with the knowledge that when Woody comes everything will change. And their only image of him coming from a show that builds him up as their savior. No wonder they were so exited to see him!
• Toy Story 2: Upon rewatching the movie, I saw the "When She Loved Me" sequence and kind of wondered why Jessie never bothered to slide out from under the bed for Emily to find her. It ultimately wouldn't have mattered: even if Emily found her, or even if she simply got another Jessie doll, she still would have grown out her interest. Even if Emily did find her, Jessie wouldn't be played with again, and would just as be good as gathering dust under the bed like the other discarded "Woody's Roundup" merchandise.
• Stinky Pete says Woody's Roundup was canceled because children wanted to play with space toys. In the original film, Woody feels tossed aside because Buzz Lightyear, a space toy comes into the picture.

Toy Story 3

• One thing I noticed in Toy Story 3 was that the room for younger kids was called the "Caterpillar Room", and the room for older kids the "Butterfly Room", the symbolism is obvious there, but connecting the two rooms is a bathroom. The stage between Caterpillar and Butterfly is called a "Pupa", and what does "Pupa" sound like? Poop. It sounds like poop.
• In Toy Story 3, a Totoro plush cameos, but he doesn't have any lines. But remember, he is likely a Japanese made toy. So the reason he doesn't have any lines is because he doesn't speak English.
  • • Totoro never spoke in the first place. If he had said anything in Toy Story 3; it would've just been a big happy roar or something.
      • While dinosaurs don't speak, Rex is quite articulate.
        • Totoro's character, just like Bullseye, is not supposed to talk. Thus, the toy doesn't. It's possible Rex and Trixie are based on talking dinosaur characters, or are not based on anything at all.
• Toy Story 3 was been released 15 years after the original. Just about the same time the kids who saw the original would be going to college, growing up, and throwing away their old toys. And don't forget the parents coping with the fact their children they took to see the first two Toy Stories have grown up just like Andy...
  • At the beginning of Toy Story 3 when Woody is trying to convince the other toys that going to the attic won't be so bad, he says "someday Andy will have his own kids". Woody must have gone through a kid growing up before. Woody's Roundup was a black-and-white TV show from the 1950's, and a previous Troper mentioned Andy getting Woody from his father. He knows that a decade or so is worth the wait to get another kid.
  • This Troper had a minor moment of Fridge Brilliance concerning Toy Story 3's marketing. Remember The Boys Are Back in Town being used to advertise the film. It's more than just a lame pun. Listen to the second verse. It's about remembering the good ol' times. And if the final scene is any indication, it's a major theme of Toy Story 3 as well. - Baronofbarons
  • Another Toy Story 3 bit. It seems like the toys are being a little self-centered in immediately requesting a transfer to the older kids' playroom (somebody has to play with the Caterpillar kids) - but given their cast by that point, they genuinely aren't made for toddlers. An old-school Mr. Potato Head with individual eyes, for instance, can be a serious choking hazard to very young children. The same would go for Buzz with his detachable limbs and wings.
  • With Woody being a family heirloom from his father's side practically being confirmed, Mr. Potato Head's "He's been Andy's favorite since kindergarten!" comment probably means that something happened to Mr. Davis while Andy was in kindergarten (namely, death or divorce) that caused Andy to attach to him.
  • Which would make sense--Molly is a toddler, but not talking, in the first movie, and Andy is about seven. This would mean Andy could have been five when his dad died/took off.
• For Toy Story 3: the term Deus Ex Machina comes from the Latin "god out of machine." The machina was actually a giant crane that would lower a platform an actor stood on to create the special effect of a god coming down from the heavens and fixing the plot. The Claw!
  • In this same vein, the Aliens taking control of the crane seems like a pretty awesome Brick Joke as it is. However, when you remember that the Aliens were the ones who worshiped The Claw and believed that it controlled their destiny, it suddenly takes a whole new meaning when you realize that in a way, the Aliens are taking control of their own lives and have basically learned to do things for themselves. Considering that this is a film about growing up and the Aliens were arguably the most childish of the talking characters, it serves as an excellent metaphor for learning rely on yourself, which is a huge theme in growing up.
• I couldn't stop wondering why Andy obsessed over Woody any more than his other toys in Toy Story 3, after all, the rest were just as beloved. Then it hit me - Andy isn't exactly stupid, he probably knew about the age and value of the Woody dolls, after all, a large museum in Japan willing to pay many zeros worth of money for the toys isn't exactly going to go unnoticed. He was reluctant to give away Woody not only for sentimental value, but for intrinsic value as well - The Real CJ
  • It's doubtful that this could be true in any context since it's never shown or inferred that Andy would know about the money value of any of his toys. Also, the whole plot of Toy Story 2 is basically saying that such endeavors will ultimately leave you a broken person.
    • Also, not only is it unlikely that a kid Andy's age in the first two movies would be aware of the value of collectible toys (particularly in an era before the Internet was widely used), but if it was the case that Andy was planning to sell Woody in the future, he would have avoided playing with him to preserve his value.
• I just had one about, you guessed it, Toy Story 3. Anyway, it was one that seemed like it could be obvious to most people, but just now occurred to me. The last scene, specifically, on the part where Andy is introducing each toy to Bonnie. It wasn't just the Crowning Moment of Heartwarming Tear Jerker it was because it showed that Andy still valued and remembered his toys... it's because he described each one exactly how that toy would've wanted, even if it wasn't quite accurate to the toy's real personality.
  • Jessie probably most wanted to not feel abandoned yet again... and what better way than to introduce her first?
  • Rex is recognized as the "meanest, toughest dinosaur who ever lived," and that's what he was trying to be when he first appeared. He even appears to scare Bonnie just a little.
  • Slinky "is as loyal as any dog you could ever want," and Slinky always seems to be sad that he's not loyal enough. Like on the part where he "should've held on longer."
  • Buzz Lightyear is "the coolest toy ever!" This reminds me of the part in Toy Story 1 where Woody gets Buzz his hope back by saying, "you are a cool toy!" It's also nice since earlier, Woody was picked to go to college instead of Buzz and he just gets put in the garbage, even after Andy contemplates for a bit.
  • Andy claims the Potato Heads are "madly in love," and they really just seem like an old married couple that has no deep feelings. But Mr. Potato Head seemed to really want a Mrs. back in the first movie, and from there to the incinerator peril, they really showed their true feelings.
    • "No deep feelings"? Have you met any old married couples? Just because you've grown out of your lovey-dovey phase doesn't mean you can't still deeply cherish your partner.
  • Woody's is so deep that it looks more like Andy's giving up a true friend than an inanimate object. Woody is actually acknowledged for his very real dedication both to staying with Andy and giving him a chance, and to his fellow toys. Andy is also noticeably reluctant to let Woody go, which utterly blows away all of Woody's insecurities about Andy that he's had to suffer through the whole series.
  • All of this makes me think that their personalities might be this way they are because Andy sees them so, and actually creates those traits in them in the way he plays with them, making them form the roles they play out in his games. Even when playing baddies they tend to exhibit the same qualities - think of the Potato Heads in the opening sequence of Toy Story 3, stuill very much a husband-and-wife team, and Slink their loyal forcefield dog!
• Another Fridge Brilliance with spoiler from 3: In the third film, Andy has both Buzz and Woody in his hands. After some thinking, he decides to take Woody along to college and throw Buzz out. This scene mimics a near identical one in the first film, where Andy decides to take Buzz along and throw Woody down like trash. The difference between their reactions - Woody is filled with rage in the first film, and Buzz never mentions it again and doesn't seem to hold it against Woody - shows how much more Woody feels attached to Andy than Buzz, and how much more mature Buzz is than Woody.
  • Are we talking about the same Buzz here?
• Another one with a spoiler. The toys belonged to Andy all the way from film one through three. In the end, he gives them to Bonnie. They were first with A and are now with B! Bonnie, in her turn, will give them to a C kid. (or the day Care).
• Why does Rex slide down quicker in the beginning of the incinerator scene from Toy Story 3? He can't climb as well, because of his short, stubby arms.
• Why didn't Buzz go back to normal when the toys switched him back to play mode? Because since he was reset to demo mode, he would have lost the memories he'd learned during the 12 years of the first two movies. Ouch. How he got those memories back after getting hit by a TV is another matter that Eric W cannot figure out.
  • Rex accidentally switched him into Spanish mode by holding the button "for more than 5 seconds," and his memory was rebooted via The Power of Love just like WALL-E.
    • It's true! Look closely when he gets first switched to demo mode: Buzz's batteries were made by Bn L!
    • His memories were there all along, as evidenced by him being smitten with Jessie no matter what mode he was in; even when he was Brainwashed and Crazy, he called her a "temptress" and was "immune to her bewitching good looks".
  • He got his memories back from the T.V. because that's how he realized he was a toy in the first movie!
    • First time around, the TV had to hit him over the head figuratively. Time wasn't really on their side this time around, so it needed to take a more direct approach.
• This is delving into the psychology of Toy Story 3, so spoilers abound. The primary theme of Toy Story 3 can be likened to life and death, and more specifically, the afterlife. The toys are approaching the end of their life (with Andy). The garbage representing hell or oblivion while the attic is a temporary purgatory, a world of nothing that will be passed.
  • The Day Care is another sort of purgatory, a world without extremes. They can play with children and never have to worry about being abandoned, but they'll never have the kind of connection they had with Andy. That's how it's supposed to work, at any rate. Lotso has subverted the system, creating his own heaven and hell (the Butterfly Room and Caterpillar Room respectively) and setting himself up as a false god, choosing who goes where.
  • On this logic, Andy is something of a god to the Toys. Throughout all the movies, they worship him in their own way, seeking his favor, and putting his desires above their own. Woody is analogous to a high priest. He's favored above most of the toys, who in turn look to him for leadership. When the other's are worried about what's going to happen to them, Woody preaches that they should have faith in Andy and that everything will be fine as long as they believe in him.
    • In the context of kids being like gods, Lotso's last major quote gains an interesting significance: "Where's your kid now, sheriff?"
  • In the end, the toys are rewarded with reincarnation as they are given to Bonnie. - Beacon80
• <<Warning, TS3 spoilers>> So, I finally watch TS3. and with it comes this: you know how in the first movie Buzz thinking he was really from Star Command was played just for laughs? And in the second movie when it's the "wrong" Buzz, it's also Played for Laughs because he thinks he's still at Star Command? It gets brought up again in TS3- but it's most definately not played for laughs- instead Lotso uses one of the funnier running gags in the first movie, and managed to make it somethign horrifying and terribly sad. Damn you Lotso... --Loracarol
• The incinerator scene is the most brilliant piece of cinema ever made. Many people (Disney management included) see TS 3 as the film that could finally break the glass ceiling for animation as far as being able to win a Best Picture Oscar. The biggest hurdle to overcome with this is of course the Animation Age Ghetto and people feeling it's an inherently lower art form. Pixar has obviously been the most prolific studio in trying to turn this around, but regardless of how dark and edgy they make a film. as long as it is made to appeal to any audience they alienate the academy voters who believe solely in the realm of and True Art Is Angsty. So what do they do at the climax of one of the most beloved franchises of all time? They set it up to Kill'Em All. When it gets to that point, they end up subverting Like You Would Really Do It and Disney Death by playing them entirely straight. You as an audience member are thinking to yourself "there's no way....it's Disney...but then again, it's Pixar...." and they leave you hanging up until the Deus Ex Machina that is arguably the biggest CMOA in the series. Everyone in the theater is cheering and applauding but the whole thing was just a fake out. You move on from that point to the true ending and realize killing them off in the fire would have been a complete cop out. Sure, people would have cried, but it would have come off as a cheap ending wouldn't have had nearly the same effect as Andy giving them away did. The Bittersweet Ending ended up having a far greater emotional impact on the audience and did so without resorting to a standard Rule of Drama resolution.
  • Something this troper realized. The reason that everyone survives? They all hold hands to meet their fate. Had they continued to fight and climb the garbage individually its very likely that they would get spread out and the claw would not have saved all of them. Instead, by staying together to the bitter end, they all live.
    • Wood does keep saying that it'll be okay if they all stick together... and because they do, it is.
• Anyone notice the final shot of the third film was the same thing as the first shot of the first film? The cloudy wallpaper opened the first movie and ended the last one showing that this ending is just another beginning.
• A commonly raised point of Fridge Logic about the third movie is that the toys that were sent to the Caterpillar Room were not age-appropriate (in particular, the Potato Heads with their detachable, easily choked-on parts) and should have been removed by the adults. If you think about it, this fits in with Lotso's overall philosophy for two main reasons. Firstly, the toys are not age-appropriate for small children because they break easily; under the rough treatment they receive from toddlers, those kinds of toys would be lucky to last a day or two before being ruined beyond repair and thrown in the trash. Secondly, if by some chance a child did happen to choke or be injured on an inappropriate toy, the most likely result would be that the daycare center would be closed down. What would most likely happen to all the toys? Thrown away, and thus fitting with Lotso's philosophy that humans ultimately don't care about toys and that they're just 'trash'. Lotso is essentially setting up situation wherein his nilhilistic world-view becomes self-fulfilling.
• This troper had an epiphany regarding Lotso himself, specifically the seemingly Misaimed Marketing involved with Disney's mass-production of Lotso toys. Turns out, it's not misaimed...it's targeted specifically at the kids who felt sorry for the villain. The toy is cute and cuddly, and not at all indicative of Lotso's true status within the story, n stark contrast to every other Disney villain ever...on purpose, to encourage kids to love their Lotso. It's like a Real Life Aesop in plush form.
  • Also a great way to make The Reveal more shocking.
• Lotso says to Ken in the midst of the latter's Heel Face Turn, "She's a Barbie doll! There's a hundred million others just like her!" And Ken turns and says, "Not for me, there's not." There's a lesson in there. Sure, it's Played for Laughs, sort of, but think about it: we all pigeonhole people into fitting into certain categories: the Alpha Bitch, the Jerk Jock, the Brainless Beauty, the Granola Girl, Hollywood Nerd - all the time. But no matter how "stereotypical" someone seems, when you get to know them, and love them, they're instantly one-of-a-kind, totally irreplaceable. And that's true for toys and people.
  • Think about it - his Barbie may look like every other ditz, but this one tore up precious clothing, putting her friends ahead of material posessions. This Barbie has risen above material goods and she's got guts and brains. Her friends aren't just other ditzy Barbies, but the less popular toys with deep personalities. She's all the things we DON'T think of when we think of Barbie. She really IS special.
• Now, in Toy Story 3, Bonnie is obviously supposed to remind us of a young Andy. But there's one moment in particular that shows how much she reminded Woody of Andy. The shot where she scoops up all of her toys exclaiming "You saved us cowboy! You're our hero!" and hugs them all to her chest is nearly identical to a shot at the beginning of the film where young Andy does the same thing. Woody is even in the same place. It's a brilliantly subtle visual cue showing Woody's feelings about Bonnie.
• In the first movie, Sarge says earlier on that "a good soldier never leaves a man behind." Later in the movie, when Buzz gets stuck in the fence, Woody refuses to leave him behind.
• Anyone else notice that it was on seeing Andy's mom's reaction to him going to college that Woody decided to donate himself and the rest of the toys to Bonnie? It is as if Woody saw how similar he was to Andy's mom in reluctance to let go of Andy. One cannot help but think in light of this that Woody's refusal to let go of his attachment to Andy is a metaphor for parental refusal to let go of attachment to their children.
• This troper's school was recently visited by animators from Pixar, and had quite a few brilliant aspects of the lighting pointed out to him. Throughout Toy Story 3, several of the characters have specific shades of light assigned to them. Rewatch it. Andy is surrounded by blue light, Lotso by red/pink and yellow light, and Bonnie almost always appears in the shadows of leaves. The toy truck that carries Lotso around shines a yellow light, and when you see a yellow light inside the vending machine that Buzz investigates, you can see that the animators are already telling you that Lotso is involved. Even the sepia tones of his flashback sequence take on new meaning when you start to notice the lights elsewhere. As far as Bonnie, the first time that she meets Woody, he's hanging under a tree, and the final gifting of the toys takes place under a tree in her yard. Even her room is made to look like a wooded meadow. The idea was that dappled lighting is soothing, and the makers wanted to manipulate the audience into feeling more comfortable in Bonnie's presence.
• When Woody tries to highlight the advantages of living in the attic, he mentions how fun the Christmas decorations are. The Potato Heads don't entirely agree (not much is made of it). Don Rickles and Estelle Harris are both Jewish and play it up in their entertainment work.

General

• I always loved Toy Story, and considered it a wonderful film series, but just that. For a while, most other Pixar movies appealed to me more. It was only hours after watching Toy Story 3, driving in the car, that I came across several moments of Fridge Brilliance which make Toy Story, to me, the DEFINITIVE Pixar story:
  • First, I realized that the reason Andy only has a mother (his father is probably dead), is because Woody and Buzz Lightyear ARE Andy's Dads - or rather, his divorced, deadbeat biological father and the new one with all the money. Take into account the creator's intention, that Woody was a hand-me-down from Andy's father. Now look at the way he plays with Woody at the start of the first movie - Woody is the hero in all his plays among all the toys. He's the dad who loves his son, who's always there for him. Then in comes Buzz - expensive toy who has all the cool features, like a laser and wings; very similar, in fact, to the wife's new husband who's always able to buy his stepson all the more expensive gifts, which the son pays more attention to - completely ignoring his real dad (Woody) who tries really, really hard to get his son's attention - to the point that his jealousy compels him to drive the rival away (take the 'Pizza Planet' incident, which is like a family outing - Andy picks Buzz over Woody). At that point, the whole movie is about these three characters coming to terms with where they stand. Woody realizes that it's unfair to deprive Andy of a second father figure, with whom he essentially begins to share custody of their boy - he and Buzz are BOTH the heroes of Andy's games. Buzz in turn realizes that Andy doesn't love him because he's rich and gives a lot (ie: is a Space Ranger) but because Andy enjoys his company. And Andy realizes that while he loves Buzz for being brand new, he adores Woody even more, because Woody's always been there for him (in a line in Toy Story 3, he says that he's had Woody "as long as I can remember").
    • Actually, it's been stated that Andy has only a mother because a two-parent family would be "too perfect". It's a cue to vulnerability. Your theory could have been interpreted in that though.
      • Actually, while the above is probably valid, Word of God (director/editor Lee Unkrich) says that Woody originally belonged to Andy's father. Or at least it's a probable interpretation.
  • Second, if you take the 'toys-as-parents' theme as true, a lot of the character's reactions in Toy Story 3 make sense. Woody is the character who is most reluctant to part from Andy, because he's worried about Andy not having Woody watching over him anymore - he doesn't want to no longer be part of his 'son's' life. At the end of the film, he witnesses a Heartwarming exchange between Andy and his mother. Woody then realizes that Andy will never forget him, or the other toys, and would always love them - just like any child who appreciates all their parents do for them. He realizes, further, that there are other children who could use the toys' love, like Bonnie.
  • Third, it's through these particular realizations that it hit me why Lotso is the trilogy's last and best villain. He is Woody - or rather, he is what Woody could have BECOME, if his jealous streak in the first film had been allowed to fester throughout. Remember that Lotso was replaced - with a look-alike, no less. This to him is like a child who doesn't respect what he was to her - a little girl who no longer cares about her parent and gets a new model, rather than respecting his memory or waiting for him to get back. For all WE know, Lotso and his friends may have been walking for just a day before they returned, to find that Daisy has abandoned him. Compare this to Andy, who held out hope that he could find Woody AND Buzz - he was even seen to cry at the thought that he'd leave them behind. As such, Lotso ultimately became evil not just because he was hurt, but because he believed that he had no reason to exist - and he took out this bitterness on other toys to try and validate his own worth. Think about Stinky Pete's words in the second film, how children destroy and forget their toys when they grow up - they don't need them, just like they don't need their parents anymore. Lotso sees toys in general as disposable to those they give their hearts to - their children, just like the kids who live off their parents and never show their apreciation. Andy, however, is one of those whose heart is always in the right place - the child who doesn't need his parents anymore, but will still remember to call or visit them just to check up. All the kids with names are different interpretations of how kids view their parents. The Sids of the world don't really care in the long run, as long as they can get their immediate thrills; the Emilys throw away the old when they don't need them anymore; and the Daisys replace them. And then we have the Andys and Bonnies - the kids who recognize that everything they are is because of their parents, who have been with them their whole childhoods, watching over them. Woody finds a reason for being in making the children happy (which drives his decision to be donated to the sweet, loving Bonnie). Lotso has no reason to go on without Daisy, and does terrible things to try and find one - in turn, becoming a Complete Monster, and therefore, an empty being who is "not worth it". He spends the rest of his foreseeable life in the dump. My God, the writers at Pixar, especially John Lassiter, now really are my favorite filmmakers in the world.
  • Fourth and last, take note of the the end of Toy Story 3, where Andy plays with Bonnie and relives his childhood through the toys. It's not a coincidence that Bonnie's a girl - Andy has a little sister of his own. Also note that he says he said goodbye to Molly, but the two of them aren't seen to really interact much except arguing. He trusts his toys more to a girl he's known for only a few minutes than to his own sister. Also note how he's most reluctant to part with Woody - the remnant of his dead father. Giving him to Bonnie is like saying "You're part of the family, so you'd better love this guy just as much as I did". It's an interesting parallel, and keeps Andy's sister, Molly, from being just a throwaway character - Andy quickly relates better to a like-minded child like Bonnie than to his own little sister, who is seen throwing away her loyal and cherished Barbie without a moment's hesitation.
• In Toy Story 3, Woody shows just how old of a toy he really is. When informing Bonnie's toys that he's off to college with Andy, he says that he'll "see you[Dolly] at the 'sock hop'", sock hops being a type of dance held at high schools and colleges in 1950's. Being a 60 year old toy, his knowledge young people's habits outside of what he observed with Andy would in fact be incredibly outdated! Also, in response to the previous statement, Dolly calls Woody "Potsie", a reference to the character on the show Happy Days, which was set in the 1950's! Finally, during the credits when Buzz and Jessie are dancing, and all the other toys are dancing in place around them, Woody is snapping his fingers and slightly shaking his hips left to right, dancing almost like someone from the 1950's would!
  • Woody's original TV show, which was black and white and seemed of the same quality as programs like Howdy Doody, would add credibility to the above troper's theory. But a second moment of fridge brilliance was sparked in me after reading the other troper's post. In the second movie, Stinky Pete says that the reason they fell out of popularity was "Sputnik". I had always figured that he was just using a throwaway space term that people would recognize as an allusion, like if their positions had hypothetically been reversed, a space toy might say that the "Lone Ranger" caused his downfall. But in light of the above post, it seems that he was actually referring to the Sputnik! The cowboy toys had existed before the launch of Sputnik (1957), and Stinky Pete had been minted early enough to actually remember it as the moment that their popularity waned.
  • The launch of Sputnik caused the rise of space toys and the fall of cowboy toys. Woody has bad memories of space toys: he was replaced by one when he was young. And who else is a space toy? Exactly: Buzz Lightyear. There's the reason that Woody was the only one that didn't like Buzz in the original movie: he thought he was going to be replaced again.
• In each of the three films, when the moment of Woody's inevitable Cassandra Truth arrives, it might seem coincidental that Mr. Potato Head and Hamm are the first or loudest to disbelieve him, except for when you remember that in Andy's imagined games, Mr. Potato Head and Hamm are Woody's two main antagonists. Either Andy was somehow able to sense their already existing mild rivalry with Woody when assigning them roles in his games, or because of their roles in his games, the two eventually came to adopt said mild rivalry with Woody outside of Andy's imagination.
  • It's not just Mr. Potato Head and Hamm whose roles in Andy's games affect their 'off the clock' behavior; In the Strange Days montage, Woody is seen as Buzz's foe, and summarily defeated and Bo thanks him for saving her sheep in the initial play sequence. It isn't until after both Buzz and Woody become friends that they are on the same side.
• The first entry at the top of the section about toys as parents is one of the most ingenious things I've ever read, so I don't want to ruin that, but, after watching the trilogy again with that in mind, I've noticed that, while it's definitely true for Buzz and Woody, the relationship can be tweaked for toys with different owners, or possibly for female toys in general, and I recognized why the filmmakers did that; it allows these characters to be built a little differently to Buzz and Woody, and have distinct stories or motivations that suit their character better. Let's look at the two most prominent examples, in my mind: Barbie treats getting dumped by Molly like a bad breakup, which is definitely a deliberate Stealth Pun on Pixar's part, and, despite being kind of played for laughs, this ultimately sets up the state of mind which leads into her story with Ken and the others in the third movie, while Jessie's story with Emily plays out an awful lot like child abandonment or neglectful parenting, with being donated at the end ringing a lot like being shoved off to social services and into foster care, establishing her emotional baggage and her fears about moving in with a new adoptive family, although she finally finds one with Andy. There is a lot of emotional complexity in these movies, which is what makes them such works of genius. --Badgersprite
  • Wait..Buzz is Andy's stepfather...Jessie is Andy's adopted daughter...realize Buzz/Jessie is canon, right?
  • The toys as individual relations to children as opposed to all as parents seems true. However Buzz does not have to be Andy's step dad. He's more like a cool guy to Andy. Its more like a father finding out that they are not their kids number one hero but some TV cop instead. Buzz later becomes Woody's best friend aka toy father figures best friend. Buzz did not even acknowledge Andy's existence except to note his success at integrating into the primitive culture. Emily and Jessie can be seen many ways. They might have bean more like sisters who used to be close but Emily became a teenager. They used to play together but suddenly Emily made friends her own age has teenage stuff to do and does not want Jessie hanging on. They used to go camping and go to the park now Emily's busy painting her nails and talking on the phone. They could be best friends that grew apart when Emily grew up a lot faster than Jessie. Emily was reminiscing about how they used to play in that park together. Jessie hoped Emily was ready to give up her teenage ways and play with her again but Emily was reminiscing about the good times she used to have and was done with. The way she talks to Woody reminds me of somebody whining about their friend who will not shut up about their boyfriend.
    • Not like Disney hasn't dealt with mixed metaphors before.
• There are a number of people who feel that Lotso's backstory is too generic for a Pixar movie. But when you think about it, Lotso is almost an alternate Woody. Imagine that Woody, loving Andy, had missed the truck in the first movie. Obviously that would not stop him, but had he gotten there to find he'd been replaced (ignore for a minute that Woody toys are 50 years out of production), it's possible that he too would snap.
  • Except - they weren't aiming for the truck. They went directly to Andy. If they had gone to the truck, Andy would have lost all hope for Woody and his mom would have probably replaced him, just in time for Woody to get out of the box and see his replacement. The "not aiming for the truck" scene wasn't some generic cliche: its only because Buzz and Woody cared so much for Andy that they got a happy ending. Oh Fridge Brilliance, what can't you fix?
    • Is it wrong that I read "had missed the truck" and "they weren't aiming for the truck" in Woody and Buzz's voices?
    • Nope.

Toy Story

• Sid probably threw all his toys out after the end of the first film after being traumatized by them. Which means they probably got incinerated, because there's no way that they'd ever be suitable for play at a daycare center.
  • It's probably infinitely worse than that. Think about the toys that are simply thrown out and buried in landfills. Forever, and aware. Falls into And I Must Scream on a massive scale when you think about the number of toys buried in landfills. The premise of Toy Story is stuffed to the gills with Fridge Horror.
• Toy Story: the first movie is a lot scarier when you realize that the way Sid tortures toys is highly reminiscent of the how serial killers often torture animals in their childhoods and by the end of the movie, none of those tendencies have been allayed, plus he now has an apparently irrational fear of toys.
  • Word of God says that Sid is the garbage man in Toy Story 3. He seems pretty happy with the job (rocks out on his headphones all day), so crisis averted?
    • He makes a living out of taking toys to Hell. Mull on that for a while. On a similar note, his skull motif shirt makes for a lot of foreshadowing now...
• Fridge Horror from the first movie: You know what Sid is doing when we're introduced to him? Playing suicide bomber.

Toy Story 2

• How long did Jessie have to wait under Emily's bed before she was donated to charity?
• Toy Story 2. Zurg reveals to "New" Buzz he is his father. After Zurg is defeated by Rex, New Buzz, rather than accepting victory over Zurg, mourns the apparent demise of his father. Later, they are seen playing catch together. Why? Zurg didn't have much opportunity for a Heel Face Turn, and New Buzz has only just learned his arch enemy is his father. It's because, unlike Luke Skywalker, New Buzz has decided to join his father on the Dark Side.

Toy Story 3

• Ken's dream tour. He's essentially showing all the ill-fated toys What Could Have Been before passing them over to the Caterpillar Room, the toy's equivalent of a torture chamber.
  • Face it, you've messed around, broken and possibly even mutilated toys. The toys are alive. Most toys will end up mutilated, dead or much worse.
• Mrs. Potato Head's fate. She wasn't really a major character until she lost her eye. During the incinerator scene, all the other toys would have been completely destroyed because their pieces are all together, but because her eye was safe at Andy's house, she'd still be alive, watching forever with her one eye. She'd pretty much be the only one left.
  • Perhaps the Potato Heads' souls/consciousness resides in their main bodies (but, like the other parts, remain functional when separated). If those were destroyed, they'd be as "dead" as any of the other toys.
• Also, in the third movie, it is stated that Bo Peep (Woody's love interest) is "gone". Pretty sad already, then you realize she was part of an ornament made of porcelain or the like... so she probably fell and broke into a million of tiny pieces.
• Lotso assigned the new toys to the Caterpillar Room because they were "running low on volunteers" (like he'd care if a toy volunteered or not) and because new toys are stronger and hardier. Here's the thing: he couldn't have cared less whether those toys were safe for the toddlers. Most of Andy's toys are all one piece, but Slink's coil was metal and a kid could have cut his hand. Plus the Potato Heads' pieces are small, and one kid was shoving an eye up his nostril; it would be easy to choke on those. Who knows what other less-than-safe toys got thrown in the Caterpillar Room over the years?
• Toy Story 3. Sure, Woody and the gang escaped from the incinerator and found a nice home with Bonnie. It seems like a nice happy ending, until you realize that sooner or later, they are still going to wear out. Baring the slight possibility that Woody, Jesse, and Bullseye might end up on display, which is horrific in and of itself, eventually the gang is still going to end up in a landfill, while still "alive"--and now they know it. Any enjoyment they have with Bonnie or other kids is going to be sullied by anticipating that.
  • Actually, the premise of the Toy Story in general. Toys don't age, and are hypothetically capable of living for centuries as long as they're well cared for. Judging by the third movie, however, it seems that toys possess a natural self-preservation instinct that persists much, much longer than the lifespan of the average toy; even those which have lived extraordinarily long and fulfilling lives still intensely fear death. Put these things together. All toys will one day die violently and in fear. This is probably the only way they can die. And even if it isn't: the odds are overwhelmingly against most toys lasting as long as Andy's favorite's do, since humans have no idea toys are living things, and think nothing of subjecting toys to abuse, neglect, product recall, incineration, waste compaction, and burial alive (the last three being what happens to toys sent to a landfill). For every toy in the world that is deeply loved, how many are lonely unfavorites or poorly-made junk doomed to be thrown out when they break three days after purchase? How many are quietly disposed of by retailers after they fail to sell during the holiday season? Did we mention that toys are apparently alive from the point of manufacture, even when they're never removed from their original packaging? And that they're apparently capable of clautrophobia? Oh, wait. Toy Story 2 mentioned both those things in the same scene.
  • All the toys you played with as a child were alive. All of them. Those times your parents stepped on them? The time you switched their arms around? They were aware of it all. And when they went into the toy box they were alone. Alone in complete darkness.
  • Some of the toys children play with are insane and motivated to seek revenge. They can squeeze through the tightest of spaces and survive far more damage than any living creature. They know where you sleep. They know where you keep your knives. Sweet Dreams.
  • Mrs. Potato Head's fate. She wasn't really a major character until she lost her eye. During the incinerator scene, all the other toys would have been completely destroyed because their pieces are all together, but because her eye was safe at Andy's house, she'd still be alive, watching forever with her one eye. She'd pretty much be the only one left.
  • Sort of related. LEGO. Your creations are alive. And then you need some bricks for a different project. Just mull over that for a while.
    • I think LEGO bricks are a Hive Mind. They can assemble themselves into whatever they want
  • Also, in the third movie, it is stated that Bo Peep (Woody's love interest) is "gone". Pretty sad already, then you realize she was part of an ornament made of porcelain or the like... so she probably fell and broke into a million of tiny pieces. Here, use my handkerchief.
• We only see Sarge and two other Army Men, there used to be a whole bucket of them. Suddenly Sarge's warning that "the Army Men are the first to go" when trash bags come out sounds a lot more chilling.
• At the end of 3, Andy gives Bonnie his toys, and everyone treats it as a satisfying conclusion. But what will happen when Bonnie outgrows them?!
  • Toy Story 4 (2035)
    • a) They've learned to let go, to grow and how to make sure they find a good child and b) the day care, while not as fulfilling as a single child, is now a good place to live. Considering Bonnie's mother seems to work at Sunnyside, chances are high they'd be donated there and get to be with the friends they have there. Toy Story 3 is about learning to accept the eventual growth and change. That's the happy ending, not that things will never change, but that they will be able to handle the change, together, a family.
    • Wouldn't Toy Story 4 come out sometime after 2020? Anyway, by the time Bonnie has outgrown her toys, Andy is old enough to have kids himself. Maybe, if Bonnie sells her toys at a garden sale, Andy convienently drops by and decides to buy him for his kids, and a bit for himself: after all, these are the toys he's played his entire childhood with. There has got to be some nostalgia in that.
  • Bonnie's mother also works at the daycare centre... the daycare centre which is now, thanks to Ken and Barbie, a 'really groovy place'. Once Bonnie outgrows her toys, they get taken there to live out the rest of their lives happily getting played with a never-ending assortment of children.

General

• Actually, the premise of the Toy Story in general. Toys don't age, and are hypothetically capable of living for centuries as long as they're well cared for. Judging by the third movie, however, it seems that toys possess a natural self-preservation instinct that persists much, much longer than the lifespan of the average toy; even those which have lived extraordinarily long and fulfilling lives still intensely fear death. Put these things together. All toys will one day die violently and in fear. This is probably the only way they can die. And even if it isn't: the odds are overwhelmingly against most toys lasting as long as Andy's favorite's do, since humans have no idea toys are living things, and think nothing of subjecting toys to abuse, neglect, product recall, incineration, waste compaction, and burial alive (the last three being what happens to toys sent to a landfill). For every toy in the world that is deeply loved, how many are lonely unfavorites or poorly-made junk doomed to be thrown out when they break three days after purchase? How many are quietly disposed of by retailers after they fail to sell during the holiday season? Did we mention that toys are apparently alive from the point of manufacture, even when they're never removed from their original packaging? And that they're apparently capable of claustrophobia? Oh, wait. Toy Story 2 mentioned both those things in the same scene.
  • The lives toys lead could be perceived as a form of slavery mixed with a dose of Stockholm Syndrome. Think about it. Toys have little or no control over the fates the humans choose for them. Their friends and love interests can be given away, sold off, or tossed out on a whim. The main characters themselves suffered abandonment, abuse, and being shut away in dark boxes for years, all at the hands of these otherwise beloved humans. Even the toy villains had been affected by this treatment by humans, experiencing rejection and abandonment, the very things that turned them evil. Yet these human owners (and “owners” was the term emphasized in these films) are the ones they love above all, even more than their fellow toys.
  • All the toys you played with as a child were alive. All of them. Those times your parents stepped on them? The time you switched their arms around? They were aware of it all. And when they went into the toy box they were alone. Alone in complete darkness.
  • It's hard to know how much pain they feel. They don't seem to hurt when decapitated, or if a limb falls off. But being ripped apart or set on fire is obviously not something they enjoy.
  • Your toys can see you playing with something else.
    • As seen in this comic.
    • On that note, imagine what it must be like to be a sex toy in the Toy Story universe.
      • I somehow imagine sex toys in this universe as being hilariously perverted but also surprisingly friendly.
        • What about a dog toy? Get ripped to shreds in a week.
      • You got a friend in Mad TV!
  • Being put in the toy box doesn't mean they have to stay there; once all the humans are gone, the toys can do whatever they want as long as no one sees them. And maybe the toy box is like their bed or something?
    • That seems to be the case — in the first movie, Woody acts a lot like he's just woken up when he climbs out of the toybox. (The scene in particular is just before the shark pops out wearing his hat.)
  • Some of the toys children play with are insane and motivated to seek Revenge. They can squeeze through the tightest of spaces and survive far more damage than any living creature. They know where you sleep. They know where you keep your knives. Sweet Dreams.
• Parts of the toys in Toy Story remain alive when they're separated from the body, or are conscious entities in and of themselves (Slinky's tail, for instance). So, two things, both in the same vein of thought. What about the toys who are labelled choking hazards, and swallowed by small children, either as a whole or in parts? Or worse, the toys that have lead based paints? The toys only ever wanted to be loved, but in the process they killed the very person who brought meaning to their life.
  • Sid probably threw all his toys out after the end of the first film. Which means they probably got incinerated.
    • He might have given them to his little sister (which would make sense, considering that she liked "adopting" his abused toys).
    • Or sold them to a yard sale. Or collectors. Or that toy museum in Japan from the second movie (for an exhibit about Mix-and-match toys or something)
  • Parts of the toys in Toy Story remain alive when they're separated from the body, or are conscious entities in and of themselves (Slinky's tail, for instance). So, two things, both in the same vein of thought. What about the toys who are labelled choking hazards, and swallowed by small children, either as a whole or in parts? Or worse, the toys that have lead based paints? The toys only ever wanted to be loved, but in the process they killed the very person who brought meaning to their life.
    • Maybe the lead-painted ones are maniacs.
  • Lotso assigned the new toys to the Caterpillar Room because they were "running low on volunteers" (like he'd care if a toy volunteered or not) and because new toys are stronger and hardier. Here's the thing: he couldn't have cared less whether those toys were safe for the toddlers. Most of Andy's toys are all one piece, but Slink's coil was metal and a kid could have cut his hand. Plus the Potato Heads' pieces are small, and one kid was shoving an eye up his nostril; it would be easy to choke on those. Who knows what other less-than-safe toys got thrown in the Caterpillar Room over the years?
    • They probably tried to escape or were broken.
  • The lives toys lead could be perceived as a form of slavery mixed with a dose of Stockholm Syndrome. Think about it. Toys have little or no control over the fates the humans choose for them. Their friends and love interests can be given away, sold off, or tossed out on a whim. The main characters themselves suffered abandonment, abuse, and being shut away in dark boxes for years, all at the hands of these otherwise beloved humans. Even the toy villains had been affected by this treatment by humans, experiencing rejection and abandonment, the very things that turned them evil. Yet these human owners (and “owners” was the term emphasized in these films) are the ones they love above all, even more than their fellow toys.
• Rewatching the first Toy Story movie after watching the third movie brings up two pieces of horror/brilliance that used to be just for comedy the first time around. First of all after Woody's night sleeping in the toy box since Buzz took his spot on the bed, Bo Peep tries to comfort him by telling Andy will always have a special place for him. Mr. Potato Head comes in and snarks "Yeah, the attic." Also, when Andy's mom drives off to Pizza Planet while Woody and Buzz were outside of the car, now it's horrifying to see Woody gasp and cry out "I'm lost! *sob* I'm a lost toy!" especially after we see what happened to Lotso and his gang of lost toys.
• Some more Fridge Horror: all the toys have distinct personalities and identities. On top of that, the toys don't seem to die unless they're completely obliterated. After all, Wheezy can still speak without a squeaker, Woody doesn't seem to be in immense pain from his arm being only partially connected, and the Potato Heads even have control of their unattached body parts. Now, think back to Sid's toys. Most of Sid's toys were combinations of two or more other toys. Now, what does that mean for the toys' previous identities?

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Following was previously on Tear Jerker; moved here for its presumptuousness. (See tear jerker's edit reason.) You decide what to do with this.

• The birthday scene. Why? Look at it this way; none of the kids probably even knew who Andy was, why they even bothered to bring presents, (and if they did, they were crappy ones-yes, it is still hurtful) and his mother probably just begged people to bring kids so Andy wasn't alone with his toys all the time. Hell, his next door neighbor didn't even know he existed or lived there. This tugged at my heartstrings for a while because, when I was smaller, I had to make friends because I thought it was the coolest thing ever and invited them, only to find out in my later years that they weren't even my real friends at all. Andy, being too young to understand, probably thought those were his friends-- until we see he spent the next birthdays (possibly up until he was 17) with his toys. We never see those friends again, not even in home videos.
  • They weren't crappy presents, it was a theme party, he got a bunch of Buzz Lightyear stuff. He certainly didn't seem disappointed even before Mom revealed her hidden present. The kids were even running around together playing. As for Sid not knowing him Sid seemed older than Andy, older kids tend not to hang around younger kids.