10 Reasons Why 'Toy Story That Time Forgot' Is the Must-Watch Christmas Special of the Season

Just because "Toy Story 4" isn't coming out until the summer of 2017, that doesn't mean that your favorite childhood playthings are going to be absent until then. Just this week ABC will premiere "Toy Story That Time Forgot," a new half-hour Christmas special that features the toys in a brand new adventure. When you think of a Christmas special built around the "Toy Story" characters, you probably think that it's going to be something centered around the holiday and the introduction of new toys that come along with it...



But you'd be wrong.



"Toy Story That Time Forgot" is a distinct, wholly original half-hour film, written and directed by animation and comic book vet Steve Purcell that contributes wonderfully to the mythology while taking it in a wholly new direction. It throws preexisting "Toy Story" characters up against a bunch of new toys called the Battlesaurs, an eighties-style brand of gladiatorial combatants. (Just go with it.) But if you need more reasons to tune in, just read our list below.



1. All Of Your Favorites Are Back

All of your favorite "Toy Story" characters are back for "Toy Story That Time Forgot," voiced by their respective movie stars. That means that Tim Allen and Tom Hanks are back to essay Buzz and Woody, along with Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, Timothy Dalton and Don Rickles. And while some of these characters don't get as much screen time as you'd want (honestly, can you ever get enough of Mr. Pricklepants?) They're all back and just like the old friends they've become, it's very good to see them again.



2. Trixie Gets the Spotlight

And while everybody is back, one toy gets the spotlight, and that toy is Trixie, the lovably neurotic triceratops voiced by Kristen Schaal. Trixie was one of Bonnie's toys introduced in "Toy Story 3," and she has been featured in a few of the subsequent "Toy Story" shorts and seeing an entire special devoted almost exclusively to her, you get the sensation that she could even carry her own movie. She is an absolute delight, and forced with the crisis of never being cast as a dinosaur in Bonnie's playtime fantasies. And it's also wonderful to see a Pixar project devoted to a female character. It's a lot of win.



3. There Are Tons of Brand New Characters

In addition to our old favorites, there are a bunch of wonderful new characters, as well. All of the Battlesaurs are incredible, especially their heroic leader, Reptillus Maximus. Kevin McKidd (who previously starred in Pixar's "Brave") plays Maximus, and is a winning mixture of arrogance and earnest bravery (the Battlesaurs, it should be noted, like Buzz in the first "Toy Story" movie, do not know that they're toys). He also serves as a romantic interest for Trixie and, with any luck, will make an appearance in further "Toy Story" adventures. Also, for those of you who prefer cuteness over violent monsters, there's a character named Angel Kitty, a cherubic ornament who speaks in wise, somewhat existential, soliloquies... in a childlike voice. It's pretty much the most adorable thing ever. If there aren't Angel Kitty ornaments being sold in every Disney store across the land this holiday season, then somebody screwed up.



4. It's Really Weird

"Toy Story That Time Forgot" is genuinely strange, in the best way possible. It's a wild new departure into a more action-oriented genre that owes a considerable debt to science fiction movies from the seventies and eighties. It's also inspired by action figures of the eighties that were usually based on an accompanying cartoon series (that existed exclusively to sell the toys). There's nothing outwardly cute about it and it goes into places are pretty unexpected. We don't want to ruin everything. But this is the strangest "Toy Story" experience yet, in the best possible way.



5. You'll Laugh Until You Burst

It's really, really funny. There's one zinger that Buzz gets off that harkens back to the first film that made us cry with laughter.



6. It's Very Sweet

But all of the weirdness and fun doesn't overwhelm what is, ultimately, a very sweet movie. The underlying message of the movie is that toys really come to life when their kid plays with them; that what they might have been made to do aren't necessarily what they should do. Also, the burgeoning romance between Trixie and Maximus is really special. It's all very sweet and, by the time the credits roll, you might wipe a tear or two from your face.



7. The Music Is Incredible

Speaking of what makes the movie so amazing (and heart-tugging), Michael Giacchino contributes an absolutely wonderful score. It goes from being adventurous and militaristic (he actually used the same horns from the original "Planet of the Apes") to being very sweet and cuddly, and there isn't a false note in the entire score. Giacchino has become an all-star member of the Pixar team and his work here is some of the very best.



8. You Will Want All of the Toys

There are toys being produced for all of the new characters, plus your old favorites in their new battle attire. Be prepared to search high and low for these bad boys.



9. It's Proof That the Franchise Still Has A Bunch of Places to Go

One of the very best things about "Toy Story That Time Forgot" is that it opens up the "Toy Story" universe to a fairly considerable degree. All of those people who, when "Toy Story 4" was announced, bemoaned the fact that there were no more "Toy Story" tales to tell will be put in their place. There are many, many more stories to tell, in all sorts of genres. And "Toy Story That Time Forgot" is proof of that.



10. You'll Be Super Pumped for 'Toy Story 4'

And with that... You'll be super excited for "Toy Story 4." When "Toy Story That Time Forgot" wraps, it will seem like a very long time until 2017.



"Toy Story That Time Forgot" airs Tuesday, December 2 at 8 p.m. on ABC.







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What's New on TV, Netflix Streaming, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: December 1 - 7

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.



New on DVD and Blu-ray



"The Hundred-Foot Journey"

Dame Helen Mirren plays a snobby French restaurateur/chef who's none too pleased when her new neighbors, the Kadam family, open up their own restaurant next door to hers. Manish Dayal co-stars Hassan, the young chef at the Maison Mumbai whose talent wins over grumbly Madame Mallory, as well as her cute sous chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon). Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg produced this feel-good foodie film from Swedish director Lasse Hallström.



"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"

Ape shall never kill ape, but no one said killing humans wasn't OK. Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his gang of hyper-intelligent apes have been living in the Muir Woods since everything went to heck, and it was going just fine until a group of human survivors came along, thank you. Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, and Keri Russell co-star as just a few of the humans living in the ruins of Silicon Valley, with nary an Uber in sight.



"The Congress"

This is a very trippy hybrid live action/animated adaptation starring Robin Wright as an aging actress named Robin Wright who once starred in "The Princess Bride" and other popular movies. She's convinced to sign a contract to let Miramount Studios digitize her image and use her in countless "future fantasy" movies. And then things get really weird. Director Ari Folman ("Waltz With Bashir") loosely based his screenplay on the novel by sci-fi legend Stanisław Lem.



TV Worth Watching



"Peter Pan Live!" (NBC, Thursday, 8 P.M. EST)

Sure, Allison Williams will be an adorable Peter Pan, but let's talk about Christopher Walken as a singing and dancing Captain Hook. Live! What more do you need?



SPORTS!

There is a lot of football on television. You already know this. If you don't like football, chances are good that most of your favorite shows are on winter hiatus. Look, we don't make the rules around here; that's just how it is.



New on Netflix



"Almost Famous"

In Cameron Crowe's classic coming-of-age film, Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) tells young writer William (Patrick Fugit), "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." There's nothing uncool about "Almost Famous" though, from the excellent cast and Oscar-winning script to the rockin' soundtrack.



"American Horror Story: Coven"

Get your witch on with Ryan Murphy's ensemble drama about a group of supernaturally talented teens who are sent to live at Miss Robichaux's Academy in New Orleans. There's tons of inter-coven drama, plus a long-standing beef between the Salem descendants and Marie Laveau's crew, a cool swamp witch who loves Stevie Nicks, and, oh, Stevie Nicks herself. "Coven" stars all your favorite "AHS" regulars, like Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Evan Peters, and Denis O'Hare.



"Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues"

Pour yourself a big glass of scotchy scotch scotch and relax while San Diego's classiest anchorman heads to the Big Apple to face the 24-hour news cycle and, gasp, diversity and gender equality in the workplace. Netflix is streaming the super-sized R-rated version, too.



New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only



"A.I. Artificial Intelligence" (iTunes)

Steven Spielberg's divisive sci-fi film gives Pinocchio's story a futuristic spin, with Haley Joel Osment as an emotionally advanced robot named David who's desperate for the love of his human mom. When another sibling appears on the scene, things get pretty hairy for David and he has to go on the run, with his robotic teddy bear and a fellow Mecha known as Gigolo Joe (Jude Law).



"The Skeleton Twins" (iTunes)

In this bittersweet dramedy, Maggie (Kristen Wiig) and Milo (Bill Hader) are estranged twins who prove the old saw about only being as sick as your secrets. After a failed suicide attempt, Milo goes to stay with Maggie and her all-American husband Lance (Luke Wilson) in upstate New York. Although Milo's the one who's outwardly struggling, Maggie's trying to get a grip on her own self-destructive tendencies. Hader and Wiig are a perfect pair, even (especially?) when they're more serious than silly.



"We Need to Talk About Kevin" (Amazon Prime)

This chilling psychological thriller stars Tilda Swinton as mother of an extraordinarily troubled child who's grown into a violent, destructive teen. Flashbacks illustrate just how Eva (Swinton) and Kevin (Ezra Miller) ended up in the gruesome predicament they're in, starting with Eva's decidedly ambivalent feelings towards Kevin and his increasingly messed-up behavior. John C. Reilly co-stars as Kevin's deluded dad.







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'House of Cards' Season 3 Release Date Revealed Via 'Special Message'

You have an appointment with President Underwood on February 27, 2015. Best not miss it. Netflix revealed the release date for "House of Cards" Season 3 via this special message:

Post by House of Cards.

That's new President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) with First Lady Claire (Robin Wright). It should be interesting to see what they do with this increased power. "House of Cards" Season 2 hit Netflix last February 14, 2014, so you can catch up on what happened up to this point. You could also spend the time catching up on the BBC miniseries this is based on, since the original deserves some credit, too.







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'The Walking Dead' Fans Outraged at AMC For Spoiling Major Season 5 Death on Facebook

"The Walking Dead" Season 5's midseason finale aired last night (November 30) and it included the death of a major character. Right after the episode aired, AMC's official Facebook page for the show posted a photo that not only showed the character dead, but included a "RIP [Character]" note. See it here.



Apparently the spoiler photo was first posted right after the East Coast airing, before the West Coast even saw Episode 8, never mind the international fans who won't get a chance to see the show until Monday night. More than 32 million people "like" that Facebook page, so that's a lot of potentially ticked-off fans.



Fans reacted with outrage - but also with some hilarious memes - in more than 41,000 comments.



As one fan put it - to the approval of 14,960 others - "AMC, Look at the flowers." Another viewer wrote under the AMC spoiler, "This is the dumbest post I've ever seen from an official fb page. Spoiling a major plot point for millions of your fans? Someone should be fired over this." That was liked more than 8,000 times.



Fans shared various versions of "Thanks for ruining it for me," and sentiments like this: "It's one thing for comments to ruin an episode, you can mostly avoid them, but for the main page to ruin the show for people on the West coast or other countries goes against everything the show stands for. The air of mystery, the surprise element stolen from fans. Re-think your posts."



Sometimes it's safest just to stay off the Internet completely before a major show, but a new Facebook post can pop right in your face without you even wanting it to. Besides, there's a level of trust with an official site like this, as opposed to a fan or news site that you might already know to avoid until after you've seen the show. Then again, this is the official Facebook site of TWD and once it's aired on the East Coast, it's not technically a "spoiler" anymore, since it has aired. Why shouldn't East Coast viewers get a chance to react "live" too?



The debate is raging on in the comments, in case you'd like to join in, or just enjoy the ranting.







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New 'Star Wars' Actor John Boyega Slyly Addresses Hubbub Over Black Stormtrooper

First 'Better Call Saul' Sneak Peek: This Is How Saul Met Mike?

It wasn't exactly love at first sight for Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) and Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks). The "Breaking Bad" pair just got a showcase in AMC's first sneak peek for "Better Call Saul," which premieres Sunday, February 8, 2015. That's the same day that "The Walking Dead" Season 5 returns from winter break, and during the zombie show's midseason finale, AMC shared this clip from the "Breaking Bad" spinoff.



This scene, titled "No Parking," takes place long before lawyer Saul's time with Walter White, and shows the early relationship between Saul (aka Jimmy McGill) and Mike. Looks like Mike was a boss parking attendant before becoming a boss private investigator for Saul. The two men apparently had a payment run-in before this particular scene, but they clearly don't know each other well or Saul would never dare call Mike a "geezer." You can see what happens when he does.



It's always best to stay on Mike's good side.









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'The Walking Dead' Season 5, Episode 8 Recap: Midseason's Greetings

Is it a bad sign that, despite a major character death, the two moments that I found most compelling from the midseason finale of "The Walking Dead" didn't involve our departed cast member at all?



I'm asking not in search of absolution for my less-than-enthusiastic response to last night's episode, but because I'm slightly concerned about the the rest of this season following the hour's conclusion. After an incredibly strong start, I've found myself on the fence about some of the major (I use that term loosely) developments that have unfolded throughout season five, chief among them the introduction of the folks at Grady Memorial Hospital, and Beth's place among them. And after the midseason finale, "Coda," I'm still confused about their importance to the show's overall direction.



Take Beth's sudden death, for example. Yes, it's sad, and its execution was extremely shocking, but its bigger picture implications are unclear. Outside of giving Daryl (and to a lesser extent, Maggie) something new to brood over, why was it necessary? If the show was just going to kill her off anyway, why spend so much time attempting to give her a personality (with mixed results - her development at Grady was often more head-scratching than heart-warming), and putting her in the mix with an entirely new group of characters, if she wasn't going to be able to apply those experiences to her position as a member of Rick's group? On "The Walking Dead," it's a given that no one is really safe, from either the clutches of a zombie or the barrel of a stranger's gun. But as the show has focused more on the latter option over the past few seasons, it's seemed to have forgotten that killing characters just for killing's sake isn't exactly a sustainable approach to storytelling.



Like last week's episode, I found myself waiting for the real action to begin throughout much of "Coda." And aside from ending with a literal bang (courtesy of Dawn's gun), I still found this installment lacking in enough development to propel our survivors forward into a new year, and a new purpose.



One plot point that did give me hope for the future - and one of my top two moments from the episode, as referenced above - was the reappearance of Morgan, who finally popped up again last night after a lone, brief cameo in the season premiere. We spent a bit more time with him during "Coda," learning that he's followed Gareth's gang's trail from the tracks near Terminus all the way to the school where the cannibals roasted Bob's foot, to Father Gabriel's abandoned church.



After setting up some tokens (including a quirky candy bar, a bullet, and a rabbit's foot) and reflecting at the altar, Morgan notices the map given to Rick by Abraham in Episode 3, with the inscription of Rick's name inside. The look of recognition that washes over his face is a bit ambiguous (is he happy? Is he nervous to cross paths with Rick again after their last unsettling encounter?), but make no mistake: Morgan knows who he's following now. The only question is just how soon he's going to catch up - and how many members of Rick's group will still be around by then.



As for the sheriff's deputy, he's responsible for my other favorite moment of the hour, which admittedly doesn't have much importance, but delighted me nonetheless. While meeting up with some cops from Grady to arrange the deal to swap prisoners, Rick does his best Inigo Montoya impression. "I'm Rick Grimes," he says. "I was a deputy in the King County Sheriff's Department. I'm here to make a proposal." Only the additional utterance of "Prepare to die," or the revelation that Dawn had six fingers, could have made the "Princess Bride" allusion better. (I have no idea if this connection was intentional on the part of the "Walking Dead" writers, by the way, but this writer was quite amused.)



Despite that pseudo-Inigo moment, Rick still couldn't quite take charge of the plan to spring Carol and Beth from Grady, once again bowing to Daryl's demand that they make the trade with the captured officers. Obviously, that didn't end well, though it seems to me that the repercussions from that encounter will weigh more heavily on Daryl, since he lost such a close friend in Beth. If anything, that botched plot will inspire Rick to rule with an even tighter fist throughout the second half of season five - and as we've seen so far, the other characters haven't exactly taken kindly to Deputy Grimes playing sheriff lately. Rick might be letting his freak flag fly a bit too often in recent episodes - him running down the escaped prisoner only to taunt him, shoot him, and taunt him again springs to mind - but it's been an entertaining development, and one "TWD" will no doubt explore further down the road. Fingers crossed that he and Morgan can compare notes on the subject soon.



Other thoughts:



- Another recurring cameo from a previous episode: Bob's severed leg, which was still sitting on Gareth's group's campfire by the school, charred and covered in maggots. What a lovely surprise that was in no way disgusting.



- Father Gabriel made that discovery, and that was probably the most interesting thing that happened to him the entire episode. As I said in my midseason finale preview, I've lost interest in his character, and had sort of figured he'd be one of several people to die this week. The irony of him begging to be let back into the church - and the additional shot of the "eternal life" inscription above the altar - were nice callbacks to the beginning of the season, but I think his story has run out of steam. (Though as always, I invite the writers to prove me wrong.)



- Thankfully, Abraham's commandeered fire truck hasn't run out of steam - or gas - and comes crashing into the church just as Gabriel, Michonne, and Carl (carrying baby Judith in a backpack) wonder just what they're going to do after zombies infiltrate the building. Abraham's gang definitely holds my attention more than the latter bunch, and their arrival back at the church begins the reunion between all the survivors over in Atlanta. No definitive word yet on Eugene's condition - we only see him sitting silently in the back of the truck - but I'm hoping that the mulleted man makes a full recovery.



- I could not for the life of me figure out what those magazines were that Gabriel and Morgan spotted at Gareth's campsite. Anyone else figure out their names/significance?



- The scene in which Beth ultimately shoves Officer O'Donnell down the elevator shaft begins with a fairly hilarious shot of the young woman perched nonchalantly on the edge of the gaping opening. Because when I need to ponder life's major moments, daydreaming by the putrid pit where a hospital dumps dead bodies is my first choice, too.



- O'Donnell, meanwhile, seems to have come from the Gorman School of Generic-Looking A-Hole Cops, shoving an elderly ward to the ground and hollering at Beth, "Stay in your lane, bitch!" when Beth tries to intervene in his fight with Dawn. Dude deserved to get the shaft.



- "You keep telling yourself you have to do whatever it takes, just until this is all over. But it isn't over. This is it. This is who you are, and what this place is until the end." - Beth was usually reliable for a truth-telling monologue, and words like these (directed at Dawn, but applicable to anyone in the "Walking Dead" universe) will be missed.



- It seemed fairly unnecessary for Rick's entire group - including Daryl, Tyreese, Sasha, and Noah - to go into the hospital for the prisoner exchange. Why didn't someone stay outside to keep watch? Didn't they think that maybe, in case something bad went down, they should leave a person to escape/get help? Yet another odd choice in a plan teeming with seemingly nothing but. The fact that Dawn tried to play them to take Noah back should have surprised no one; instead, it led to both Beth and Dawn taking bullets to the head. (Not that Dawn will be missed.)



- I'm not sure if any Grady residents took Rick up on the offer to leave with his group, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone (particularly the wards) would turn him down -- especially after that botched exchange, which happened in front of everyone. Then again, it's probably hard to overcome brainwashing that severe. (And plus, Dr. Edwards wouldn't have anywhere to store his Caravaggio out in the wild.)



- I almost completely forgot about Carol this episode, and it seems that the writers did, too. She only popped up for a couple minutes toward the end, and had no lines. A fairly disappointing end for the woman who kicked things off so fiercely in the season premiere, then faded to the background as episodes progressed. I'm hoping that Carol gets her due -- no doubt in helping Daryl grieve for Beth -- during the second half of the season.



- And that's a wrap on season 5.1 of "The Walking Dead." See you in February, everyone.



Photo credit: Gene Page/AMC







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