(Keep an eye out for a number of Barbie’s most iconic outfits, including her zebra-print bathing suit.) Keaton was one of the great additions to the Toy Story universe (his subsequent disappearance from the franchise is baffling), so to see him share center stage is a real treat, especially in a short that is so warm and loving. When they open Bonnie’s backpack and discover they’re still at the house, the rest of the toys rally and attempt to give them their dream Hawaiian vacation. Set during Bonnie’s winter vacation, Ken ( Michael Keaton) and Barbie ( Jodi Benson) think that they’re going with her. The first “Toy Story Toon” short, released a year after Toy Story 3 (and attached to Cars 2), “ Hawaiian Vacation” is a beautifully animated charmer. “Partysaurus Rex” is notable for being primarily animated at the now shuttered Pixar Canada campus, for being the final “Toy Story Toon” (for now) and for inspiring an after-hours hard-ticket event at Walt Disney World’s water park Typhoon Lagoon. But it’s ultimately pretty one-note and Rex’s decision to ultimately flood the bathtub seems questionable. The short, written and directed by longtime Pixar artist Mark Walsh, is really, really funny and the way that Rex transforms a suburban bathtub into a debauched rave is spellbinding, with some of the most extreme and vibrant lighting that Pixar has ever done and some killer dance tunes courtesy of American electronic artist BT. Thus, Partypooper Rex is transformed into Partysaurus Rex. Dubbed “Partypooper Rex” by Potato Head, he heads off to the bathtub with Bonnie and when she gets out, is coerced by the other bathtub toys to turn the water back on and get the party going. “What up fishes?” The concept for “ Partysaurus Rex,” a short film that accompanied the 3D theatrical re-release of Finding Nemo (remember when they were doing that?), is pretty simple: the other toys label Rex ( Wallace Shawn) a buzzkill after he literally bursts a giant bubble. And having Tom Hanks’ brother Jim fill in for him as Woody (as he often does on theme park attractions, videogames and toys) doesn’t help anything either. There are definitely some cute moments, like a montage of Bo’s environments over the years, and it’s great to be back in Toy Story 4’s irresistible carnival setting at the beginning and end of the short, but this short is kind of a drag. But there isn’t a lot of story there it isn’t all that funny or interesting and feels like the equivalent of Toy Story fan fiction. "Lamp Life" was written and directed by Valerie LaPointe, a story artist on Toy Story 4 who was involved with the (re) development of the Bo character (voiced here once again by Annie Potts), so it’s understandable as to why she would want to make a short film detailing the time between when Bo left the gang and when she and Woody reconnected. Unfortunately, the short itself is pretty lackluster. Originally intended as a bonus feature for the home video release of Toy Story 4, “ Lamp Life” got some additional buzz when it became a Disney+ exclusive. But it’s more of an oddball piece of Toy Story miscellanea, than an actual compelling piece of the larger story. It’s directed by Tad Stones, the guiding force of the early days of Walt Disney Television Animation and the creator of Darkwing Duck, so the story is competently told. The rest of the movie isn’t bad, exactly. ( Tom Hanks’ brother, Jim, voices Woody.) Pixar also animated the logo and a graphics-heavy introduction of the film’s characters. Potato Head doesn’t appear due to a dispute at the time with Hasbro. Weirdly, Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton voices Hamm and Mr. Lee Ermey, Wallace Shawn, and Joe Ranft (as Wheezy). They created a nearly three-minute opening sequence, featuring Tim Allen (who reprises his role for the rest of the movie), R. While Pixar wasn’t involved in the television series, aside from creating the wordless, 30-second intro, they were much more present for the movie/pilot. It was a traditionally animated, direct-to-video feature that also served as the extended pilot to the short-lived animated series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. If you’ve never heard of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, that’s okay.
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