History WesternAnimation / Toystory

* ProductPlacement: Inverted. Product placement would be if they got paid to include the toys in their film. No, they had to pay for the rights to show any real-world brand of toys. So really, it's the ''opposite'' of {{product placement}}.

* TemptingFate: "It's safer in the cockpit than the cargo area... {{what an idiot}}." And no points for guessing who was right.

* AwardBaitSong: "When She Loved Me", by Music/{{Sarah McLachlan}}.

* MalevolentArchitecture: Zurg's [[ElaborateUndergroundBase underground]] [[SupervillainLair fortress]] is designed this way, of course. Firstly, there's a [[SpikesOfDoom spiked]] [[AdvancingWallofDoom wall closing in on Buzz, really fast]], to the point where he needs to sprint and jump out the [[IndyHatRoll closing door]] at the other end of the corridor. And, of course, there's a really scary {{bottomless pit}} to deal with (but of course, there are [[TemporaryPlatform temporarily floating platforms]] to jump on). However, the platforms suddenly fall off (with Buzz). Fortunately, he is reminded of his utility belt and suddenly presses a life-saving button to [[BottomlessPitRescueService suddenly fly]] back to the platform containing Zurg's [[PhlebotinumBattery "source of energy".]]

* RumpRoast: In a "Woody's Roundup" episode, Prospector tries to put out a dynamite fuse by sitting on it, resulting in a ShoutOut to ''WhoFramedRogerRabbit'': "My biscuits are burning!"

!!Tropes in the first ''Toy Story''

* LoveRedeems: Played with for Buzz, Buzz rejoins the team because of being physically reset by Rex. However, Kens love for Barbia was key to getting the instruction manual. Buzz did eventually get back to his regular self through his love for Jessie, the television hit Buzz, giving him reverse amnesia, because he was more worried about Jessie's safety than his own.

** The Gameboy Color version, on the other hand, suffers from horrible music, poorly-drawn graphics, and broken controls (although YourMileageMayVary).

* ActorAllusion: This isn't the first time WayneKnight plays [[JurassicPark an unscrupulous character]] who is an overweight slob who steals something of importance to the characters for his employers for a boatload of cash.

* OncePerEpisode: If you think about it, each movie has a ''StarWars'' ShoutOut to the corresponding ''StarWars'' movie in the Original Trilogy -- first movie references ''ANewHope'', second movie references ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'', and the third movie references ''ReturnOfTheJedi''.
*** ''Toy Story'': Buzz talking about delivering secret plans that reveal the weakness of a weapon that can destroy a planet, and Sid's "Where's the rebel base? Talk!" (''ANewHope'')
*** ''Toy Story 2'': Zurg's "[[LukeIAmYourFather I am your father]]", plus the BigNo from [[spoiler:[[CaptainSpaceDefenderofEarth the other Buzz]]]] that follows. (''TheEmpireStrikesBack'')
*** ''Toy Story 3'': Big Baby [[spoiler:[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k0YUkuUsNc#t=45s throwing Lotso into the dumpster]] ]] (''ReturnOfTheJedi'')

* ShoutOut: And quite a few also count as a ParentalBonus. Some of our favorites:
** The "Pizza Planet" truck has showed up in almost every {{Pixar}}-created work.
** While trying to escape Sid's house Woody repeatedly calls out, "[[Film/TheWizardOfOz There's no place like home!]]".
** The toy repairman in the second movie is Geri from the {{Pixar short|s}} ''Geri's Game'', where he plays a game of chess against himself. While he's repairing Woody the music from the short plays and one of the drawers in his toolbox is filled with chess pieces.
** Each movie in the trilogy contains a shout out to its corresponding film in the original ''StarWars'' trilogy: See OncePerEpisode above.
** Rex with "Objects are closer than they appear" in the toy car's rearview mirror in ''Toy Story 2'', to the scene DEAD ON from the [[TyrannosaurusRex T-Rex]] Chase in JurassicPark, HilarityEnsues.
*** Rex's roars in ''Toy Story 3'''s opening are standard JurassicPark [[TyrannosaurusRex T-Rex]] roars as well.
** In the chase scene at the end of ''Toy Story'', you get a quick glance inside the car, and the radio's playing [[TheLionKing Hakuna Matata]].
** ''{{Lassie}}'' (in first two movies).
** In ''Toy Story 2'', there are WesternAnimation/ABugsLife toys in [[ChekhovsArmoury Al's Toy Barn]].
** ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' at the beginning of ''Toy Story 2''.
** After calling Woody "a sad, strange little man", he does the [[StarTrek Live long and prosper hand thingy, known as the Vulcan salute]].
** A [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashed]] Buzz's "[[CoolHandLuke spend a night in the box]]" monologue, "the box" being a covered sandbox.
** Woody's head [[Film/TheExorcist spinning all the way around]].
*** Big Baby doing the same in ''Toy Story 3''.
** A plush [[MyNeighborTotoro Totoro]] toy appears as one of [[ShrinkingViolet Bonnie's]] toys in ''Toy Story 3''. (It should be noted that {{Pixar}} has done the English dub of every Miyazaki movie since ''SpiritedAway'', and Lasseter is close friends with Miyazaki himself.)
*** Miyazaki is referenced even in the credits with a "special thanks".
** Both the Alien Slime soda dispenser and the Whack-a-Alien game from the first movie are a reference to the titular monster from the film ''{{Alien}}''.
** Third movie: Right before the preschool kids burst into the room, some smaller toys are hiding and quivering under a cabinet, mirroring ''[[PixarShorts Tin Toy]]''
*** Many people have made note of the similarity between Big Baby and the terrifying, doll-like baby in "[[PixarShorts Tin Toy]]". They even make the exact same sounds!
*** In the first film when Woody is holding the staff meeting before Sarge and his men are sent out, there's a book on the shelf behind Woody called "Tin Toy". Its a thin green one.
** In the opening sequence of ''Toy Story 2'', listen close and you'll catch at least half a dozen classic sound effects from ''StarWars'', including the Darth Vader breathing, the lightsaber sound, and the blaster sounds from both the X-Wing and TIE Fighter.
*** And the LukeIAmYourFather moment between Zurg and Buzz.
** Pay close attention as they flip through the channels in ''Toy Story 2'' and you'll see snippets from several PixarShorts on the TV.
*** The titles of several PixarShorts appear on books on Andy's shelf in the 1st film.
** The overall plot and tone of the series (especially the third film) has more than a glancing similarity to ''TheBraveLittleToaster'' -- the first feature-length film Lasseter and Ranft worked on.
** The evil [[CymbalBangingMonkey cymbal monkey]] ''had'' to have been at least partially inspired by ''MerlinsShopOfMysticalWonders''.
** The little binocular wind-up toy could be a reference to the same character appearing way back in the cute {{Disney}} documentary ''[[http://madnessmonster.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/toys-come-from-review/ Where The Toys Come From]]''.
** Look quick at the books Andy packs away and you'll spot the title of [[AIArtificialIntelligence another sad movie about a nonhuman who loves his owner unconditionally and went to great lengths to find her again]].
** In the 2nd movie Mr. Potato Head takes off his hat and throws it at the door of [[VillainousGlutton Al's]] apartment building to keep it from closing. Oddjob from ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'' couldn't have done it better.
** In the first film, perpetually-anxious Rex spouts "I just don't think I can take that kind of rejection!" then later "I don't like confrontation!", two lines from perpetually-anxious [[Film/BackToTheFuture George McFly]].
** When Buzz (excuse me, "Mrs. Nesbitt") is having tea, he says he's "sucking down darjeeling with Marie Antoinette and her little sister." The dolls are both headless, so which is which doesn't matter so much, but this is (potentially) referencing both Marie Antoinette's fate of beheading and [[Series/TheAddamsFamily Wednesday Addams's doll.]]
** Pizza Planet's entrance is guarded by old-school [[Series/BattlestarGalacticaClassic Cylon centurions]]. [[http://pixar.wikia.com/File:Pizzaplanetentrance.jpg Behold!]]
** Buzz comes across the new line of Buzzes in the toy store, and notes the snazzy utility belt, saying "I'd like to get me one of those," echoing TimAllen's fixit man character in HomeImprovement (who often wore a toolbelt).
** In the second movie, Slinky-Dog says "I'm not a smart dog, but I know what roadkill is.", parodying the line "I'm not a smart man, but I know what love is." from ''ForrestGump'', another movie that starred TomHanks.
** At the end of the first film, Rex is more enthusiastic about Christmas, hoping that Andy will get another dinosaur - a herbivore so that he can be dominant. He doesn't, but in Toy Story 3 he meets Trixie, who belongs to Bonnie. Guess what? Triceratops are herbivores!

->''[[{{Catchphrase}} "To Infinity...]] [[BeyondTheImpossible and Beyond!"]]''

* FauxSymbolism: In Woody's nightmare, the cards surrounding him are all the ace of spades, the card used to represent death in fortune telling.

** Not flying, but "falling with style".

* FauxSymbolism: Yeah. The incinerator? ''Totally'' not a metaphor for Hell. Heck, the whole journey through the Dump could be a condensed, metaphorical adaptation for [[DivineComedy Dante's Inferno]].
** Most of the theories posted here originally can now be found in the [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WMG/ToyStory Wild Mass Guessing/Toy Story page]]
** One working theory is that the ''entire third movie'' is a metaphor for the afterlife. See [[Analysis/ToyStory this essay]] for more info.

* OscarBait: Pixar has decided to aim for a Best Picture nom, which includes running an ad campaign that make {{homage}}s to previous winners e.g. Lotso as TheGodfather and Woody as ForrestGump.

* PrisonEpisode: ''Toy Story 3'' itself, or at least a significant portion of it, arguably counts what with [[spoiler:Sunnyside]] being portrayed as essentially a prison. Bonus points for the [[{{HSQ}} shock]] [[DarkerAndEdgier value]] of having a prison episode in a G-rated {{Pixar}} series.

** In ''Toy Story 2'', there are ABugsLife toys in [[ChekhovsArmoury Al's Toy Barn]].

* TheElevatorFromIpanema: When Al is riding the elevator down to the lobby, the music playing is a "Ipanema"-style version of the main theme from ''ABugsLife''.

* HilariousOuttakes: Continuing from the popular gag from ''ABugsLife'', ''Toy Story 2'' features bloopers as though these are real actors performing on set.

*** Buzz's dialogue after Woody and the others attempt to reset him is the exact same as his dialogue when he first came out of his box... except in Spanish. Also, he aims his laser right at the center of Woody's forehead... which is exactly what he did upon meeting Woody for the first time in the first movie.

** ''Toy Story 3'' is an ''especially'' strong case of this, as it had [[spoiler:some of the darkest moments in the series, but also arguably the happiest ending; the others end with {{Sequel Hook}}s like "wow, a new puppy" in the first, and "worried about Andy?" in the second. The third instead has all the toys together with their new owner, and then cuts to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t51XXAEnnbs a credits epilogue with a dance party at Sunnyside, implied to "now be sunny again," and a montage of the toys getting along well with their new owner's other toys.]]]]
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: No boy's toy collection would be complete without a TyrannosaurusRex, though Rex is actually a bit of a coward, a goofball and a gamer geek. The third movie introduces Trixie, whose design seems to imply that they're from the same toyline.

** At the tea party

** While trying to escape Sid's house Woody yells "[[Film/TheWizardOfOz There's no place like home!]]".

** Also, Zurg's blaster [[SpinalTap goes up to eleven]].

** ''[[{{Airplane}} Toy Story]]''[[{{Airplane}} : "The white zone is for eating pizza only."]]''[[{{Airplane}} Toy Story 2]]''[[{{Airplane}} : "The white zone is for loading and unloading of passengers only." Followed, five minutes later by: "The red zone is for loading and unloading of passengers only."]]
*** "We can't park here! This is a ''WHITE'' zone."

* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: Mr. Potato Head saying, "Prepare to meet '''Mr. Angry Eyes'''!. [[RummageFail Too bad he got his spare feet instead...]]

** In the 2nd movie Mr. Potato Head takes off his hat and throws it at the door of [[VillainousGlutton Al's]] apartment building to keep it from closing. Oddjob from ''{{Goldfinger}}'' couldn't have done it better.
** In the first film, perpetually-anxious Rex spouts "I just don't think I can take that kind of rejection!" then later "I don't like confrontation!", two lines from perpetually-anxious [[BackToTheFuture George [=McFly=]]].

* DarkerAndEdgier: While there's some dispute as to whether the first or second installment is darker [[hottip:*:(the first has a prank being mistaken in-universe for attempted murder, the second deals fairly explicitly with abandonment issues)]] the third is generally agreed to be by far the darkest. It's basically a PrisonEpisode for the series, with [[CuteIsEvil sadistic teddy bears]], [[CreepyChild demonic children]], {{Cymbal Banging Monkey}}s, and all ending with [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel a trip to the fiery gates of hell]]. Most notably though is how the movie puts even more emphasis on the toys' fears of becoming disowned by their owners.

''Toy Story 3'' takes place about 11 years after the second {{film}}; Andy (now a teenager) heads to college, and the plot follows the adventures of Andy's childhood toys as they are accidentally donated to a daycare center for a new generation of kids to enjoy, much to the toys' dismay. It continues and the second movie's themes of abandonment and growing up.

''Toy Story 3'' takes place about 11 years after the second {{film}}; Andy (now a teenager) heads to college, and the plot follows the adventures of Andy's childhood toys as they are accidentally donated to a daycare center for a new generation of kids to enjoy, much to the toys' dismay. It continues the second movie's themes of abandonment and growing up while not feeling like a rehash. The plot eventually becomes ''TheBraveLittleToaster'' [[XMeetsY meets]] ''TheGreatEscape'', while offering Woody and the gang a [[GrandFinale satisfying conclusion]]. [[TearJerker Tears ensued]].

** Woody's head [[TheExorcist spinning all the way around]].

* ContinuityLockout: True, this isn't ''[[TheMatrix Matrix Revolutions]]''. But viewers new to the series may wonder why the green aliens are constantly talking about "the Claw". An attempt to bridge this gap is made when they first arrive at the daycare. The aliens point at a construction vehicle toy with a claw and say "The Claw!" to establish that connection with new viewers.