''Small Fry'' is a 2011 American
computer animated
Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refer ...
short film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
written and directed by
Angus MacLane
Angus MacLane (born April 13, 1975) is an American animator, storyboard artist, character designer, screenwriter, film director, and voice actor currently working at Pixar. He co-directed the film ''Finding Dory'' (2016) and made his solo feature ...
. It was shown in theaters with ''
The Muppets
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...
'' on November 23, 2011.
''Small Fry'' is the second short in the ''
Toy Story Toons
''Toy Story Toons'' is an American computer-animated series of short films based on the ''Toy Story'' franchise. The storylines of the series begin after ''Toy Story 3''. The films are set at Bonnie's house, the new home of Andy's toys. Three sho ...
'' series, based on the characters from the ''
Toy Story
''Toy Story'' is a 1995 American computer-animated comedy film directed by John Lasseter (in his feature directorial debut), produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The first installment in the '' Toy Story ...
'' feature films. The short involves Buzz getting trapped at a
fast food
Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredien ...
restaurant, where there is a
support group
In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping str ...
for discarded
kids' meal
The kids' meal or children's meal is a fast food combination meal tailored to and marketed to children. Most kids' meals come in colorful bags or cardboard boxes with depictions of activities/games on the bag or box and a toy inside. Most sta ...
toys from over the years, with a kids' meal toy version of Buzz taking his place.
Plot
One night at fast-food chicken restaurant Poultry Palace,
Bonnie
Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...
is disappointed to receive a
Zurg
This is a list of characters from Disney/Pixar's ''Toy Story'' franchise which consists of the animated films ''Toy Story'' (1995), ''Toy Story 2'' (1999), ''Toy Story 3'' (2010) and ''Toy Story 4'' (2019), and ''Lightyear'' (2022). This list also ...
belt buckle as her kids' meal toy, as the restaurant ran out of Mini
Buzz Lightyear
Buzz Lightyear is the main character in the ''Toy Story'' franchise created by Disney and Pixar mainly voiced by Tim Allen. He is a Superhero toy action figure based on the in-universe media franchise consisting of a blockbuster feature fi ...
toys. In a nearby display cabinet, a Mini Buzz Lightyear complains to a Mini Zurg that they will never be played with, but Mini Zurg prefers to stay.
After eating dinner, Bonnie goes to play in the
ball pit
A ball pit (originally called a ball crawl, also known as a ball pool or ball pond) is a padded box or pool filled with small colorful hollow plastic balls generally no larger than in diameter. They are typically marketed as recreation and exe ...
with Rex and Buzz Lightyear, whom she brought along. Seizing a chance to be played with, Mini Buzz sneaks out of the display cabinet, climbs into the ball pit, and pulls Buzz under the balls to take his place. Bonnie's mother packs the toys in her bag, unaware that Mini Buzz was not the real Buzz.
Mini Buzz successfully fools Rex into thinking he is the real Buzz and that he was shrunk by the plastic in the ball pit, though when they return home, the other toys instantly realize he is an imposter. Meanwhile, Buzz emerges from the balls and discovers he was left behind at the restaurant, which is now closed.
While trying to escape, Buzz discovers a storage room where a support group for abandoned fast food toys is being held, led by a mermaid toy named Neptuna.
The support group thinks Buzz is another victim of abandonment and he is forced to take part in the meeting. During a reenactment therapy session, Buzz meets Gary Grappling Hook, a toy grappling hook and a member of the group, and he uses him to escape. Back at Bonnie's house, the other toys demand Mini Buzz to reveal Buzz's whereabouts, and then begin devising a plan to break into Poultry Palace and save him.
However, Buzz soon finds his way home and returns, confronting Mini Buzz about his behavior. Mini Buzz is then seen at the support group opening up to the others, with Buzz now accompanying him as his sponsor. In a
post-credits scene
A post-credits scene (commonly referred to as a stinger or credit cookie) or mid-credits scene is a short clip that appears after all or some of the closing credits have rolled and sometimes after a production logo of a film, TV series, or video g ...
, Mini Zurg is left with the electronic belt buckle as his sole companion, much to his delight.
Voice cast
*
Tim Allen
Timothy Alan Dick (born June 13, 1953), known professionally as Tim Allen, is an American actor and comedian. He is known for playing Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the ABC sitcom ''Home Improvement'' (1991–1999) and Mike Baxter on the ABC/Fo ...
as
Buzz Lightyear
Buzz Lightyear is the main character in the ''Toy Story'' franchise created by Disney and Pixar mainly voiced by Tim Allen. He is a Superhero toy action figure based on the in-universe media franchise consisting of a blockbuster feature fi ...
*
Teddy Newton
Teddy Newton (born March 3, 1964) is an artist at Pixar Animation Studios. He has worked as a storyboard artist for ''2 Stupid Dogs'', ''The Iron Giant'', and '' Dexter's Laboratory''.
Newton co-wrote ''Jack-Jack Attack'' as well as did the voic ...
as Mini Buzz Lightyear
*
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
as
Woody
*
Joan Cusack
Joan Mary Cusack (; born October 11, 1962) is an American actress. She received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in the comedy-drama ''Working Girl'' (1988) and the romantic comedy '' In & Out'' (1997) ...
as
Jessie
*
Estelle Harris
Estelle Harris (''née'' Nussbaum; April 22, 1928 – April 2, 2022) was an American actress and comedienne, known for her exaggerated shrill, grating voice. She was best known for her role as Estelle Costanza on ''Seinfeld''. Her other roles in ...
as Mrs. Potato Head
*
Wallace Shawn
Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...
as Rex
*
John Ratzenberger
John Dezso Ratzenberger (born April 6, 1947)[About John](_blank)
from Ratzenberger's official website is an Americ ...
as Hamm
*
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian and author. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series ''Glee'' (2009–2015), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. Lynch also gained recogni ...
as Neptuna
*
Angus MacLane
Angus MacLane (born April 13, 1975) is an American animator, storyboard artist, character designer, screenwriter, film director, and voice actor currently working at Pixar. He co-directed the film ''Finding Dory'' (2016) and made his solo feature ...
as T-Bone, Super Pirate, Kangaroo Canoe, Funky Monk, Gary Grappling Hook
*
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (; born 21 March 1946) is a British actor. Beginning his career on stage, he made his film debut as Philip II of France in the 1968 historical drama ''The Lion in Winter''. He gained international prominence as ...
as Mr. Pricklepants
*
Peter Sohn
Peter Sohn (born October 18, 1977) is an American animator, voice actor, storyboard artist, and film director. He is known for his work at Pixar Animation Studios as the director of 2015's ''The Good Dinosaur''. He has also been the voice of Emil ...
as Recycle Ben
*
Emily Hahn
Emily "Mickey" Hahn (, January 14, 1905 – February 18, 1997) was an American journalist and writer. Considered an early feminist and called "a forgotten American literary treasure" by ''The New Yorker'' magazine, she was the author of 54 books a ...
as Bonnie
*
Lori Alan
Lori Alan (born July 18, 1966) is an American actress and voice actress. She has played a long-running role as Pearl Krabs on the animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. She also voiced Diane Simmons on ''Family Guy'', the Invisible ...
as Bonnie's mom, Tae-Kwon Doe
*
Josh Cooley
Joshua Cooley (born May 23, 1979) is an American animator, screenwriter, director and voice actor. He is best known for directing the 2019 film ''Toy Story 4'', the fourth film of the ''Toy Story'' franchise, for which he won the Academy Awar ...
as Cashier, Lizard Wizard
*
Jess Harnell
Jess Harnell (born December 23, 1963) is an American voice actor and singer. His notable roles include Captain Hero in the animated TV series ''Drawn Together'', Wakko Warner in ''Animaniacs'', Ironhide in the first three ''Transformers'' films ...
as Mini Zurg, Vlad the Engineer
* Bret Parker as DJ Blu-Jay
* Emily Forbes as Roxy Boxy
* Kitt Hirasaki as Nervous Sys-Tim
*
Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Jaime Alazraqui (born July 20, 1962) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, impressionist, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on ''Reno 911!'' and for his voice acting roles. His extensive ...
as Koala Kopter
*
Bob Bergen
Robert Bergen (born March 8, 1964) is an American voice actor. He voices Warner Bros. cartoon characters Porky Pig and Tweety and has voiced characters in the English dubs of various anime. He formerly hosted the children's game show '' Jep!'', ...
as
Condorman
''Condorman'' is a 1981 American adventure spy comedy superhero film directed by Charles Jarrott, produced by Walt Disney Productions, and starring Michael Crawford, Barbara Carrera and Oliver Reed. The movie follows comic book illustrator Woodrow ...
* Jason Topolski as Ghost Burger, Pizza Bot
*
Jim Ward as Franklin
Production notes
The "Condorman" toy is a reference to the Disney live action comedy/adventure film ''
Condorman
''Condorman'' is a 1981 American adventure spy comedy superhero film directed by Charles Jarrott, produced by Walt Disney Productions, and starring Michael Crawford, Barbara Carrera and Oliver Reed. The movie follows comic book illustrator Woodrow ...
'' (1981); in an interview, director
Angus MacLane
Angus MacLane (born April 13, 1975) is an American animator, storyboard artist, character designer, screenwriter, film director, and voice actor currently working at Pixar. He co-directed the film ''Finding Dory'' (2016) and made his solo feature ...
said, "I'm hoping for a very small sub set of the Disney animation fans to be stoked that there is actually a Condorman toy. Maybe it will stir up some buzz about a gritty re boot."
Release
This short premiered with the theatrical release of ''
The Muppets
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...
'', on November 23, 2011.
Home media
As of July 2012, ''Small Fry'' is available as a digital download on
Amazon Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service pri ...
, and
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
.
The short was released on November 9, 2012, on the DVD and Blu Ray of ''
Pixar Short Films Collection, Volume 2''.
It is also on the ''
Toy Story of Terror!
''Toy Story of Terror!'' is an American computer-animated Halloween television special produced by Pixar Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures, based on the ''Toy Story'' franchise. It is set af ...
'' Blu Ray, released on August 19, 2014.
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Small Fry (film)
2011 films
2011 computer-animated films
2010s American animated films
2010s animated short films
Films scored by Henry Jackman
Films directed by Angus MacLane
Pixar short films
Films with screenplays by John Lasseter
Toy Story
Films about dolls
2010s English-language films