2011 Pixar short directed by Angus MacLane
Small Fry is a 2011 American computer-animated short film written and directed by Angus MacLane. It was shown in theaters with The Muppets on November 23, 2011.
Small Fry is the second short in the Toy Story Toons series, based on the characters from the Toy Story feature films. The short involves Buzz getting trapped at a fast food restaurant, where there is a support group for discarded kids' meal 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 is disappointed to receive a Zurg belt buckle as her kids' meal toy, as the restaurant ran out of Mini Buzz Lightyear 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 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, Mini Zurg is left with the electronic belt buckle as his sole companion, much to his delight.
Production notes
The "Condorman" toy is a reference to the Disney live action comedy/adventure film Condorman (1981); in an interview, director Angus MacLane 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."[1]
Release
This short premiered with the theatrical release of The Muppets, on November 23, 2011.[2]
Home media
As of July 2012, Small Fry is available as a digital download on Amazon Video,[3] and iTunes.[4] The short was released on November 9, 2012, on the DVD and Blu Ray of Pixar Short Films Collection, Volume 2.[5] It is also on the Toy Story of Terror! Blu Ray, released on August 19, 2014.
