The Simpsons gag reimagines Tim Allen’s iconic animated role, taking a dark turn in a wild, animated multi-property Toy Story crossover video. In The Simpsons season 5 episode, “Deep Space Homer,” NASA is looking for a surefire way to revitalize viewing figures and interest in the Space Program, leading to Homer Simpson (Dan Castelanetta) being recruited to become an astronaut. When trying to figure out what contemporary Americans wanted, NASA’s leadership saw what television could offer, flicking through various sitcoms, including a twisted parody of Allen’s hit ’90s sitcom, Home Improvement.
Looking back at The Simpsons season 5 episode, Mark Cannataro Films took the premise of the gag and added a layered, surprising twist on it through a new video on his Instagram. Check it out below:
When Buzz Lightyear takes the place of Allen’s television role and tries to give an upgrade to RC, a tragic death occurs outside Andy’s home, as the surrogate ball best friend from Cast Away is flattened. An all-new layer is added when Woody is horrified by Wilson’s fate in another throwback to the 1986 Tom Hanks movie.
With Toy Story‘s unshakable place in movie and animation history, it is no surprise that The Simpsons had plenty of jabs and nods to the beloved Pixar feature. This includes the appearance of Mr. Potato Head in multiple episodes and parody versions of Pixar and Randy Newman getting aggressive against the competition in season 22’s “Angry Day: The Movie.” Toy Story has also appeared in The Simpson‘s Disney+ animated specials, with Marge (Julie Kavner) dressing as Bo Peep to announce the series joining Disney+ in 2019’s “Everybody Smile” and the cast appearing in 2021’s “Plusaversary.”
However, the most notable nod in The Simpsons is “Toy Gory,” “Treehouse of Horror XXXI’s” first segment in 2020. Featuring a major switch from 2D animation to a 3D-animated style, the segment sees Bart’s (Nancy Cartwright) dismembered and tortured toys exact a brutal and chilling vengeance on him for his Sid-like behavior. Alongside the major animation shift, the episode also features a Newman-esque song about Bart’s twisted fate, further drawing connections between the twisted Halloween tale and its animated inspiration.
Though The Simpsons is no stranger to jabs at Pixar or their Disney leadership, the video animation is a fitting twist on a short but silly gag. Rather than relying solely on Allen’s Toy Story connections to bring laughs, the layers included with Wilson and then Woody’s comedic flop onto the ground are hilarious additions. As such, viewers may be curious about what other multi-property crossovers could be produced similarly across The Simpsons‘ 35-year history.
Source: Mark Cannataro Films/Instagram