MIDNIGHT REVIEWS Top 10 Crazy Plot Twists and Easter Eggs from Movies
Midnight Reviews features reviews and thought pieces written and edited by a parent, at night, after bedtime.
Being a parent and keeping up with all of the reviews and thought pieces I post is a tricky thing. Especially when my son slinks into the room and I’m halfway through watching something truly engrossing, with a deadline to boot. At this point I usually have to stick on something he likes if it’s TV time.
Anyway, I pride myself and get a real buzz out of the research I put into each piece I write. And I hope with each and every article that this one isn’t the one that bursts onto your screen and wrecks your day.
That being said, I’ve taken some extra time on this one to delve deep into movie history and give you the most interesting plot twists, easter eggs and background details you may have missed from the movies that matter.
10. Toy Story 2 Shares a Universe (Toy Story 2)
Late on in Toy Story 2, the toys arrive at an airport, chasing Al as he puts Woody and the Round-Up Gang into check-in. However, if you listen closely to the beginning of the scene, you will hear an announcement that lets us know that ‘The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers.’ Parking is a no-go, presumably under penalty of some sort of fine or other minor punishment depending on waiting time and whether it’s a repeat offence. I don’t know, I’m not a litigator or a realtor.
Those in the know will recognise the white zone/red zone announcement from the movie Airplane! where two announcers get into a heated argument over which zone is for which activity.
Therefore, it can be safely assumed that Toy Story 2 and Airplane! actually share a universe, and that Woody and Jessie were even on the same flight. It’s not inconceivable that some of the problems in Airplane! were even created by the Round-Up Gang themselves!
Similar can be said for other movies that have this announcement, meaning that Airplane! is the Kevin Bacon of movies and is the interconnecting crossroads for every movie universe ever. Except maybe Star Wars. They’d probably just have someone say it in Elvish or something.
9. Another Batch of Toys Were Crushed (Toy Story 2)
In the famous movie Toy Story 2, our heroes commandeer a Pizza Planet delivery van, driving wantonly towards and into any traffic that comes their way. Early on in their vehicular crusade, the van careens through a batch of traffic cones, placed seemingly at random by whoever was working on the road crew.
However, is this not a similar configuration to how Buzz and co had their cones when they were crossing the road, in their bid to reach Al’s Toy Barn? It seems that in trying their best to save Woody, some other toys had to be sacrificed.
8. Zurg is Buzz’s Father (Toy Story 2)
A little-known detail you may have missed from the famous Disney/Pixar movie Toy Story 2 is that Zurg, the minor villain found first in a Buzz Lightyear video game and then as a toy attempting to stop Buzz and co from rescuing Woody, is actually Buzz Lightyear’s father.
Eagle-eyed viewers will have spotted that the word ‘Zurg’ actually means ‘Robo-Papa Bear’ which will have given fans who speak Latin a heads-up as to this plot twist.
7. Al is Andy’s Father (Toy Story 2)
Have you ever seen Andy’s father? Ever even heard a conversation between the two? No, and that’s because Al, the main villain from the famous Disney/Pixar movie Toy Story 2, is actually Andy’s father.
This makes perfect sense, from the way Andy’s mother interacts with him (stand-offish, direct but not rude, almost as if she holds some sort of grudge against him (this would seem to imply that he was at fault for the divorce)) to the way the toys don’t recognise him. Of course they wouldn’t. Because Andy’s father isn’t around.
6. Some Humans Know About the Toys (Toy Story 2)
You have to wait until the end credits of the famous Disney/Pixar movie Toy Story 2 to fully realise this, but when you do it’ll blow the entire Toy Story universe apart. You’ll never see it the same way again.
Different clips, featuring various characters from the movie, seem to imply that there is a subset of illuminati-like humans that are aware that the toys are alive — and are making hit movies with them! This subset of humans could crush us all. We must not let them in on our awareness.
5. Woody is Unprofessional (Toy Story 2)
With rumours of lateness on set and other diva-like behaviour, Woody from the famous Disney/Pixar movie Toy Story 2 can also be seen on camera wasting time and generally being an ungood guy.
Outtakes where Woody ruins a setup and wastes everyone’s time are shown at the end of the movie, their inclusion showing how bold he is and how powerful an actor he thinks he is. The other toys are shown laughing (acting?) and pretending to enjoy his pratfalls but ultimately they must be thinking deep down inside: “What does this guy think he’s doing?” or “Who does this guy think he is?”
Other allegations from the set include Woody having a tantrum if he doesn’t get what he wants, talking over everyone in order to get attention and not even finishing all of his milk after he insisted I stop getting ready for work and get for him even though Mummy was right there in the kitchen offering to do it.
4. We are all powerless observers (Toy Story 2)
When Woody is attempting to save Wheezy from the yard sale, in one of the opening scenes from the hit Disney/Pixar movie Toy Story 2, and get them both back into the house safe and sound, the other toys are left powerless and can do nothing but watch. This is despite the fact that the bedroom door is open and they have plenty of time to go and help.
The twist is that the movie reveals we, like the toys, are nothing more than observers, play things for those more powerful than us and are sometimes simply forced to watch without any power to stop events happening, even if a solution seems obvious to us.
No matter how loud we yell, both on social media and in real life, there are things we simply cannot control. As Rex says: “Left is right, right is left.” A wise tyrannosaurus.
3. The Other Buzz’s Utility Belt Lights Up! (Toy Story 2)
Isn’t it cool? And he’s like vrrrrooooooooomm vrraaaaaaarrrrrrmmm flying through the air and stuff? Neat.
2. Andy is Recovering From Major Surgery (Toy Story 2)
Eagle-eyed viewers will notice a marked difference between Andy’s appearance in Toy Story and its famous Disney/Pixar sequel, Toy Story 2. His appearance is more human-like and he seems able to shape his mouth more easily around words when conversating. His greying hair also belies the stress he has been under recently. This can only be because of the hidden side story that was eventually cut from the final movie, wherein Andy is shown to be recovering from major facial reconstruction. He also seems to have gotten taller, implying some possible leg reconstruction.
1. Tim Allen Was Arrested for Trafficking over 2KG of Cocaine and Allegedly Got Out of Jail Time by Ratting on Other Drug Dealers (Toy Story 2)
Oh. How’d this get here?
Matthew D. Smith likes to overshare his views on movies and TV shows whenever and wherever he can. Indulge him, and follow him on Twitter:
