The Claw.
The inside of The Claw.
The construction vehicle toy.
See Also: Aliens, the toys held in The Claw
- "The Claw is our master."
"The Claw chooses who will go and who will stay." - —Two of the Aliens in the Space Crane game
The Claw, referred to by the Aliens, is part of a crane game (called "Space Crane") inside Pizza Planet that appears in Toy Story.
Toy Story
In Toy Story, Buzz catches sight of The Claw, thinking it is a spaceship that will take him to his "destination," and enters the rocket-shaped game. Inside, he meets some Aliens who worship The Claw because they believe if one of them is chosen, they will "go on to a better place," which is very much the result of being trapped inside the crane game their whole lives. One of the Aliens then gets fished out by The Claw as Woody eventually catches up with Buzz. Unfortunately, Andy's violent next-door neighbor, Sid (who loves to torture toys), is seen taking control of The Claw and fishes Buzz and Woody out.
Toy Story 3
In Toy Story 3, the Aliens again show their obsession with The Claw when a construction vehicle toy with a claw on it drives by them. Later, after the toys are dumped at the Tri-County Landfill, the aliens a spot The Claw in the distance and run toward it. Then, when the toys are about to be destroyed by an incinerator, they are rescued by the Aliens using a real crane (also with The Claw).
Trivia
- The Claw also appears in the Toy Story video game in the level called the "The Claw!" in PC, Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System versions.
- The claw is also in the Toy Story 2 teaser trailer.
- The rescue of our heroes at the end of Toy Story 3 is an example of the plot device "deus ex machina." Literally, this means "god out of a machine." The Claw is a machine that the Aliens make into a god.