Lightyear (2022) User Reviews

Doesn't go to infinity and beyond

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 27 January 2024]

'Lightyear' (2022)

Opening thoughts: Expectations actually weren't low for 'Lightyear', despite its polarising critical reception and the controversy it garnered for a same sex couple and kiss. Buzz Lightyear is one of Pixar's greatest creations and more than interesting enough to warrant his own prequel origin story. Am also a fan of Pixar and of the first three 'Toy Story' films. 'Monsters University' and 'Finding Dory' were proof to me too that prequel origin stories to Pixar hits could work.

'Lightyear' didn't quite come together for me, a case of it starting off so well but losing momentum and focus. It is nowhere near as bad as what was said about it when first released and the controversy over something so brief and that was actually done tastefully was very over the top and not deserved. When it comes to Pixar's films though, 'Lightyear' is one of the weaker ones (perhaps the weakest of the non-sequel efforts) and one of the missed opportunities. There is a good deal done right, but what Pixar does so well only comes in spurts and there are too many drawbacks.

Good things: Starting with the plus points, 'Lightyear' is gorgeously animated with it shining especially in the visually inventive action sequences and the galactic backgrounds. Michael Giacchino's score is beautiful and rousing, with real atmosphere.

The film starts off incredibly well, with a lot of intrigue and suspenseful excitement. The voice acting is excellent, Chris Evans filling Tim Allen's giant shoes with great charisma. Of the characters, it is agreed that Sox is the best, so lovable and funny and a character worthy of his own series. Izzy also brings a lot of heart.

Bad things: Was a bit mixed on Buzz, he is very heroic and relatable to begin with but the more the film takes itself too seriously the duller his personality gets. Too many of the characters have thin personalities and the clumsiness of the characters becomes overdone and repetitive. Zurg is a huge disappointment, not sinister at all and instead very generic and underdeveloped with a plan that makes the viewer raise their arms up in confusion and frustration.

Pacing wise, 'Lightyear' is all over the map. With too many draggy stretches in a film that feels too much like an over extended prologue. Much of the story is flimsy, while the over reliance on false starts complicated the narrative too much and made some of the film convoluted. The script doesn't always flow and takes itself too seriously, when there is humour it only comes to life with Sox and is annoying elsewhere. The film could have done with a lot more suspense and excitement, both of which dim significantly the thinner and more complicated the story gets. The big Zurg reveal is agreed beyond awful, introduced out of nowhere, severely underwritten, absolutely ridiculous and doesn't make sense at all and succeeds in dumbing him down. From that point on it all felt rushed and the whole climax anti-climactic.

Closing thoughts: Overall, not unwatchable by any stretch but should have been a lot more considering the character and studio.

5/10.

A muddled and mediocre effort

[AlsExGal · 5/10 · 4 July 2023]

As a sci-fi fan, I found the film mildly entertaining, if only for the setting and concepts, but I get why it didn't land well with the general audience. I think the film had two major flaws that dragged it down.

First would be that the film couldn't decide what it wanted to be. It took itself too seriously and had too many convoluted concepts (time dilation, time travel, alternate timelines) to be enjoyed by children, but it also didn't really explore any of it's themes or concepts well enough to be enjoyed by adults. This whole film really comes across as Interstellar-lite, which is just an odd thing to base a kids film on.

The other issue for me was the characters. They just weren't very engaging. Buzz himself came off as kind of humorless and dour, and the rest of the cast was entirely one note. Buzz's team in particularly just felt tacked on and didn't really add anything to the film. Tim Allen is a better Buzz Lightyear. Even Patrick Warburton is probably a better Buzz in terms of being engaging and fun. Chris Evans does a solid job here, and I kind of agree that he brings a more "human" quality compared to the wacky Tim Allen. But when you look at how devoid of energy the film is, I have to wonder if Tim Allen could have somehow injected some life into this movie with clever ad-libs. This movie needed energy, and it has nothing in the tank.

Ultimately, I think the film just needed to pick a lane. Either make this a fun adventure romp across the galaxy, or lean into the mature themes and ideas. As is, it's a film that didn't really make me laugh or make me feel anything, it's just kind of "there".

Really don't get the hate

[mjb301086 · 7/10 · 17 July 2022]

It wasn't the best Pixar film but it definitely wasn't the worst. Why it gets such a low score on here I'll never know. I'll admit the trailer did make it look better than it actually was but it was still decent and funny.

The movie is ok. Many of this film's reviewers seem nuts

[brianjohnson-20043 · 7/10 · 30 June 2022]

This film seems to spark a lot of people to say that this film is completely terrible or that it's completely fabulous because it included a gay relationship in the periphery of the main story, and to an even lesser extent, a convict character who is sympathetic. So. I'll address that quickly: None of that seemed like a big selling-point or issue with the movie to me. And those reviewer who make the movie all about those things seem to say more about themself in their review than the movie itself.

Overall I found the movie better than what I was expecting based on it's IMDB score, but still far from being a Pixar classic.

The animation is very good, the story is solid even if it feels like a lot of the ideas have been done before in different ways and feels like a few ideas didn't quite work as well as possible. In some ways it reminded me of an inferior "Up". The main protagonist's circumstance were less sympathetic and more a result of his actual decisions. Overall I wonder how the movie would have looked if it had explored a B storyline for another character during some of the time-jumps. I also think the twist could have been established a little better than it was.

The voice acting for the film is fine. I didn't think a lot of the comedy landed well for me. But it wasn't awful like a lot of kids movies either and didn't detract much from the drama of the main story. Overall it will be acceptable to most audiences, with the robot cat being a likely favorite character for many viewers. Most kids will probably like it a bit more than adults and not notice or care much about the politically controversial content unless their guardians have already primed them to have an major opinion about it like them.

I'd say it's a good time at the theater and better than the average score right now of 5.8. But don't expect it to be a classic Pixar film like Coco, Up, Walle, or Toy Story 1-3.

It's an okay product, but wrong I.P.

[Mr-Fusion · 6/10 · 19 November 2022]

"In 1995, Andy got a toy. That toy was based on a movie. This is that movie. "

I think I would've gotten more out of this if they'd left out that opening text. "Lightyear" is a decent space adventure movie, the visuals are pretty great and Chris Evans gives a strong performance.

But the idea that the Tim Allen Buzz we all know and love came from this movie . . . Eh, I just couldn't get there. There's a bigger "Top Gun" vibe going on here than anything "Toy Story" related and "Maverick" did a much better job of living with failure.

I admit I walked into this with low expectations (really, was anyone asking for this movie?) but the Toy Story association is totally forced.

Not good

[FeastMode · 4/10 · 16 June 2022]

This movie isn't terrible. But it's not good. As a comedy it fails. I laughed only a few times, almost exclusively at the cat. Most of the jokes were crickets in my audience and a bunch made me roll my eyes.

As a sci-fi movie it fails. It gives us the most basic child version of several sci-fi concepts stolen from other movies like Interstellar. And if you think for more than a few seconds, so much of it doesn't make sense. There was a cool fight scene and a couple of good action moments, but for the most part I found myself not caring about the action.

The movie does this thing where it keeps throwing a wrench in the plan, creating obstacles that the characters must overcome. This is normally a good strategy and makes any later success feel earned and satisfying. But every obstacle is a result of dumb characters, silly mistakes, or simply being clumsy. This makes it hard to stay invested. When this strategy is executed better, there is a much better reason for the obstacles, such as a really smart antagonist.

Late in the movie, it goes in a direction that I wasn't a fan of. And we get a few ridiculously cheesy moments, one that made me cringe so hard it hurt. The great animation doesn't make this worth watching.

P. S. The mid- and post-credits scenes are absolutely not worth the wait. (1 viewing, early screening IMAX 6/15/2022)

Pretty good

[jpmock · 8/10 · 24 July 2022]

Wow I just can't believe the bad reviews. I use imdb scores and written reviews religiously and 95% of the time u think they are spot on. I watched this with my family and we were all very entertained throughout the entire movie. That should say enough. It was pretty well done and interesting.

No signs of intelligent life anywhere....

[PerryAtTheMovies · 6/10 · 16 June 2022]

6.4/10

The nostalgia was there for ten minutes and then it went away as the story trails away into something that just didn't sit right. While we never got firm info about Buzz's origins in the "Toy Story" films. This isn't what I expected for his story. I expected this to be an emotional journey, but there were maybe three moments where a tear was shed. The rest was just "empty" space.

The voice acting was good. Chris Evans sounded like Buzz and brought the character to life. The surrounding characters were just as enjoyable. Definitely some funny moments amongst them. I did get a few laughs out, but it felt forced sometimes to be able to enjoy the film.

The film definitely looked, and sounded, great, but it didn't do enough to grasp a love for the character, or the story. Honestly, I don't think this film was for adults to reach back to the childhood nostalgia, but rather its for a new generation to make the character it's own meaning. Flip side to Buzz was Zurg. Zurg was perhaps the biggest disappointment with how they portrayed him. Who he was in "Toy Story" is not the same as who is here, and again, it didn't sit right.

I think the biggest thing is to forget the trailer. Go in with an open-mind and make of it what you will. The kids in the theatre seemed to have loved.

Overall, not the outstanding film I was expecting even with all the great visual and sound. The story lacked expectations for a nostalgic character, but wasn't necessarily terrible, so again, go in with an open-mind.

Thank you for reading my review. Until next time.... Enjoy the show!

Mediocre

[bbevis-47954 · 4/10 · 20 June 2022]

I enjoyed the first thirty minutes or so of Lightyear. The pacing was decent and the humor/heart was in the right place. Once the twist in the trailer happens the story becomes a beautifully predictable entry for Pixar, and my five year old became incredibly antsy to leave the theater. Socks steals the show but that isn't enough to enliven a boring plot. Wait for Lightyear to stream on Disney+.

Great sci-fi adventure

[masonsaul · 8/10 · 17 June 2022]

It may be Pixar's most straightforward film so far but that doesn't stop Lightyear from being another gorgeously animated installment and a great sci-fi adventure that's thrilling, funny and emotional, with the odd twist and heartfelt message up its sleeve as well.

Chris Evans gives an incredible lead performance as Buzz, honouring what's come before but still finding his own interpretation. Keke Palmer is full of likeable innocence and Taika is great as himself. The standout by far is Peter Sohn as Sox, endlessly adorable and always funny.

The animation is absolutely phenomenal with a lot of it bordering on photo real. Angus MacLane's direction is excellent, there's a clear love for sci-fi present and the world is satisfyingly clunky in the technology. The music by Michael Giacchino is really good, nothing too memorable but still suitably epic and futuristic.

This isn't as bad as everyone is claiming!

[Seb_3 · 7/10 · 16 June 2022]

I don't get the bad reviews! The score at the time of writing is pretty horrible, and I don't understand. This isn't the best from Disney and Pixar, but it is a great addition and a clever way to tell a new story set in the Toy Story universe. It brings great animation and the array of emotion that we have come to love from the studio.

The movie lightyear is the movie that got Andy excited for the new Buzz lightyear toy in the universe of toy story. A great sci-fi action flick for both children and adults with a story of friendship, acceptance and the importance of taking a step back from time to time. Chris Evans as Buzz does a great job of capturing the essence of the iconic voice delivered by Tim Allen in the original. The side characters are great and have some fun dialogue and one liners, especially the cat Sox is amazing and next to every single joke made the theater laugh.

The animation and story is great, but it does feel a bit safe. The animation is stunning but a bit bland at times, and it isn't as colorful compared to other movies, and it doesn't have a distinct style, but stays inside a boundary. The story is good and does have quite a few tear pressers, but it is something you will have seen in other movies before.

Lightyear feels safe, not as exploratory and daring as previous Pixar films, but it is a good movie worth watching, especially if you love the original movies. All around it's a fun and entertaining movie, with great humor and a few heart wrenching moments.

7/10.

It's a mindless action-adventure film and I loved it!

[subxerogravity · 7/10 · 16 June 2022]

It's not bad at all.

A side movie within a movie as the text at the beginning states that this movie was released in 1995 to sell the Buzz Lightyear toy in Toy Story.

If you're looking for any Toy Story references or expecting this film to be like Toy Story, think again. In fact, as a Pixar movie, it a little subpair in the usual Disney formula.

What it had going for it is that it's a fast-paced exciting, animated film from beginning to end. It never stops being charming.

I don't know why they decided to replace Tim Allen after 25 years of being Buzz, but I'm not mad at all at what Chris Evans did with the character. KeKe Palmer was also a good voice over but not as good as Uzo Aduba who killed it.

It may not impress Toy Story fan but if you think about as its own thing which in every way that matters it is than it works greatly.

For what it was I enjoyed myself. So worth the ticket price.

Solid Pixar movie

[Jithindurden · 7/10 · 20 July 2022]

This doesn't feed on my nostalgia for Toy Story. This doesn't feed on my nostalgia for Buzz Lightyear of the Star Command animated series either. But it really seems that, other than the bigots who hate this for their made-up offensive content everyone who hated this didn't like the idea of not catering to nostalgia.

Lightyear is a solid Pixar movie. Simple and entertaining with some important themes. My biggest surprise was Sox the robocat who I thought would be obnoxious from the trailers but was fabulous in the movie.

Wow such a low score

[kaefab · 8/10 · 23 July 2022]

Honest i was not really sure about this movie since its straight out of toy story.

But it delivered and was really exciting, not sure why people are giving it low ratings, and also bad reviews.

Better than I had anticipated...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 16 July 2022]

Well, I have to admit that the 2022 Pixar and Disney CGI animated movie "Lightyear" was actually better than I had expected it to be. Granted, I wasn't much of a fan of the "Toy Story" movies, so I had some reluctance about watching "Lightyear". But eventually got to it, as my family wanted to watch it.

And I was pleasantly surprised. The storyline, as written by Angus MacLane, Matthew Aldrich and Jason Headley, was actually rather enjoyable and good. It was a fast paced storyline, though most of the jokes in the dialogue didn't really find much footing. In fact, it was the robot cat, Sox, that delivered all the comedy in "Lightyear".

Visually then "Lightyear" was rather good. Lots of vibrant colors and impressive details in the scenes. I would actually say that the movie is worth a second viewing just to sit back and take in all the details and touches to the scenes.

With "Lightyear" being a CGI animated movie, having a proper voice acting cast ensemble is pretty important, and they did have that for this 2022 CGI animated movie. Sure, it was a little bit odd at first that you didn't have Tim Allen voicing Buzz, as it was in the "Toy Story" movies. But Chris Evans did step up to the task and did a good job. The voice cast also includes the likes of Peter Sohn, Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, James Brolin, Bill Hader and other good talents.

All in all, then "Lightyear" is a wholesome CGI animated adventure for the entire family.

My rating of director Angus MacLane's 2022 "Lightyear" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Boring

[Balnyetnikoff · 3/10 · 17 June 2022]

I saw this in the theater with my 6 year old. She fell asleep and I almost did too...boring, nonsensical, inconsistent, and worst of all, not funny. What was the point?

Should have been free to watch on Disney plus.

Almost Perfect!

[bryvill · 8/10 · 13 July 2022]

Honestly, I was quite hesitant seeing this film after seeing a lot of low reviews. I was planning to see it weeks ago and keep cancelling it, then I gave it a chance finally last night. I was initially expecting not too much, but surprisingly, it was good! A lot of emotional connections, wacky comedy and as always, visuals were at its best. If you just go see it, have an open mind and just enjoy the film as is. I do understand why many viewers gave a low rating, the pacing is not that exciting as a whole, need more plot surprises or twists, the tone of the flick is cater for older audiences or young audiences who like a bit a serious tone of animation. Again , go see it, you'll enjoy it!

An ok, generic, kids sci-fi movie

[thekarmicnomad · 6/10 · 18 November 2022]

First off, for better or worse, this has nothing to do with Toy Story - absolutely nothing.

That out the way this is a well made animated movie about Buzz trying to get home.

There are some really clever ideas here - the main aspect here is that Buzz experiences time dilation every time he attempts a test flight - flinging him into the future.

There are some nice characters and some touching moments as Buzz lives his life outside time.

For the first third of this film I was really engaged and settled down to enjoy this.

Unfortunately, outside of the time dilation, this film is very empty.

The characters run around waving their hands in the air screaming, not really doing much.

When it all comes to the crunch the ending is predictable (I can forgive that) but makes no sense - on any level really.

All that running around is revealed as even more pointless than it first appeared.

This is fine.

You can stick it on and watch it with the kids. There are a few jokes that land and the cat is cute. But in a months time you will probably struggle to remember if you watched this.

A disappointment

[schorschi100 · 3/10 · 5 September 2022]

The film tries to become a prequel to the extremely successful toy story line. As such it fails miserably, not due to technical issues, but simply because the story sucks. It is inconsistent, carries nothing but clichés and failed punchlines along, and is full of loose ends, even for five-year-olds.

The main problem is that the hero, the actual Buzz Lightyear (who in this movie is supposed to be a real hero, an experienced space ranger, and above all a real person, rather than a cartoonish toy), has all the traits of the wannabe action hero of the actual Toy Story films, and this simply does not work. I did not count how many times "To infinity and beyond" was said, but definitely way to many, I guess due to lack of better punchlines, obviously. Buzz is stubborn, rather than brave, a do-it-all loner, rather than a team capable personality, childish and opinionated, rather than wise and adventurous. All these traits are fine for the toy, which actually does not quite know what the real world looks like, but fail miserably for a real person (in fact I kept asking myself, how this guy could even become a space ranger in the first place...).

If the movie was at least funny, or creative, one might forgive its shortcomings, but unfortunately this is not the case.

The whole plot is an incomprehensible mixture of a cartoonish outer space (where one would expect the black Martian from Roger Rabbit to land any moment), and a B-movie of the space horror genre from the seventies. Huge malicious brainless plants and bugs, an even more brainless super intelligent super villain, and utterly stupid but insanely strong robots. The secondary characters, are something of the trio Stooges, but unfortunately not as funny, with only a couple of punchlines which keep repeating over and over again....

The three stars go for the animation technology, the voice acting and the (strangely enough) not completely wrong physics..... However, Pixar's amazing team cannot compensate for the totally inadequate script.

Watch it at your own risk, with lots of coffee to to help you overcome the boredom (or even better watch something else).

Lightyear is a decent film that overshoots its primary audience and crash lands as a decent movie but with a confused plot focused on adults rather than children.

[Paragon240 · 6/10 · 28 October 2022]

Lightyear is a confusing film. It's definitely not bad. It fills its runtime with funny characters and engaging conflict, but the story is a bad choice for a kids' movie. It borrowed Interstellar's time dilation concept and mixed it with an evil future self plot which felt out of place and left my toddler disengaged. I was guessing that Zurg would end up being the rookie from the beginning but who Zurg ended up being was disappointing. I did enjoy the film, but its themes and script felt like a space adventure written for adults shoved into Pixar animated packaging. Lightyear's identity crisis distracted some from the overall film, and its story bit off a bit more than it could chew.

What Walts Watching

[waltermwilliams · 7/10 · 16 June 2022]

In 1995, a boy named Andy got a new "Buzz Lightyear" toy as a gift licensed from his favourite movie that year.

"Lightyear" is the movie about that movie.

This explains why Chris Evans can voice Buzz, because not all toy franchises use the original movie actors to voice the toys.

They sometimes hire voice actors (guys like me) who can mimic the lead actors voice for the product that ends up on toy store shelves.

Fun fact: Evans and Tim Allen, who voiced the character in the "Toy Story" franchise, share the same birth date, June 13th, just decades apart.

That said I loved this movie!

It's just pure joy and the animation is first class...wait for the sandwich eating scene.

"Lightyear" is one of those rare animations that can make you laugh, cry and sigh.

Others that fall into this category are also from Pixar and Disney including "Up", "Lion King" and of course "Toy Story".

There are so many nods to other famous movies in the course of "Lightyear", including Star Wars.

You'll have fun just picking them out and discussing all of them with family and friends long after this movie has ended.

By the way do NOT leave till the house lights come on because there are 3 Easter Eggs in the titles.

Interestingly even the name of the movie isn't revealed till the end of the film.

This animation would look great on IMAX...just saying.

"Lightyear is Pixar's first spinoff and second prequel after "Monsters University".

The LGBTQ community will be happy to see representation in a children's animation although it is causing issues in some Asian & Middle East countries with refusals to screen the movie.

Whilst others see the relationship as too woke.

Let's face it the creators are simply reflecting real world lifestyle's...same sex marriage is legal in most countries now...even Australia.

Listen out for veteran actor James Brolin voicing his first animated film role in his 80's.

I can't tell you his character because that would a huge spoiler, but it will blow your mind and fits in with the "Toy Story" Universe.

By the way the on board navigation system "IVAN" (navi spelt backwards), Kiwi actor/director Taika Waititi playing a wannabe Space Ranger and a character called "Sox" are all scene stealers.

I liked this movie so much I know I'll watch it again on Disney Plus but it won't be the same as my cinema experience which was so close to perfect.

See this with your whole family because it works on so many levels as great movies should.

To infinity and beyond!

An origin story no one wanted...

[Airman87 · 4/10 · 18 June 2022]

Let's be clear here: Disney is lying through their teeth. When you buy a Maui doll from Moana, you get Dwayne Johnson's voice. Disney pretending that because it's an origin story it requires a different voice actor is one of the most feeble attempts ever to avoid backlash. If it had been an origin story of Woody, you can be damn sure Disney would have cast Tom Hanks.

With that out of the way, does this origin story of the Buzz toy bring Pixar a worthy return to theatrical releases? Absolutely not. This very much feels like it should have been the third Disney+ release after Luca and Turning Red. The visuals, while not the best from Pixar, are still quite good. Chris Evans does his best to fill Allen's shoes and his performance is palatable once you get over the change. But what is ultimately lacking here is any heart or substantive story. Attempting to be 'real life' events makes the whole plot feel fabricated beyond an already hardly believable story.

There isn't a universe here where I want get lost in, and frankly, I don't think many viewers will, either...

A fun space adventure that makes good use of its voice cast, visual effects, and innovative sci-fi elements

[MrDHWong · 8/10 · 16 June 2022]

"Lightyear" is the 26th CGI animated film by Disney Pixar and a spin-off of the "Toy Story" series. Featuring the voices of Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, and Taika Waititi, it is a fun space adventure that makes good use of its voice cast, visual effects, and innovative sci-fi elements.

Somewhere in outer space, test pilot Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans) accidentally causes the crew of his exploration team to be stranded on a hostile planet. With the Earth millions of light-years away, Buzz urgently tries to find a method of transportation to allow him and his crew a safe passage home, though repeated setbacks cause his research to take several years. As time passes by, Buzz soon finds himself joined by a robot companion cat named Sox (voiced by Peter Sohn) and a group of enthusiastic recruits who attempt to aid him in this massive undertaking. To make matters more difficult, a large army of dangerous robots suddenly appear to steal an important fuel source from Buzz and his new friends in order to appease their imposing commander Zurg (voiced by James Brolin).

The original "Toy Story" holds the distinction of being the very first movie I remember seeing at the cinema all the way back in 1995. As a result, I've always had a soft spot for this series and all of its characters. Like most children at the time, I was captivated by the toys of Woody the cowboy doll and Buzz Lightyear the astronaut action figure, the latter of which caused me to ask my parents to buy me one immediately after my initial viewing of the film (they didn't, but I ended up getting one for my birthday later on). There was always something so fascinating to me about Buzz Lightyear's origins, not necessarily as a toy but as an in-universe character, and now in "Lightyear", Pixar has finally provided a proper origin story to one of their most recognisable heroes in a film entertains as both an enjoyable sci-fi adventure and a solid spin-off to the original set of movies.

It is established right away that this film exists within the "Toy Story" universe as the favourite movie of Andy, the kid owner of both Buzz and Woody, making it something of a "movie-within-a-movie". Because of this, there are no references to anybody being a sentient toy or the canon of the preceding four films. Instead, this is a relatively straightforward story about the origin of Buzz Lightyear as a rookie explorer who hasn't yet attained the rank of Space Ranger. I like this approach because it allows the audience to discard any concern that it could change too much of what has already been established and simply enjoy it for what it is. With that said, there are some cleverly veiled allusions to the four movies scattered throughout in the form of quotes and visual cues. I'm not going to say what they were at the risk of revealing spoilers but I'm sure keen-eyed and keen-eared fans should notice them right away.

While this may not be the first Pixar film to feature outer space as its main setting (see "WALL-E"), it still manages to use it as a great location for our main character to show off some intriguing personality traits not seen before in the "Toy Story" movies. We see that Buzz needs to create an efficient fuel source capable of transporting his entire crew of 1000+ people back to Earth several light-years away but ends up wasting many years doing so. This allows for an insight into Buzz's one-track mind as it shows that the longer he focuses on his goal, the longer he doesn't realise that everyone around him is growing older while he stays the same age due to the physics of light speed. Buzz is unable to form real emotional bonds with anyone tangible because by the time he returns to base, everyone has either moved on or has forgotten all about him. It's so interesting to see the way this film (and one aimed at children no less) treats the idea of light speed travel as a serious concept and not merely a plot gimmick. I'm not sure how accurate all of the science is in any of this but it all seems pretty well researched for the most part, at least as far as science fiction media goes.

In stark contrast to the earlier "Toy Story" films, which look a bit dated nowadays in terms of presentation, "Lightyear" is a beautifully rendered visual treat. I loved the attention-to-detail placed on the character designs, especially on their uniforms. For example, Buzz's space helmet flawlessly reflects some of the gorgeous colours of the cosmos when he's travelling at light speed and the cross-stitching on his shirt looks so realistic. In addition to this, the use of lurid lighting to emphasise the unfavourable conditions of the planet show how inhospitable it truly is, with Buzz and his crew making the most of what they have if they wish to survive. It's a true showcase of how far Pixar have come over the past 27 years, going from a small independent studio making short films to one of Disney's biggest animation juggernauts.

I'll admit I was initially apprehensive at the idea of someone else besides Tim Allen voicing Buzz Lightyear but I think Chris Evans did a great job here. Though at first it sounded weird to hear Buzz with a different voice, I did get used to Evans pretty quickly and in some ways I almost prefer him to Allen. This is because I realised that Tim Allen voiced Buzz with a more light-hearted, comedic tone in the "Toy Story" films since he is actually a toy there and not a real person. In this film, Chris Evans voices Buzz with a more serious demeanour, like he's a heroic figure that people need to look up to and respect. That's not to say Evans's Buzz didn't have his own fair share of comical moments, as there were a few scenes of him where he ends up becoming the butt of some jokes due to some of his inexperience. Much like his take on Captain America, Chris Evans strikes a decent balance between sincerity and humour.

The rest of the supporting cast all had their moments as well, with Peter Sohn as the robot cat Sox perhaps being my favourite. Sox is basically a parody of all those odd robotic sidekick characters a sci-fi film protagonist may have at their dispersal. He is efficient, helpful, and is often used to solve a problem that the others are unable to do so on their own. At the same time though, I couldn't help but shake the thought that he was only added to the film as a merchandising opportunity. With that in mind, I foresee him being a popular toy for kids around Christmas time, maybe even bundled with a Buzz Lightyear action figure as well.

Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, and Taika Waititi also voice Buzz's recruits Izzy, Darby, and Mo, respectively. The three of them are loyal allies for Buzz and it was fun to see how their newer way of doing things often clashed with Buzz's older point of view, leading to some disagreements within the group. Even if some of their scenes fell a bit flat at times, they were all likeable enough for me to care about them whenever they happened to be placed in dangerous situations. If I had to choose a favourite out of the three of them, I'd say Waititi's character Mo was the one I liked most, mainly because he's good at playing those types of clumsy but loveable supporting characters. Either that or his Kiwi accent is just very amusing to me.

Taken completely on its own, "Lightyear" is another fine Pixar animated feature that's sure to entertain longtime fans of the legendary studio's work. As a spin-off to the beloved "Toy Story" series, it also functions as a nice little quasi-prequel to the first film. Though you might not learn as much about Buzz Lightyear's character as you may have hoped, you can at least see why he's such an appealing hero in the first place. Still, if you've ever liked Buzz Lightyear as a kid or if you happen to have kids who like him, you're bound to find at least one thing to appreciate about this movie, whether it's the visual style, the voice acting, or the science fiction elements themselves.

I rate it 8/10.

A Rebirth For Pixar

[AustinOswald · 7/10 · 16 June 2022]

Lightyear felt very nostalgic, yet very fresh at the same time. Pixar finally found a way to pay homage to its inspiration while also avoiding the the sequel/prequel trope. This film marked a much needed change of pace for Pixar. While not providing quite the thought provoking story we've come to expect from the company, Lightyear still managed to deliver a fun action sci-fi flick with loads of humor.

The stylization of this film is obviously a notable change from Pixar's previous projects. Pixar provided a more detailed, dark, and grungy style to this film which lended itself well to the film's recurring themes of loneliness and isolation. I must commend Pixar as these themes were handled very subtly and delicately, showing respect for audience members that might be having comparable thoughts or feelings.

Let me just say, this was the perfect film for Pixar to break back into theaters with. This film demands to be seen in theaters or IMAX if possible. Feeling the rumble of spaceships taking off and landing from the theater seat was something that just needs to be experienced. I feel as if this film was directed to be less of a thought provoking piece and more of a good and fun summer blockbuster. It is absolutely filled to the brim with funny moments and quirky characters. Of course, it wouldn't be a Pixar movie without a few tear jerking moments as well. Get ready for a jovial intergalactic adventure with Buzz and friends in this vindicated rebirth of the typical Pixar movie.

Disappointment

[RRiley9945 · 5/10 · 17 June 2022]

Second Pixar in a row that I couldn't get into at all. The other one was Turning Red. The artwork in both is tremendous but what used to separate Pixar from the rest of the pack was the depth of feelings. That wasn't here at all. I didn't give a hoot about the characters at all.