Movie
Lightyear is Pixar's attempt at a summer box office extravaganza. Disney really tried to do something different with the Toy Story franchise with this movie and, it doesn't all work.
Depending on your relationship with Disney nostalgia and Pixar canon, Lightyear could really trigger your nerd-rage. A pity because, overall, this is a good film; something that will probably be lost in the aftermath of the major spoiler filled twists to the film. Chris Evans is fine voicing Buzz Lightyear in this movie. Tim Allen (in the Toy Story movies) and Patrick Warburton (in the Buzz Lightyear of Star Command TV show) were also fine in their versions of this character. The film opens with a text crawl stating this was the movie that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy that Andy got in the original Toy Story movie. Why was this a text crawl and not an animated scene in this movie? This could have tied in perfectly with a remastered opening of the original Toy Story movie. Wouldn't we all like to revisit Andy and his toys with modern 2022 CGI animation? Lightyear is kind of a throwback to the 1950s sci-fi books and their "hard" science approach to storytelling, but with 21st century values. This movie is slowly paced, so don't be surprised if the kids doze off between the various action sequences. Of all the new characters introduced in Lightyear, Sox the robotic cat is the real stand out. He gets all of the best lines, most of the laughs and probably will sell millions and millions Sox the cat toys. Why Andy preferred Buzz to Sox is a mystery for the ages. Please be sure to wait around after the movie ends for the mid-credit, and the two post-credit scenes.
Lightyear is a good movie that doesn’t exactly reach the same quality as the other Toy Story films. It’s not going to make everyone happy, but it’s a solid movie that most people will be able to enjoy.
Final Verdict: 7/10