MOVIE REVIEWS

REVIEW: Latest Disney/Pixar movie ‘Lightyear’ is a better-than-average sci-fi tale helped by its ‘Toy Story’ connection

Jun 17, 2022, 1:45 PM

In Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear,” Buzz (voice of Chris Evans) returns to the planet he’s b...

In Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear,” Buzz (voice of Chris Evans) returns to the planet he’s been marooned on for decades after a monumental test flight. But things have changed while he was away. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

(voice of Chris Evans)

SALT LAKE CITY — Have you ever wondered why the kid in Toy Story wanted a Buzz Lightyear doll for his birthday?  No?  Well, Disney & Pixar are going to tell you anyway.

It’s a very meta concept.  When real-world audiences watch the new movie Lightyear, they’re supposedly watching the same movie that Andy, the kid in 1995’s Toy Story, supposedly watched and made him want the Buzz Lightyear toy in the first place.  Which means part of the fun of watching Lightyear is looking for things that kind of foreshadow what the Buzz Lightyear toys do in the Toy Story movies.

THE STORY

In Lightyear, the Space Rangers of Star Command, including Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans) and his squad mate Alicia Hawthorne (voice of Uzo Aduba), get stranded on a hostile planet–and no it’s not PIZZA PLANET.

Buzz volunteers to test out the rocket fuel they’ve developed with the hope that it’s stable enough to get them all back home to Earth.  Problem is, every time he takes a test flight, several years pass for everyone on the planet, while only a few minutes pass for Buzz.

Finally, after one test flight, he encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by a being called Zurg (voice of James Brolin), who have invaded the planet while he was away, and have trapped almost all of the original spaceship inhabitants and their descendants inside their city. 

Now, Buzz and his robot therapy cat SOX (voiced by Peter Sohn) must work with Alicia’s granddaughter and wannabe Space Ranger Izzy (voiced by Keke Palmer) and her inexperienced squad-mates (Dale Soules and the hilarious Taika Waititi) if they are to defeat Zurg, protect the fuel source and save the humans.

THINGS I LIKED

It’s probably no surprise that I liked how amazing the animation was once again.  The space flight scenes and those involving robots were the strongest for me, but vegetation, water, buildings and background, clothing and movement of characters have come light years (pun intended), especially when you think back to the original Toy Story.  Seeing Buzz without his purple head covering and seeing that he has brown hair were also fun little treats.

This is a surprisingly grounded sci-fi movie where a key plot point is the theory of relativity (meaning the closer to the speed of light you travel, the slower time moves for you relative to everything else), which essentially makes it a time-travel movie as well.

This being Disney and especially Pixar, there is also a great mix of humor and drama, and plenty of stuff for both kids and adults to think about and enjoy.  Characters deal grapple with issues related to trust, responsibility, leadership, self-confidence, vulnerability, regret, and of course, friendship.  And when the humor is clicking, especially Buzz’s robot cat SOX and Waititi’s character,  it’s as funny as anything else.

WARNINGS

Lightyear is rated PG for action/peril, but there has already been backlash from some over the film because there is a same-sex couple in the movie and a short kiss between those characters. Some countries are refusing to screen the movie as a result.

For parents who want to know the content and context before seeing the movie, (MINOR SPOILERS HERE) Buzz’s friend and fellow Ranger Alicia meets a scientist among the crew, marries her, raises a child and grows old with her.  All of this takes place over a few minutes in a montage of scenes (similar to the first portion of the Disney/Pixar movie Up) showing Buzz returning from each test flight and observing the changes everyone else has gone through while he was away for just a few minutes of his time.  The kiss in question is a peck between the two married women as one of them walks in to their 40th anniversary party.

As I always suggest for parents who may have concerns with content in this or any other movie or TV series I review, you might want to check the movie out yourself before you take the kids.

Another warning for those who may not be aware, though Tim Allen provided the voice of Buzz in the Toy Story movies, here he’s voiced by Chris Evans—most famous for playing Captain America in the Marvel movies. 

Lightyear’s run time is 1 hour and 40 minutes.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Lightyear is a better-than-average sci fi movie, that greatly benefits from its connection to the Toy Story world. I do believe that most, if not all, big fans of Disney and Pixar will really like this movie. It is fun to watch for and find little easter eggs that connect to what we’ve seen the toy Buzz Lightyear do in the Toy Story movies. 

So for me, the big question became: How much would I like this movie if it wasn’t connected to the Toy Story character? 

Answer: I’d still like it, but some of it’s charm and humor would be missing and I’m not sure how much of a hurry I’d be to see it otherwise.

Andy’s final rating: TWO & A HALF out of FOUR stars

WHERE TO WATCH

Lightyear is playing only in theaters for now, with a Disney Plus premiere date still at least a month or so away.

AND BEYOND -- Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” is an all-new, original feature film that presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans)—the hero who inspired the toy—introducing the legendary Space Ranger who would win generations of fans. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), the sci-fi action-adventure releases on June 17, 2022. © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. MAKING SPACE – In Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear,” Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) and Alisha Hawthorne (voice of Uzo Aduba)—his long-time commander, fellow Space Ranger and trusted friend—are marooned on a hostile planet. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), the sci-fi action-adventure opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. HERO’S BEST FRIEND -- Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” is an all-new, original feature film that presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans)—the hero who inspired the toy—introducing the legendary Space Ranger who would win generations of fans. But Buzz can’t do it alone—he shares space with a dutiful robot companion cat called Sox. A hidden grab bag of gizmos in a cute kitty package, Sox is Buzz’s go-to friend and sidekick. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), the sci-fi action-adventure releases on June 17, 2022. © 2021 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. TEAMING UP – In Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear,” Izzy Hawthorne (voice of Keke Palmer), the eager leader of a team of cadets called the Junior Zap Patrol, teams up with Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans) and his dutiful robot companion, Sox (voice of Peter Sohn), on a mission to figure out exactly what—or who—is behind a mysterious alien spaceship hovering above their planet. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), the sci-fi action-adventure opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. SCI-FI ACTION ADVENTURE – The definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans), the hero who inspired the toy, “Lightyear” follows the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure. Also featuring the voices of Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Keke Palmer, Efren Ramirez, Peter Sohn, Dale Soules, Taika Waititi and Isiah Whitlock Jr., Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” releases June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. TEAMING UP – Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” is a sci-fi action adventure and the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans), the hero who inspired the toy. The all-new story follows the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure alongside a group of ambitious recruits (voices of Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi and Dale Soules), and their robot companion Sox (voice of Peter Sohn). Also joining the cast are Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez and Isiah Whitlock Jr. Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), “Lightyear” releases June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. TO INFINITY -- Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” is an all-new, original feature film that presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans)—the hero who inspired the toy—introducing the legendary Space Ranger and his dutiful robot companion, Sox (voice of Peter Sohn). Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director “Finding Dory”) and produced by Galyn Susman (“Toy Story That Time Forgot”), the sci-fi action-adventure opens in U.S. theaters on June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. EVIL EMPEROR – Disney and Pixar’s “Lightyear” is a sci-fi action adventure and the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans), the hero who inspired the toy. The story, which follows the legendary Space Ranger on an intergalactic adventure, features none other than Zurg—a seemingly invincible adversary of Buzz who would go on to inspire his own toy. Featuring the voices of Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Keke Palmer, Efren Ramirez, Peter Sohn, Dale Soules, Taika Waititi and Isiah Whitlock Jr., “Lightyear” releases June 17, 2022. © 2022 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Hopefully you & your family found this review helpful! Andy Farnsworth does a weekly “What To Watch” segment for KSL 5 TV in Salt Lake City and also hosts the Fan Effect podcast for KSL NewsRadio. Check out his other in-depth reviews of movies and streaming TV series on KSLTV.com.

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REVIEW: Latest Disney/Pixar movie ‘Lightyear’ is a better-than-average sci-fi tale helped by its ‘Toy Story’ connection