Lightyear

Toy Story is a legendary franchise and Buzz Lightyear might be among the most iconic animated characters ever created. Taking risks and telling an unique story with these priceless assets is therefore a daunting task. A task which Pixar could not fulfill.

Characters in the early scenes of the movie are well written and the relationships well established. The newly introduced characters (which you spend most of your time with) are not. They all got potential, but they fail to connect with Buzz and therefore fail to connect with the audience. The main antagonist has the same issue. He could've been an interesting character, but Pixar went for the easy route instead. This means that we got to see a very generic evil villain, one of which we've seen countless times before.

The plot was predictable. Lightyear never tries to surprise you, stun you, wow you or shock you. You simply go from A to B to C (sometimes with an obstacle in the way) till the movie is over.

Lightyear isn't unique. Lightyear isn't touching. Lightyear isn't worthy of being called a Pixar production.

Except the cat, the cat was incredible.

'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.

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!

"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.

I went to see this with my 5 year old daughter, and in the build up to seeing it - I took to IMDB to get a feel for the rating. At that time, it was a poor 5.5. My rule of thumb is, anything lower then 6 is probably not worth it - but my daughter was super keen, so we went for it. And I am glad I did. A good film, with solid principles baked into it about team work, determination and friendship. I get why the rating on it is lowish on here, it's not a patch on the toy stories, but it is worth watching. You just have to go in with the mentality of this is going to be a good stand-alone film and not strictly tied to the toy story franchise, (although a close relative.).