LIGHTYEAR REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 1995, Pixar Animated Studios found success with their first feature length animated film, Toy Story, which was the first animated film to be created using computer generated imagery instead of hand drawn. The narrative focused on the lives of toys, including a cowboy doll named Woody and a space ranger action figure, Buzz Lightyear. Whilst the former was aware that he was nothing more than a toy, the latter thought he was a real space ranger. Toy Story was a success, both with critics, who praised the groundbreaking animation, and at the box office, making $363 million and was the second highest grossing film of 1995, behind Die Hard with a Vengeance. The success of Toy Story has led to three sequels. The fourth Toy Story film was released in 2019 and it seemed like that was the last time we would see Buzz Lightyear, however, three years later, a spin-off film, Lightyear, has been released which has been described as the inspiration for the Buzz Lightyear action figures. However, does Lightyear soar as high as the films in the Toy Story franchise?

Legendary space ranger Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans) embarks on an intergalactic adventure alongside ambitious recruits, Izzy Hawthorne (Keke Palmer), Mo (Taika Waititi), Darby (Dale Soules) and his robot companion, Sox (Peter Sohn). As this motley crew tackles their toughest mission yet, they must learn to work together as a team to escape the evil Zurg (James Brolin) and his dutiful robot army that are never far behind.

In answer to my earlier question, Lightyear, unfortunately, doesn’t quite reach the heights of any of the Toy Story films and doesn’t represent Pixar at their best, however, it still provides viewers with 100 minutes of entertainment through a likeable lead protagonist, fun supporting characters and is packed full of action. 

Since the closures of cinemas in early 2020, the films produced by Pixar, including Soul, Luca and Turning Red, have been sent to the streaming service, Disney+. This makes Lightyear the first Pixar film to be released in cinemas since Onward. It’s understandable why Disney decided to send it to cinemas instead of simply adding it to their streaming site as the main character in Lightyear is well known. All of the films in the Toy Story franchise have been successful financially so I can imagine that Disney assumed that Lightyear would be a box office hit. Unfortunately, since its release, Lightyear has received a lukewarm response, both from critics and at the box office, with the former praising the animation but finding flaws in the complex narrative. Although Lightyear is flawed, it’s far from Pixar’s weakest features and is still worth watching for anyone seeking family friendly entertainment. 

An inssue with Lightyear is that, when compared to the Toy Story films and Pixar’s previous features, it is a disappointment, however, I think that, as a standalone space adventure, it works. Lightyear makes for a charming and likeable protagonist with Evans delivering a heroic vocal performance. After his mission goes wrong, Lightyear becomes determined to fix it. Because the story involves time travel, it may be too confusing for children to understand. However, I admire director Angus MacLane’s attempts as I would rather there were more animated films like Lightyear that don’t rely on immature jokes in order for them to be entertaining. While older viewers will be able to appreciate the story and animation and feel nostalgic at seeing Buzz Lightyear on the big screen again, younger viewers will, most likely, have fun watching the supporting characters, including Mo, Darby and the scene stealing robotic feline, Sox, who look like a cute and cuddly cat and provides most of the comic relief with his one liners. The villainous Zurg also provides a threat to Buzz and his team, unfortunately, I found the antagonist to be more intimidating in the Toy Story films, however, there’s a twist to his character that I wasn’t expecting. 

Pixar are known for wowing with their animation, with eleven of their films winning the Best Animated Feature Oscar. While Lightyear’s animation is quite impressive, it doesn’t represent Pixar at their best and I think that it’s unlikely that it’ll be nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar at next year’s Academy Awards, however, it’s too early to say for sure. 

Although Lightyear doesn’t soar quite as high as the Toy Story films, it still provides viewers with an action packed space adventure.

7/10