Review: Pixar's LIGHTYEAR Is a Fantastically Fun Sci-Fi Adventure Film
I was pretty stoked when I first learned that Pixar was making a film that would focus on the classic Toy Story character Buzz Lighter. I didn’t really know what to expect from Lightyear when it was first announced, but I sure was enjoying what was being shared with us in the trailers!
I was a teenager when the first Toy Stoy movie was released, and I was completely blown away by it. I’d never seen anything like that before and it was so cool! Not only was it visually mind-blowing at the time, but the story was just so wonderful. I actually have the original Buzz Lightyear toy that you could only get at Disneyland. Pixar has had a long and successful run with the franchise, and all of the sequels have been great, and they all tug at the heartstrings.
Now we’ve got Lightyear, and this is a very different kind of movie! While it’s connected to the Toy Story franchise, this is not a Toy Story film. This is a full-on sci-fi space adventure movie that tells the story of Buzz Lightyear, and the version of the character in this movie is who the toy that Andy had is based on. The film opens up with the perfect explanation of what the Lightyear movie is, but I won’t spoil that here. It was a surprise for me, so I’ll leave it as a surprise for you.
There are actually a lot of unexpected surprises in this movie, some very interesting major twists and turns that I didn’t see coming as the story played out. I have a feeling that when this movie opens in theaters these things are going to be spoiled pretty quick. That’s the curse of social media and disrespectful people. Some people just like to watch the world burn.
But, if you manage to avoid the spoilers and see this movie knowing as little information as possible, you’re in for a real treat. Even if you’ve watched the trailers, you don’t really know what’s coming, there are still a lot of things that are kept from the audiences and fans. So, when you go to watch this movie, just know you’re going to find yourselves on an epic space adventure, and you have no idea what’s coming!
The story follows “the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.”
The film stars Chris Evans as accomplished Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear, and he was great in the role! I know some fans are upset that Tim Allen wasn’t asked to come back to voice Buzz, but this is a different version of Buzz. Evans is joined by Uzo Aduba as his commander and best friend Alisha Hawthorne, and Peter Sohn as Sox. Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, and Dale Soules lend their voices to the Junior Zap Patrol’s Izzy Hawthorne, Mo Morrison, and Darby Steel, respectively, and James Brolin can be heard as the enigmatic Zurg. The voice cast also includes Mary McDonald-Lewis as onboard computer I.V.A.N., Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Commander Burnside, Efren Ramirez as Airman Diaz, and Keira Hairston as Young Izzy.
Lightyear was wonderfully directed by Angus MacLane (co-director Finding Dory), produced by Galyn Susman (Toy Story That Time Forgot), and features a score by award-winning composer Michael Giacchino (The Batman, Up).
Pixar has a great track record of telling fun, exciting, thrilling, and emotional stories and Lightyear contains all of those things! If you’re a fan of the films that Pixar makes, I think you’re gonna love what Pixar delivers with Lightyear. It’s a fantastically fun sci-fi adventure film!
