The first reactions to Pixar's Lightyear have officially arrived on social media. The film, which is part of the Toy Story universe, will focus on the fictional astronaut Buzz Lightyear, upon whom the toy played by Tim Allen in the original films is based. It will follow Buzz (Chris Evans) while training to go into space, where he must face off against the evil Emperor Zurg (James Brolin). The film, which comes to theaters on June 17, 2022, also features the voices of Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, Peter Sohn, Uzo Aduba, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Taika Waititi, who has developed quite a relationship with Disney affiliates between directing and appearing in The Mandalorian on Disney+ and helming Thor: Ragnarok and the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Unfortunately for the filmmakers involved, Lightyear has been an important piece of the media firestorm that has been battering Disney in recent months. Aduba's character, Alisha Hawthorne, has a scene where she shares a kiss with another woman, a scene that was originally cut by Disney. During the media furor around CEO Bob Chapek's handling of the unpopular "Don't Say Gay" bill in Florida, the company reinstated the kiss after coming under fire when their censorship was exposed. While this news doesn't impact the quality of the film itself, it doesn't change the fact that one of Lightyear's first impressions with the public was this negative attention.
Today, the embargo lifted on early reactions to Lightyear, which had an official preview day where attendees were allowed to watch the first 30 minutes of the film. Although those who attended the event cannot share major details or spoilers, they are allowed to share their early impressions, which they are doing with gusto. The first act seems to have bowled over nearly everyone who has watched it, and they are eagerly sharing their impressions of the film's epic scope and realistic animation. Check out select reactions from various sources below:
Ryan Scott, /Film:
Just think about the first 15 minutes of Up, or the Jessie sequence from Toy Story 2. Once again, Pixar manages to do that in the early minutes of Lightyear, giving Chris Evans' new take on the hero a real chance to shine. What I have seen is a masterclass in the type of efficient storytelling this studio does so well, putting just about everyone else to shame in that department.
Those who were in the room have shared the insight that the film is being presented as a major in-universe phenomenon, like "Andy's Star Wars." Some are highlighting the all-out sci-fi blockbuster spectacle of it all, while others are honing in on the emotional element, even comparing it to the notoriously heart-wrenching opening sequence of Up. When put together, Lightyear is sounding like a very worthy successor to both the emotionally wrenching and fun adventure elements of the franchise it was born from.
Pixar has a lot riding on the success of Lightyear. The film will be their first theatrical release since 2020's Onward's theatrical run was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the succeeding Pixar efforts Soul, Luca, and Turning Red have been released directly onto the streaming platform Disney+, in a move believed to be an attempt to prevent Pixar's stellar box office record from being tarnished by the poor performance of family films in the pandemic era. If these reactions and the subsequent full reviews fail to move the needle for them, the company's upcoming distribution and production strategies might be completely overhauled.
Source: Various (see above)