Lightyear is a clever expansion of Pixar's beloved Toy Story franchise - packed with fun moments, warm sentiment, and downright gorgeous animation. A prequel story (of sorts), Lightyear introduces audiences to the "original" Buzz Lightyear — a character who feels both familiar and fresh at the same time. While fans might have worried that Lightyear would in some way undermine Tim Allen's clueless Space Ranger, Buzz the movie character doesn’t feel at odds with Buzz the toy. The film actually manages to reflect shared insecurities and arrogance in a way that makes both variations of the hero more nuanced and rich as a result. While it's certainly not the studio's most original film, it's an impressive and well-executed evolution of Toy Story as a storytelling platform.
A simultaneous franchise spin-off and in-universe prequel to the Toy Story franchise, Lightyear is the origin story of animated astronaut Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans), the "movie" hero on which Andy Davies' Space Ranger action figure was based. The new film sees pilot Lightyear attempt a brazen escape from man-eating plants on a dangerous plant, only to strand a ship full of colonists as well as his crew — robotic cat Sox (Peter Sohn), Commander Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), and Diaz (Efren Ramirez) — far from Earth. Punishing himself for his failure, Lightyear hatches a rescue plan that, in the process, attracts the hero's future nemesis: the ruthless and powerful Emperor Zurg (James Brolin). To save his people from annihilation, find a safe way home, and defeat Zurg, Lightyear must confront his past and seek help from a rogue group of aspiring Space Rangers (voiced by Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, and Dale Soules).
Following the Toy Story franchise's $3 billion-plus box office run — and not one, but two satisfying end points for the series — Pixar has developed a shrewd loophole that expands the Toy Story universe (and merchandise machine) without undermining the already finished story of Andy's beloved toys. Lightyear is directed by Angus MacLane (Finding Dory co-director), who takes on the ambitious task of developing a movie so exciting, so heartwarming, and so cool that it would turn Buzz Lightyear into the most sought-after toy of 1995. To that end, MacLane succeeds, forging a Buzz that both honors what came before and feels in-sync with the toy's worldview and nuance, all while simultaneously opening the hero up to an infinity of new adventures and self-discovery.
Chris Evans walks a delicate line with his take on Buzz and the character is everything he needs to be: A likable hero, bursting with bravery, loyalty, self-confidence and charm. Evans draws from, but doesn't lean on, Allen's iteration of the Space Ranger. The film is packed with connective tissue that informs what Toy Story Buzz would come to say and do later on. But with a thoughtful performance from Evans, each reference is laced with heart and provides value to Lightyear's narrative (not to mention crowd-pleasing fun). These are not hollow Easter eggs or one-liners that steal attention or overstay their welcome. Lightyear's story moves fast, leaving nothing extraneous to slow it down. In fact, moviegoers may leave the theater wishing MacLane had padded the film with another ten minutes in runtime to allow for a bit more world-building.
The first act leans on a montage to establish Buzz's numerous attempts at correcting the mistake that left his people stranded and the third act rattles off a lot of exposition and scientific mumbo jumbo that many viewers may struggle to fully understand — especially since Lightyear isn't all that preoccupied with connecting every dot. It is only in the second act that MacLane pauses long enough to flesh out the film's supporting cast beyond thin caricature. Buzz's rookie space ranger friends are mostly comedic relief, each defined by a single flaw or fear they're on track to overcome by the end of the movie. They're all entertaining foils for Lightyear; yet, compared to other Pixar characters, they're on the forgettable side. Sox is the one exception, as the robotic feline companion is packed with surprises (literally) and steals every scene in which he's featured.
Veteran sci-fi fans (and new viewers alike) will appreciate Lightyear's animation style, which stops short of trying to be the most realistic looking Pixar film to date. Instead, it draws visual aesthetics from 1970s science fiction films, comics, and TV where, although space is dark and grungy, the universe is filled with mysterious creatures and unearthly discoveries. MacLane balances that juxtaposition well, producing an experience that portrays blinding optimism one moment and oppressive darkness the next.
Note: Lightyear is playing as an IMAX experience and for moviegoers who are interested in a premium ticket, the cost of an IMAX admission may not be essential, but is worth the price. Especially considering that Buzz's origin story is the first animated movie in history to take advantage of IMAX's 1.43:1 ratio (for select scenes).
While it has shortcomings, most notably that Lightyear relies on its iconic main hero (and the foreknowledge that fans have of him) rather than a unique and inventive narrative packed with memorable supporting characters, MacLane's origin for Buzz is a welcome addition to Toy Story universe canon. It's a good way for Disney to utilize its beloved toy heroes (without undermining the well-received endings to Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4). And should it prove successful (which it will), it'll be interesting to see if Lightyear leads to other in-universe origin films for Andy's numerous toys, such as a CG animated western for Woody. As it is, Lightyear is a clever film, one that is sure to please young moviegoers and veteran Toy Story series fans alike.
Lightyear releases in theaters on June 17. The film is 105 minutes long and is rated PG for scenes of action/peril.