Lightyear star Chris Evans reveals which Pixar movies have made him cry over the years. Evans is most known for playing Captain America in the MCU, last appearing in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. While joining the MCU was a huge opportunity for the actor, Evans just recently got the chance to voice one of Pixar's most famous characters: Buzz Lightyear. Evans previously worked as a voice actor on films like 2007's TMNT, but the popularity of Toy Story will make this version of Buzz Lightyear one of Evans' most memorable animated characters.
Buzz first appeared in Toy Story in 1995, which was Pixar's first feature-length movie. Pixar films have evolved quite a bit over the years, partly because of the advancements in technology but also because of the talented writers and animators the studio has been able to find. Pixar has become notorious for making its audiences cry, with notable examples being Bing Bong's sacrifice in Inside Out and Andy giving his toys away to Bonnie at the end of Toy Story 3. Most of Pixar's films have been critically praised, and these emotional storylines are only part of their success.
When asked in an interview with MTV News what Pixar movies have turned him into "a blubbering mess," Evans admits it doesn't take much, praising Pixar for their ability to bounce from emotional storylines back to action and comedy. The star specifically mentioned all four Toy Story movies, Inside Out, Up, and Coco, before mentioning the studio can even craft a space adventure that will make audiences shed a tear. Check out Evans' full comment below:
I mean, it doesn’t take much for me. Pixar does an amazing job. All the Toy Story movies. 2, 3, and 4 will rip your heart out. But Inside Out gets me, Up obviously gets me, Coco got me. I mean even in a space-action adventure, they still manage to get you. So it’s something they do really well and they can weave in and out of those emotional pockets back to the comedy, back to the action, with ease.
Lightyear has been getting mixed to positive reviews, yet the Toy Story spinoff is no exception to Pixar's tendency for emotional storytelling. Lightyear is very much an action film, including battles with aliens, killer robots, and Zurg himself, but the movie can still strike an emotional chord with audiences. Due to time dilation, Buzz's test flights to hit hyper-speed result in him aging only minutes while his friends and co-workers age four years. Lightyear's most heartbreaking scene comes when Buzz finds out his best friend and fellow Space Ranger Alisha Hawthorne passed away. Lightyear managed to set up Buzz and Alisha's loving relationship early in the movie, which also made later scenes between Buzz and Alisha's granddaughter, Izzy, emotional as well.
It's unknown if Lightyear will get a sequel at this point, but if it does, it will be hard for the movie to top other Pixar films in terms of heartbreaking scenes. After all, most would agree that the movies Evans mentioned in his interview are some of Pixar's most tear-jerking films to date. Each of the Toy Story movies has arguably gotten more and more heartbreaking, with Toy Story 4 ending with the gang saying goodbye to Woody. Up is often considered to have the most emotional scene of any Pixar movie, showing Carl and Ellie's loving relationship that sadly ends with her death. Evans may be a big star, but it's important to remember he is just a person that can get caught up in a film's story just like his fans.
Source: MTV News