Lightyear – Film Review

Legendary space ranger Buzz Lightyear embarks on an intergalactic adventure alongside ambitious recruits Izzy, Mo, Darby, and his robot companion, Sox. As this motley crew tackles their toughest mission yet, they must learn to work together as a team to escape the evil Zurg and his dutiful robot army that are never far behind

The Toy Story franchise has been around ever since 1995 with the release of the very first film in the series, directed by John Lasseter. There is just something so captivating and heartwarming about the franchise that has won the hearts of millions all around the world, and they only seem to get better and better with each new entry. All that first movie essentially is, is a movie about a kid named Andy whose beloved toys come to life whenever he is not around them.

In that film, Andy’s favorite toy of all is Woody, but when he is gifted a Buzz Lightyear action figure, it instantly becomes his new favorite, leaving Woody upset. The Buzz Lightyear action figure he receives is a space ranger from an actual movie within that universe, called Lightyear. And now, having seen the film, I can definitely see why Andy preferred to play with Buzz instead of Woody from there on out.

Disney/Pixar’s Lightyear is an absolute marvel and a staggeringly epic, multi-layered story that elevates the excitement of the Toy Story franchise to infinity and beyond. How in the world can a film take a character such as Buzz and make him relatable? How do they make him feel human and grounded? Well, that’s exactly what screenwriters Jason Headley and Angus MacLane do so perfectly here.

Buzz’s journey is one that took me by complete surprise at virtually every turn. It goes so much deeper than you expect it to, as well. To be honest, when the film started, I was a little worried that the film was just going to be some pointless sci-fi action film for kids. A movie that didn’t delve deep into many emotional themes, but that was not the case. This is Pixar after all, and we all know them to be the masters at making grown adults cry.

MacLane’s direction is also stellar, bringing a unique voice to the series. Also superb here is the voice cast, particularly Chris Evans as the titular space ranger, replacing Tim Allen in the role from the main Toy Story series of films. Just by watching the film and listening, you can clearly tell that Evans had the time of his life voicing this character. Whether he is doling out an emotional, inspiring speech, being goofy, or saying “To infinity… and beyond!” Evans nails it.

Keke Palmer also gets quite a juicy role in the form of Izzy Hawthorne, whose story is extremely emotional and unexpected. James Brolin is absolutely terrific as Emperor Zurg, as is Taika Waititi as Mo Morrison, and of course, Peter Sohn as perhaps the most lovable cat in animated film history – Sox. Together, all of the voice cast delivers some truly top-of-the-line performances. You can just tell they had so much fun being a part of this film.

By the time Lightyear came to a close, I felt as though I had just watched an epic. It’s a wonderfully made film from a group of people who truly love the Buzz Lightyear character. Whether you’re a youngster who is new to the series, familiar with it, a teenager, an adult, or a senior citizen, Lightyear is absolutely worth your time.