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cinemaseeker · 2 years

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Let's Review: Lightyear

*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

Guys, let's just be honest for a second.

This is essentially Toy Story 5, or maybe Toy Story 4 1/2, disguised as a kid-friendly version of The Martian.

Let me ask you all a question I always end up asking myself every time an unnecessary prequel or origin story comes out, especially a Disney-sanctioned one:

"Did I really want to know how (blank) became (blank)?"

Nine times out of ten, the answer is usually "No".

I feel like filmmakers and storytellers are forgetting that we don't always need to give every popular character an ultimately flimsy or shoe-horned origin story that inevitably ends up only ret-conning or diluting what we loved about that character to begin with. Part of the fun of universally beloved characters is that they are universal, which requires a form of vagueness and negative space that allows them to be left open to interpretation in order to appeal to as many different types of people from as many different backgrounds as possible.

Take the Joker for example.

The best iterations of that character either forgo an origin story altogether or create one that works with what we already know about the character, and then shows a (somewhat) straightforward trajectory of how he become the killer clown we all know and love today, i.e. The Killing Joke.

These types of characters, surrounded by this enigmatic air of mystery, are usually the most memorable and fascinating to us specifically because we don't know their origin story, and it allows us to fill in the blanks for ourselves and make the character feel like our own. By relinquishing this kind of creative control over to the viewer/reader, filmmakers and storytellers can relieve themselves of a tremendous narrative burden while helping their characters last longer in the collective minds of our popular culture.

So in a sense, a good origin story is not unlike a good plot twist.

Both work best when they answer questions and fill in gaps. And both fail when they leave us feeling more confused and poke more holes in the plot, thus ultimately sinking it.

If you want to read more, there is a great article that relates to this debate, especially when it comes to origin stories that try to make iconic female villains likable (ew) and sympathetic (double ew), and I highly recommend giving it a read:

Now don't get me wrong, this doesn't always mean that I don't enjoy origin stories. An origin story, like any other story, can be good when it is done right (just look at The Godfather Part II) especially when the creators approach the project with care and passion.

But oftentimes these origin stories are used by big corporate studios so that they can squeeze every last drop of profitability out of a character and their franchise, especially if it's a flagship figure from which the entire foundation of the studio was built upon. For example, New Line Cinema is known as the House that Freddy Built due to the success of Freddy Krueger in the original A Nightmare on Elm Street movie, which help launched the then-fledgling studio, not to mention countless sequels and spin-offs. But over time Freddy Krueger became more of a mascot than a threat with each entry, not unlike Buzz Lightyear for Pixar.

The character of Buzz Lightyear is kept largely intact here, thanks in large part to an earnest and believable performance by Captain America himself Chris Evans. And before you say anything: no, Tim Allen does not voice Buzz Lightyear here, and I for one think that's for the best. It'd be too distracting and it helps the movie try to stand on its own, except for when we have to slog through all the obligatory Toy Story callback shots, recycled lines, and every they-did-the-thing moment, and Lord knows there are plenty of those here. But here's the problem: leave them in, it's too faithful to the original to the point that it's basically copying and pasting; but if you leave them out, then it doesn't feel like part of the franchise, so why bother having the name on it at all. Either way, we lose.

But anyway, the change of voice could confuse younger kids so keep that in mind. During the screening I went to, a child insisted that this guy was not the real Buzz Lightyear.

But here's my biggest gripe with the movie.

The opening text of Lightyear declares that this movie we're about to see is the same movie Andy saw back in 1995, his favorite movie that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy from Toy Story.

On the one hand, this disclaimer is a good way to get away with including kid-friendly sci-fi elements such as robot cats (I would live AND die for Sox), time travel, and alien lifeforms in an otherwise realistic-looking space movie.

But, excuse me for a second, I have to call bullshit here.

Do y'all remember what humans looked like in the Toy Story world back in 1995?

Yeah. Pure nightmare fuel with soulless soul-sucking eyes.

Now, in an incredible feat of gaslighting, this movie expects us to believe that THIS:

came out at the same time as THIS:

Lightyear is clearly a 2022 movie, with 2022 visuals and 2022 values, but it's trying to pass itself off as a 1995 movie and in that sense it fails miserably, aside from a few clever 90s-era callbacks (blowing on the navigation assistant IVAN like its a N64 cartridge and the computer boot-up sound). But this "framing device" (it's really more like a disclaimer) is ultimately a flimsy hall pass used to justify this movie's existence.

If they really wanted this setup to work, then they should've either fully committed to the 1995-ness of it all (stylizing the animation to fit the era like what Turning Red did for the early 00s, thereby matching the aesthetic and zeitgeist more earnestly) or make it a proper 2022 movie that could claim to be based off an astronaut who could've served as the basis for the Buzz Lightyear toy in that universe in the same way that Buzz Lightyear is based on (or at least named after) the real-life Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

It feels like Pixar is trying to have their cake and eat it too by trying to give us the nostalgia of 1995 but without losing the advantage of being relevant, whatever that means.

But I would like to point out that Disney has already made a vastly superior Buzz Lightyear spin-off that is truer to the essence of the character and their world in the form of both the direct-to-video movie Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventures Begins (2000) and the criminally underrated Saturday morning cartoon TV show Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000-2001). They both match the spirit and tone of the Toy Story universe and serve as a much better spin-off than Lightyear, with funnier jokes and more unforgettable characters. Hopefully Lightyear can help turn people onto this show (please put it on Disney+, you cowards).

Quick side bar: I used to be OBSESSED with this show, like getting-up-at-ungodly-hours-to-watch-this-show-before-the-existence-of-YouTube level obsessed, especially with NOS-4-A2 the energy vampire, voiced by Craig Ferguson. Yes. THAT Craig Ferguson. BLOSC had a whole slew of awesome celebrity voices, including Patrick Warburton as Buzz Lightyear. PLEASE check it out and give it the love it deserves.

P.S. This NOS-4-A2 came out 13 years before the Joe Hill novel NOS4A2 and 19 years before the AMC series adaptation. Just saying. The people need to know.

OK, I need to stop, otherwise I will geek out and never stop.

So with all that said, the question you'll probably be wanting me to answer now is: "Should I see Lightyear?"

My answer, perhaps surprisingly, is "Yes."

Because even though Lightyear may go down in the history books as being lower-tier Pixar, that level is still above most other animation studios at their best. It's quite a feat for a studio that even their less-than-stellar offerings are still oftentimes better than most other animated movies out there (for the most part).

Okay, so what's the good stuff?

The first thing that comes to mind is, naturally, the top-notch animation. It's nice to see Pixar take this approach to character design, steering away from the typical disproportionately big eyes we're used to seeing in Disney movies, trying to make the humans more like real people while still giving them plenty of expression. And in all seriousness, there are some beautiful shots to be found in Lightyear, not just photorealistic but beautifully lit shots of space and sunsets (there's even a cool 2001: A Space Odyssey-style stargate because of course there is). I don't know if an animated movie can even get nominated for Best Cinematography, but I would sure love to see them try. And with computer animation getting more and more realistic every year, I suspect it's only a matter of time before that feat is accomplished.

And, rest assured, there will be plenty of Pixar moments that will make you, if not outright cry, then at the very least get teary-eyed. This is seen most effectively when *MAJOR SPOILER COMING UP* Buzz finds out that every trip he takes to try and get home results in him losing 4 years, during which time his friend and fellow Space Ranger Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) continues to age, so every time he sees her she's either getting engaged or getting pregnant or watching her child graduate and essentially living her life without him, up until she dies of old age while he's away, and he doesn't even get to give her a proper goodbye in person. Now THAT's good storytelling. This sequence is expertly handled with tender loving care and really hits you in the feels (okay it's not quite as good as the first 10 minutes of Up, but come on, very few things are).

But most importantly, we get to see this unfold with a canonically queer woman of color in STEM.

In that sense, Lightyear takes one small step forward in term of mainstream queer representation, a step that's still not big enough to get very far but one that is definitely bigger than previous steps taken before it (I'm looking at you, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). We get to see a major supporting character, Alisha Hawthorne, marry an Asian woman named Kiko, have a family with her, live a long and happy life, and even share an onscreen kiss with her wife that we actually get to see. It's sad that we still have to get excited over crumbs like this, but hey, suck it homophobes, love wins.

You could argue that Alisha becomes a fridged character whose only purpose was to serve a white man's story, a white man who gets to lead an otherwise pretty diverse cast, as if to say "don't worry, white guys, you still get to be the hero." But I would argue that Alisha is given enough of a likable personality and life outside of Buzz, albeit still viewed through Buzz's perspective, to avoid making her a background token black sidekick. If you were to take Alisha out of the story, the movie would be radically different.

The rest of the supporting cast is not exactly ground-breaking but they do get enough character development to help them avoid being totally forgettable, at least for a little while. I especially love the detail of Izzy, Alisha's granddaughter (voiced by my girl, rising star Keke Palmer), being a Space Ranger who's afraid of the vast vacuum of space (girl, I feel you). She also does a great job of underscoring the main theme of learning to embrace mistakes, especially our own mistakes (man, that message really hit me where I live). Finally, as far as villains go, this Zurg gets the job done, but the reveal of who's really behind Zurg is just too good to spoil here. Or, at least, I didn't see it coming.

But I think it's very telling that the best character in the movie is a robotic cat.

I'm just saying.

This is why we can't decide whether or not animated movies are for children or adults. You put a realistic-looking guy into space and give him a life-or-death mission in a story that most younger kids won't be able to follow, but we still need some sort of adorable (preferably animal) sidekick that we can turn into plushies and Happy Meal toys.

But, again, I would live and die for Sox.

The worst thing you can say about Lightyear is that it's a standard animated movie, one that I'm not even sure will properly entertain really young kids, unless they REALLY love Buzz Lightyear, but I think even that would be pushing it. But if you have an older kid or preteen who likes Buzz Lightyear and science, preferably a young girl of color looking for role models in STEM, then this could fit the bill. I bet that this would be a great movie to screen for science camps or middle school science classes.

Lightyear shows how, even if computer animation has come so far, dare I say, lightyears ahead of what came before, good Pixar-quality storytelling can get lost in space if it's not tethered to a strong enough base.

Now all we need is a gritty western spin-off starring Woody and then I'll be happy.

This is Cinema Seeker, signing off.

Thanks for reading!

My Rating: 2.5/5 meat-bread-meat sandwiches

P.S. There is a mid- and post-credits scene, so be sure to stick around for that if you're interested.

And for all you name nerds and prospective parents looking for cool baby names, here's a complete list of the Production Babies, listed in the credits as Future Space Rangers:

Ame, Anaïs, Anthony, Clara, Cora, Dean, Devon, Elan, Emmeline, Evren, Henry, Izumi, Jade, Luca, Mabel, Maggie, Mari, Matias, Mia, Mikayla, Otto, Rami, Sean, Simon, William, Zi-Ran

#lightyear #buzz lightyear #to infinity and beyond #chris evans #uzo aduba #keke palmer #taika waititi #dale soules #disney #pixar #disney pixar #evil emperor zurg #zurg #star command #buzz lightyear of star command #toy story

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sweetsmellosuccess · 2 years

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Review: Lightyear

Dir. Angus MacLane

Let’s start out with a bit of a clarification. Remember, when we first meet young Andy, back in the initial Toy Story in 1995, he was beyond excited to receive a Buzz Lightyear doll, the very thing that set the narrative in motion with Woody feeling replaced. The reason Andy was so thrilled, we learn at the very beginning of Angus MacLane’s charming prequel, was because this film, about a fictional space ranger, who gets stuck out in the cosmos with no way home, was his very favorite.

In other words, it requires a bit of mental gymnastics to wrap your head around the concept before the film even begins, an element of complexity the narrative, written by MacLane and Jason Headley, unexpectedly maintains throughout the course of the story.

It also puts the film at a remove from the trappings of the franchise which spawned it: Without any sort of direct tie-in to the Toy Story saga, in deed or theme, the filmmakers are freed from all the threads of backstory that normally plague such films. It’s not beholden, thematically or otherwise, to Woody, Buzz, Forky, or any of their brethren, which allows it plenty of creative space with which to flourish.

Set in the distant future, when interplanetary travel is commonplace, thanks to the powerful hyperdrive that powers starships well past the speed of light, Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans), a Space Ranger aboard an enormous vessel, populated by hundreds of scientists, researches, and other crew members, is woken up from his sleep pod by a beacon alert, offering him the opportunity to explore a strange new world, as part of the ship’s protocol (in the opening moments, in fact, the film seems to ape Ridley Scott’s seminal Alien film, albeit minus the foreboding atmosphere).

Taking the opportunity, Buzz accepts the course change, which takes the rounded ship (dubbed “the Turnip” by the unimpressed Space Ranger) to a peculiar planet, teeming with life, much of which, like the giant green tendrils that routinely emerge from beneath the planet’s crust to ensnare unsuspecting crew members, seem overtly hostile. Making a fast getaway, Buzz eschews the ship’s autopilot, which tries to get him to take a different angle going up an incredibly steep mountain ridge, and, as a result, clips the bottom of the ship, resulting in a crash landing, this time destroying the all-important hyperdrive crystal in the process.

Buzz, his CO, Commander Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), and the rest of the crew are essentially marooned there, with no way of getting home. Ever the resourceful Space Rangers, Buzz and Hawthorne don’t give up. Over the course of the next year, they build up a mining operation in order to create a new crystal, but Buzz’s test run with the makeshift hyperdrive results in a failure, and upon his return after the four minute flight, he finds that on that planet, he’s been gone four years.

Time and again, Buzz heads out in the ship, testing the drive’s capacity to reach lightspeed, driven to make up for his error in judgment that led to their predicament, each effort costing him four more years of time on the planet. Eventually, Hawthorne marries a sweet female member of the crew, has a son, and a granddaughter, and finally dies of old age as Buzz is on yet another mission. With the help of his companion robot cat, Sox (voice of Peter Sohn), he eventually perfects the hyperdrive crystal, but by this time, nearly everyone he knew from before is gone. Instead, there’s Izzy Hawthorne (Keke Palmer), his former CO’s granddaughter, and a ragtag couple of other companions, Darby (Dale Soules), an aged former convict, and Mo (Taika Watiti), a sweet but bumbling cadet, and the planet’s been attacked by a mysterious group of robots, commanded from an imposing starship high above them.

There are, of course, the usual Pixar sorts of elements — including visual jokes, meaningful emotional pathos, and an adorable talking robot cat (when Sox processes something, his head spins around as he says “meowmeowmeow”) — all couched in a bubbly effervescence, but surprisingly, the story is unapologetically sci-fi, and in its own way, quite complex. Children not well versed in the laws of theoretical astro-physics might be more than a little confused at times, though it would be entirely possible to enjoy the proceedings even if you don’t entirely follow them.

It’s an interesting effort, fun and clever, with a hero whose bravado is quite different from his toy counterpart. The “real” Buzz is beset with guilt over his mistake, and, having unintentionally outlived most of his contemporaries, quite lonely in a world he never made (in this way, an interesting connection between Buzz and Evans’ most famous other role, that of the once frozen-in-time Captain America). It doesn’t carry the weight of their vintage best efforts, but it manages to carve out its own satisfying niche in the Pixar patheon.

#sweet smell of success #piers marchant #ssos #movies #films #comedy #pixar #lightyear #toy story #chris evans #taika waititi #keke palmer #dale soules #uzo aduba #science fiction #Angus MacLane

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tinyreviews · 2 years

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This is different than the cheesy cartoon the original Buzz was from. If this is where all the hate for the movie is coming from, I understand it. The marketing is misleading. But aside from continuity issues, as a standalone story, this hits all the beats of a great story for me. Subtle worldbuilding(in the background), character arcs, high-tension moments, emotional moments, and (most importantly) a cathartic ending. Very close to a Must Watch.

Lightyear is a 2022 American computer-animated science fiction action-adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios. It is a spin-off of the Toy Story film series, featuring the character Buzz Lightyear. It stars Chris Evans, with Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolin, Uzo Aduba, Mary McDonald-Lewis, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.

#lightyear #buzz lightyear #chris evans #keke palmer #peter sohn #taika waititi #dale soules #james brolin #uzo aduba #mary macdonald #isiah whitlock jr.#disney #pixar #toy story #animation #animated movie #movie review #2022

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abs0luteb4stard · 2 years

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W A T C H I N G

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themosleyreview · 2 years

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The Mosley Review: Lightyear

You know what I haven't seen in a long time? A fun space adventure film. Yeah sure there are space based films that are more serious and accurate to today's technology or even some explore a more dystopian or utopian future, but they're heavy. This film went back to a basic level of exploration and adventure that reminded me of films like Apollo 13, Lost in Space and it also had many influences of classic action films of the 60's and 70's. It was campy, over the top and fast paced as it should be. There is the classic Pixar style of storytelling that will hit your heart pretty hard and by the end uplift you. There are times where the film’s momentum is disrupted by the comedic moments that range from hilarious to just stopping the plot. I really felt at times the comedy was dangerously starting to over take the journey of the main character's growth. The message in the film was quickly understood and it may have felt right out of any Saturday morning cartoon, but it was still executed in a fun action packed manor.

Chris Evans takes on the role of our favorite Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear and he was perfect. He delivered the headstrong and savior mentality of Buzz. His performance commanded the screen and kept you wanting to see him succeed. The more tender moments for Buzz were the more interesting moments as we get to know him on a personal level and how his friends uplift him. Uzo Aduba was outstanding and heartwarming as his fellow Space Ranger Alisha Hawthorne. Her chemistry with Buzz was truly fantastic and I loved every second they were on screen together. If the film was just about their adventures, then it would've been perfect. Peter Sohn steals the film as the adorable, hilarious and useful robotic cat Sox. Throughout the film, he shines as he is not only just cute, but also essential to the plot. Keke Palmer was fun as Alisha's granddaughter, Izzy Hawthorne. She stumbles around, but she has that same adventurous and brave spirit her grandmother had. I liked that she had a name to live up to and how she gains Buzz's respect was natural and fun. Taika Waititi was funny and sometimes annoying as Mo Morrison. He was the constant klutz of the film which sometimes made me not like the amount of slapstick clumsiness. There is a balance when it comes to comedy in these films and at times he made it unbalanced. Dale Soules was cool as former convict Darby Steel. She may have had the ruff exterior and snarky attitude, but she has a good side to her and it was fun to see her let loose in the action sequences. James Brolin was fantastic as Emperor Zurg and even though there is a alternate take to the character’s motivation, he was still an awesome villain and had an epic fight scene.

The score by the busiest composer in Hollywood, Michael Giachinno, was big and sometimes repetitive. I loved the large scale sound and his themes really did nail the sci fi action serials of the 60's and 70’s while giving it a modern touch. Visually the film was stunning as expected from Pixar, but it really shines during the action and hyperspeed travel. Given that this was the origin story for the toy version of Buzz from the Toy Story franchise, it felt like a stand alone film and not really a spinoff. Its good, but also bad since it spends some time trying to tie it to the Toy Story films. If there's any real complaints, I just wish the comedy was toned down since it really pulls you out of the tension of the story. All that aside, I still enjoyed myself and I thought it was fun space adventure for all to enjoy. Do stick around for the 3 end credits scenes. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

#lightyear #Chris Evans #uzo aduba #keke palmer #taika waititi #peter sohn #dale soules #pixar

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adamwatchesmovies · 2 years

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Lightyear (2022)

I’m sad to say Lightyear sort of set itself up for failure from the beginning. The Toy Story quadrilogy is probably the greatest of all time. Trying to live up to that legacy without Tim Allen while taking a gag-born character and making him the protagonist of a serious adventure was probably too much to ask anyone. Paradoxically, those who don't get hung up on continuity and nostalgia will enjoy this spin-off the most.

While exploring a hostile world, space ranger Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans) accidentally damages his ship, marooning its crew in the process. Desperate to get everyone home, he begins experimenting with hyperspace fuel. Each attempt plunges him four years into the future and further from his commanding officer and best friend, Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), but he doesn’t care… until one test lands him in a present under siege by Emperor Zurg (James Brolin) and his army of robotic drones.

We're told this is the movie Andy from Toy Story saw in 1995; the one that birthed the toy he came to love so much. This doesn't quite add up because Lightyear isn't convincing as a film made 27 years ago. Even if we’re ignoring the dazzling CGI animation and the racially-diverse cast, this doesn't feel like the Toy Story universe's equivalent of Star Wars. The space ranger armor we’re used to seeing only shows up at the very end of the film and Buzz’s personality is completely different from the one we saw when Tim Allen’s Buzz first landed. On the upside, Zurg’s personality, look, and background have changed so if you think you know where the plot is going because you saw Toy Story 2, you’re wrong. Speaking of Zurg, once we find out what we do about him, I’m not entirely sure all of his actions make sense…

If we just judge this picture as its own thing, we get a pretty good sci-fi adventure for kids. It might take you a bit to warm up to Sox (voiced by Peter Sohn), the robotic cat that is Buzz’s companion, but he gets to be pretty funny. As for the people Buzz teams up with in the besieged future, they’re all distinct with well-defined personalities. As the Space Ranger deals with Izzy (Keke Palmer), Mo (Taika Waititi) and Darby (Dale Soules), he learns to become a leader and a better person, which sets him up to confront his biggest opponent: his own inability to move on. The fact that Zurg comes to literally represent this weakness is good writing.

Even when the people at Pixar don’t blow us away, the results are still above the industry average. Young viewers will appreciate the humor, won’t see the familiar story elements coming, and might even fall in love with this story's ample action scenes the way Andy “did”. Regardless of who watches, this is a visual spectacular. The backgrounds, character models, textures and sophisticated lighting/special effects reminding us once again of how long it has been since the first fully computer-generated film was released.

Lightyear may be a one-and-done, maybe even a letdown for those who grew up with Toy Story but it consistently entertains during its running time and its target audience will have a blast. The box-office returns likely mean we won’t get a sequel but the film teases one during the very very very end of the credits, so stay tuned for that. (August 6, 2022)

#Lightyear #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #Angus MacLane #Matthew Aldrich #Jason Headley #Chris Evans #Keke Palmer #Peter Sohn #taika waititi #dale soules #James Brolin #Uzo Aduba #2022 movies #2022 films #Pixar #Disney

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