new buzz lightyear movie reviews

“Lightyear” is not the origin story of the Buzz Lightyear toy from Pixar’s “ Toy Story ” series. It’s the origin story of the reason the Buzz Lightyear toy wound up in Andy’s bedroom. You see, Andy’s Mom bought a Buzz Lightyear toy back in 1995 because he was the main character in Andy’s favorite film. “This is that film,” a title card tells us before plunging us into an animated space opera starring Chris Evans as Buzz. Along the way, we’ll meet the Evil Emperor Zurg and learn where all those catchphrases folks have been saying for the past 27 years originated.

I won’t fault suspicious viewers who think this sounds like a bunch of cash-grabbing malarkey, but I should point out that this retrofitting is not without Pixar precedent. If you recall, “ Toy Story 2 ” revealed that the Woody toy was originally a tie-in to a television show from the 1950s. Which begged the question as to why the Hell a millennial like Andy would want him. At least this time, the toy came from a contemporary reference for the kid. After seeing “Lightyear,” I was full of even more questions, such as, “Would Andy’s Mom have allowed a toy version of Buzz’s partner in her house?” And, “Come on, Andy! Why didn’t you ask your Mom for a toy version of Buzz’s cat?!”

More on the kitty cat later. “Lightyear” begins with a special mission for space rangers. Buzz is partnered with Alisha Hawthorne ( Uzo Aduba ), his best friend. They share in-jokes and memories of missions past. Hawthorne is a Black woman, something you don’t often see in space movies despite all that work they did for NASA in “ Hidden Figures .” She constantly mocks Buzz’s penchant for “monologuing,” that is, recording the Shatner-like captain’s log into that device on his arm. Before each adventure, the duo touch fingers and yell “To infinity and beyond!” which I assume would have been the tagline for this film when Andy saw it. By that rationale, the makers of “Lightyear” can sue the makers of “Toy Story” for stealing it.

But I digress. Buzz Lightyear, the movie character, has the same penchant for being stubborn and following his own path that his toy did. This gets him in a heap of trouble when he disregards the advice of both his team and his ship’s autopilot navigator I.V.A.N. ( Mary McDonald-Lewis ). The turnip-shaped ship he’s flying crashes, marooning everyone on a hostile planet filled with killer vines and bugs. Guilt-ridden, Buzz makes it his mission to discover an energy source that will help them achieve hyperspace and get off the planet.

Or something like that. The most important thing to know is that every failed attempt to reach his goal results in Buzz missing four years of life back home. Everyone gets older while he stays the same age. “Lightyear” represents much of this repeated passage of time in a montage scored by Michael Giacchino ; it’s reminiscent of the opening scene in “ Up .” Buzz’s unwillingness to accept failure keeps him from celebrating the marriage of Hawthorne and her girlfriend, the birth of their daughter, and far too many in-jokes and experiences for him to count. When he finally achieves hyperspace, it costs him 22 more years. By this time, Hawthorne has passed on, leaving him a recorded message that Aduba delivers with such bittersweet beauty that there were audible sniffles at my screening. You’ll hear them at yours, too.

Hawthorne’s message is delivered to Buzz by her daughter, Izzy ( Keke Palmer ). She’s inhabiting the latest iteration of their home planet, one that’s full of hostile robots who are under the control of the suspicious “Zurg” space ship. Buzz sees a new shot at getting everyone off the planet. Unfortunately, he’s on the outs with Commander Burnside (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) the military man who used to run things, and must retrieve the turnip ship without any skilled help. Izzy offers to assist and volunteers her team of amateurs, ex-con/bomb expert Darby Steel ( Dale Soules ) and Mo Morrison ( Taika Waititi ). Their space ranger abilities are best described by Whitlock’s profane catchphrase on “The Wire.” Morrison is so bad, and causes so much trouble, that he manages to make the pig-headed Buzz look reasonable.

Director Angus MacLane and his co-writer, Jason Headley do a very good job gently mocking the type of space movie that would have existed in the 1990s. They fill “Lightyear” with details that are sure to inspire arguments on Twitter from the “Toy Story” faithful. The film’s visuals gleefully rob from other movies. I saw “ Return of the Jedi ,” “ Avatar ,” “ 2001: A Space Odyssey ” and even “ The Last Starfighter ” amongst the inspirations. I.V.A.N. looks like something Nintendo would have created. Each character fits neatly into the familiar roles the genre specifies: Flawed heroes seeking redemption, rookies hoping to prove themselves, villains with secrets, and so on. The score by Michael Giacchino is one of his best, a delectable spoof of bombastic space movie music that elevates every scene it plays under.

Of course, every great hero needs a great sidekick. “Lightyear” gives us Sox ( Peter Sohn ), an adorable cat whose job is to offer emotional support to Buzz. Sox speaks in soothing tones, sort of a cross between “ Big Hero 6 ”’s Baymax and HAL, and will purr if you scratch his stomach. He is exceptionally good at calculations and occasionally makes a noise that sounds like “Be-boop, be-boop, be-boop!” Like any cat, Sox is full of surprises both hilarious and ominous. If Pixar’s plan was to create a character whose toy would fly off the shelves, they were successful. He has one scene in the movie—you’ll know it when you see it—that elicited audible gasps of panic in the theater. I’m not a cat person, but I was stanning so hard for Sox that I wanted to—you’re mocking me, aren’t you?

No matter. As far as spin-offs go, “Lightyear” is a lot of fun. The voice talent is topnotch, especially Palmer and Evans. They have big shoes to fill; Palmer has to build on the emotional bond Aduba created, and Evans has to give us a Buzz Lightyear that’s close enough to Tim Allen ’s characterization to make us believe the film’s toy tie-in. Sohn is perfectly feline and Bill Hader has a good time with his small role as a rookie with a difficult to pronounce last name. When Zurg finally appears, he’s voiced with a deranged glee by Mr. Barbara Streisand himself, James Brolin . Hell, if his kid can play Thanos, I guess he can play Zurg.

After the lackluster “ Toy Story 4 ,” I’d had enough of this series, so much so that I expected to file a negative review. In the immortal words of Buzz Lightyear, “Not today!”

“Lightyear” will be available only in theaters on June 17.

Odie Henderson

Odie “Odienator” Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire  here .

• Chris Evans as Buzz Lightyear (voice)
• Keke Palmer as Izzy Hawthorne (voice)
• Dale Soules as Darby Steel (voice)
• Taika Waititi as Mo Morrison (voice)
• Peter Sohn as Sox (voice)
• Uzo Aduba as Alisha Hawthorne (voice)
• James Brolin as Emperor Zurg (voice)
• Mary McDonald-Lewis as I.V.A.N. (voice)
• Efren Ramirez as Airman Diaz (voice)
• Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Commander Burnside (voice)
• Keira Hairston as Young Izzy (voice)

Writer (based on characters created by)

• Andrew Stanton
• John Lasseter
• Pete Docter
• Angus MacLane
• Jason Headley
• Anthony Greenberg

Cinematographer

• Ian Megibben
• Jeremy Lasky
• Michael Giacchino

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Lightyear First Reviews: An Exhilarating, Visually Spectacular Sci-Fi Adventure for Fans who Grew Up with Toy Story

Critics say pixar's toy story -adjacent space romp is gorgeous and fun, even if it doesn't reach the studio's greatest heights, and a scene-stealing sox the cat will be everyone's new favorite sidekick..

TAGGED AS: animated , Animation , Film , films , movie , movies , Pixar , toy story

Pixar returns to theaters with Lightyear , a sort of spin-off of their Toy Story franchise featuring the in-universe inspiration for the Buzz Lightyear toy (voiced here by Chris Evans ). The first reviews of the movie celebrate its animated sci-fi action and adventure story and visuals, as well as its scene-stealing robot cat for comic relief, but it’s not necessarily the studio’s greatest release.

Here’s what critics are saying about Lightyear :

Does it live up to peak Pixar?

Lightyear is the best movie of the year so far, and the best Pixar movie in quite some time. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

Lightyear emerges as a disappointing runner-up, capturing but a fraction of the comedy, thrills, and poignancy of its predecessors. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

Sadly it never reaches the emotional highs that Pixar was known for. – John Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

It lacks the emotional weight and meaning Pixar moviegoers expect. – Jeff Nelson, Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Not every Pixar production needs to be a new modern classic, but… Lightyear is not exactly going to occupy too much space in my mind in the weeks to come. – Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment

(Photo by ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Will Toy Story fans love it?

The film captures the magic of what made the Toy Story franchise while confidently opening the door for new fans to the franchise. – David Gonzalez, Reel Talk Inc.

For old and new Toy Story and family adventure fans alike, this is worthwhile dream fulfillment and highly exciting entertainment. – Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson

Angus MacLane’s animated space adventure is an absolute winner with thematic and emotional resonance, just like the Toy Story films before it. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

This is a movie for Toy Story adults — the people who grew up on the movies and now hold jobs and mortgages — not Toy Story children. – Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

It won’t engage the heart or the head in the way that Toy Story films have led viewers to expect over the last quarter-century-plus. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

What ultimately waters down Lightyear … is an absence of the excitement and disciplined storytelling spirit that made Toy Story such a pioneering hit. – Tomris Laffly, AV Club

How is the writing?

Angus MacLane and his co-writer Jason Headley craft a transportive and imaginative screenplay… The most impressive thing about the duo’s screenplay is added layers of freshness to an already beloved character. – David Gonzalez, Reel Talk Inc.

The script… tosses off a few gently mind-bending twists, but otherwise rests comfortably within an accessible, highly allusive branch of family-friendly science fiction. – Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

The movie feels a little episodic… like a kid recapping the plot of a movie, saying, “This happened and then this happened and then this happened.” – Fred Topel, United Press International

This feels like a story designed off a checklist rather than one told from the heart because it needs to be told. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

What about a strong message for the kids?

Lightyear will show you why Andy was enamored with his movie of choice and make you remember which one did that to you too back when you were a kid. – Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson

Lightyear is a moving movie to see in our modern, cynical times when we can see people grow beyond what they are into the people we need them to be. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

There is a lesbian kiss in Lightyear … This is a great way to have LGBTQ+ representation and inclusion on the screen, and should be applauded. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

A tired message better taught in Monsters University : never underestimate the hard work, determination, and loyalty of your allies. – Tomris Laffly, AV Club

Does it play well as a sci-fi action movie?

Lightyear is still an extremely fun action sci-fi film that is better than most animated films released in a given year. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

The space action is genuinely thrilling with stakes as high as Gravity . – Fred Topel, United Press International

Pixar has dabbled in the action genre with The Incredibles and doubles down here with visually impressive, grin-inducing shootouts and fights. – Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net

It works out well enough to be entertaining overall for people who enjoy animated films that take place in outer space. – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

Offers exhilarating action sequences, involving racing rockets, robot armies, and a truly breathtaking space walk. – Kristy Puchko, Mashable

The outer-space visuals and action-packed fight sequences are undoubtedly riveting. – Mike Massie, Gone With the Twins

How are the visuals?

If it needs to be said, the film is a visual triumph, with stunningly photo-real images and richly detailed deep-space locations. – Scott Mendelson, Forbes

Lightyear is easily Pixar’s best-looking movie yet. It isn’t even a question. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

One of the most aesthetically appealing features Pixar has done. The environments’ scale and scope are dazzling. Many gorgeous frames are pure art. – Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

With stunning space sequences, Lightyear adds to a genre rich in space beauty with one of the best-looking films of the year. – David Gonzalez, Reel Talk Inc.

Lightyear has visual pizzazz, from the hyperspace sequences to the heretofore hidden surprises that emerge from those colorful buttons and dials on the Space Ranger uniforms. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

The visuals are definitely up to Pixar standards, but the visual effects in Lightyear  are not really game-changing or extraordinary. – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

How is Chris Evans as the new voice of Buzz?

While Evans’s version of Buzz is akin to Tim Allen’s interpretation, this version is given the space to mold something fresh. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

Evans puts his stamp on the character and makes it relatively easy to forget about the re-voice casting and fall back into the world of Buzz. – David Gonzalez, Reel Talk Inc.

Evans also does a commendable job of taking on the iconic role of Buzz Lightyear, giving the character just the right amount of gravitas and heroism that he needs, but mixed with just a dash of ignorance and naivety. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

He’s intentionally impersonating George Clooney for the entire movie; that’s how it sounds, anyway. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

[He] does a creditable job… though a bit of that Allen snap gets lost. The character seems less funny, a notch more ordinary. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Will fans love the new characters too?

One of the movie’s greatest strengths is that it introduces characters with memorable personalities and quirks, with Sox being the one that viewers might be talking about the most. – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

Sox immediately belongs in the pantheon of great Pixar secondary characters, alongside Edna Mode, Dug, and Bing Bong. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

One of the best character debuts in any Pixar film. – David Gonzalez, Reel Talk Inc.

[Sox the cat is] one of the best new characters in recent Pixar memory. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

Despite feeling a bit derivative of Baymax in Big Hero 6 , [Sox] the cat brings much-needed charm, heart and smile with his cute behavior, funny situations, and loyalty as a companion. – John Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

Izzy is an instant fan fav. She has the charm, the comedy, determination, overall countenance, natural hair, and all, of a character people can relate to. – Catalina Combs, Black Girl Nerds

This [movie] is packed to the gills with vibrant characters and creepy villains, most of which are sadly more interesting than Buzz himself. – Tomris Laffly, AV Club

Should they have just titled the movie “ Sox the Cat “?

His presence alone makes this movie worth the price of admission. – Jeff Nelson, Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Suffice it to say, Sox would be the toy every kid would have wanted after this film, not a Buzz Lightyear. – Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment

Hey, if Disney wants to make a Sox streaming show or spin-off movie, I’ll happily watch that. – Scott Mendelson, Forbes

Is it a good sign for the future of Pixar?

If Luca , Turning Red , and Lightyear is the vision of Pixar going forward… then we are looking at a whole new renaissance by this prestigious animated institution. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

If this is what Pixar can accomplish without really stretching its creative or emotional talents, just imagine what they could do if they gave it their all. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

Lightyear opens in theaters on June 17, 2022.

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Lightyear Reviews

Despite some small throwbacks to “Toy Story,” Angus McLane’s film is a darn good time that can stand on its own two feet...

Full Review | Feb 3, 2024

The film offers a good balance between emotion and comedy, although at times the development of the action is hindered by the constant difficulties on Buzz. Despite this, Lightyear is a very entertaining proposal for both adults and children.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Dec 28, 2023

Lightyear exceeds all expectations for me & truly goes to infinity & Beyond… an emotional thrilling space Epic that is a true marvel to see in IMAX. This is an incredible experience that I cannot wait to see again! One of Pixar’s Best.

Full Review | Jul 25, 2023

In nearly all ways, Lightyear is underwhelming. It’s shocking that this film was Pixar’s return to theatres after the pandemic. Soul, Luca, and Turning Red all would have made better theatrical releases than Lightyear.

Full Review | Jul 24, 2023

An adventure filled with tons of entertainment, inspiring messages, and breathtaking animation.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jul 23, 2023

"Lightyear" is frantic and colorful and the one hour and 40 minute runtime zips by, but it's confounding who exactly the movie is intended for.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jul 16, 2023

LIGHTYEAR is an approximation of what an energetic kid in the mid-90s would have glommed onto. It's a nostalgia bomb [of STAR WARS meets STAR TREK pastiche] and it works.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jan 6, 2023

Lightyear is an action-packed and visually stunning experience that puts less of a premium on Pixar’s legendary heartfelt comedy. Still, this is a future franchise that’s light-years in the making.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 2, 2023

It may not be Pixar's best movie, but it's definitely not their worst; it's the kind of vastly entertaining, emotional, heartfelt and humorous Pixar adventure we all expect from this iconic animation studio.

Full Review | Original Score: 7.5/10 | Dec 30, 2022

As Lightyear stumbles to make a compelling story on its own, it’s difficult to not get caught up in the incongruities.

Full Review | Dec 16, 2022

Lightyear is fun, summer popcorn fare. However it is unlikely to make the same cultural impact as it did in the Toy Story universe. If it makes enough money to inspire a sequel, Buzz’s legacy may continue to Infinity… but not beyond.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 13, 2022

Anything interesting about the character has been stripped from him, and what is left is a by-the-numbers science fiction film with a plot already mined out by generations of earlier movies.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Nov 2, 2022

It's not a bad movie - reminiscent of 50s sci-fi where space exploration is at the heart of it all - but smacks of a genericness that lacks that particular passionately careful storytelling that Pixar is famous for.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 1, 2022

Lightyear was exciting, suspenseful, funny and heartfelt, and animated action film is a category I didn’t realize I was missing out on.

Full Review | Sep 28, 2022

A dubious feat of reverse engineering an IP into a commercial for itself, geared to administer doses of nostalgia to the Toy Story faithful and expand the lore of a character into a potential saga of his own.

Full Review | Aug 29, 2022

“Lightyear” offers plenty of pretty things to look at and one funny/adorable robot kitty. But it hardly reaches to infinity, and it certainly doesn’t go beyond.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 25, 2022

in relation to the Toy Story series, it lacks the heart-tugging depth that made those movies so memorable. Taken on its own, Lightyear is entertaining, suspenseful (but not too scary), full of action and fun – just right for a summer movie.

Full Review | Aug 23, 2022

To get the most fun you can from Lightyear, only one requirement needs to be met: don’t expect anything extending the Toy Story universe.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 12, 2022

Lightyear is fine, just fine. It inspires no greater superlatives.

Full Review | Aug 4, 2022

The film isn’t about the beloved toy Buzz Lightyear, but rather the “real-life” human who inspired him. Second, the hero is not voiced by Tim Allen, like doing a Woody origin story without Tom Hanks. If you can get past that, “Lightyear” isn’t a bad ride.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 3, 2022

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‘Lightyear’ Review: Infinite Buzz

The new Pixar movie recounts the adventures of Star Command’s most famous Space Ranger before he was a toy.

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By A.O. Scott

The simple, charming premise of “Lightyear” is explained in an onscreen text. “In 1995, a boy named Andy got a toy from his favorite movie. This is that movie.” In other words, it’s the origin story not of a hero but of a piece of merchandise, one that started out fictional but long ago crossed the boundary into real life. More than one hard plastic Buzz Lightyear lived in my house for a long time, just like in Andy’s. To be part of the “Toy Story” universe is to be intimately acquainted with the metaphysics of the commodity form.

This Buzz is a little different, though. He isn’t a toy, and he doesn’t sound like Tim Allen, who did the voice work in the four chapters of Pixar’s “Toy Story” cycle. He’s a real live animated make-believe Space Ranger, and he speaks in the manly baritone of Chris Evans, who played Captain America over in the Marvel Universe zone of the Disney empire.

Like Cap, Buzz is square-jawed, stoic and shadowed by a hint of melancholy — a soulful soldier in an endless corporate campaign. If “Lightyear” lacks both the sublimity and the giddy inventiveness of the best “Toy Story” movies, that may be by design. This isn’t supposed to be a 21st-century masterpiece, but a kid-friendly, merch-spawning movie from 1995. (That was a pretty good year for commercial cinema , by the way.) The Buzz Lightyear toy was meant to stick around after the movie had been forgotten, and to populate a richer, more varied imaginative landscape.

“Lightyear,” directed by Angus MacLane from a script by Jason Headley, aims to please by pandering, to be good-enough entertainment. As such, it succeeds in a manner more in line with second-tier Disney animation than with top-shelf Pixar. The hero, fighting off an invasion force of alien robots, falls in with a motley group of misfits, in whom he must instill the competence and confidence necessary for the task. The action is wrapped in lessons, delivered in a manner that isn’t too preachy, about how it’s OK to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. And there is a scene-stealing animal sidekick, in this case a robot cat named SOX, voiced in perfect feline-A.I. deadpan by Peter Sohn.

A few soft-boiled Easter eggs pop up to connect “Lightyear” with various “Toy Story” episodes. Remember Zurg? He’s back, with James Brolin’s growl and a secret I won’t spoil. An early section — a kind of extended prologue to the main action — recalls the celebrated montage in “Up” that compresses a long marriage into a few short minutes. This time, the focus is on the friendship between Buzz and his closest colleague, Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), who crash-land a crowded space vessel on a distant planet.

Buzz doggedly tries to plan an escape, which means embarking on a series of test flights intended to reach hyperspeed. Each journey lasts a few minutes, which equals four years on the planet’s surface. Buzz stays the same age as Alisha marries, has a son and then a granddaughter, grows old gracefully and is gone.

Her life amounts to a sweet sidebar, a touching miniature movie-within-the-movie. But it also might make you wonder what it would look like if the story were told the other way around, with Alisha at the center. The person she marries is a woman, and a brief display of affection between them has already led some countries to ban “Lightyear,” which deals with the characters’ sexuality in a commendably matter-of-fact manner. At the same time, their marginality to the main plot makes it feel as if the filmmakers were content to check a diversity box, pat themselves on the back and move on.

What they move on to is an energetic, somewhat familiar adventure, with a few moments of lovely deep-space animation. Buzz teams up with Alisha’s now grown granddaughter, Izzy (Keke Palmer), and two other Star Command trainees: Darby (Dale Soules), a salty ex-convict, and Mo (Taika Waititi), an all-purpose goofball. And, of course, the robot cat.

It’s possible that, in 1995, “Lightyear” could have been an 8-year-old boy’s favorite movie, but that’s not really the point. Its purpose is to extend brand awareness, and to close a loop between the stuff we see and the stuff we buy.

Usually the movie comes first, but not always, as the “Transformers” franchise demonstrated. Greta Gerwig is making a Barbie movie. And within the “Toy Story” cosmos, the possibilities are endless. How about a Forky docuseries? Or “Shepherdess,” a folk-horror retelling of the Bo Peep story? Personally, I’d be most excited about “La Testa di Patata,” an uninhibited Italian romantic comedy about the courtship of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.

Lightyear Rated PG. Robot danger. Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes. In theaters.

A.O. Scott is a co-chief film critic. He joined The Times in 2000 and has written for the Book Review and The New York Times Magazine. He is also the author of “Better Living Through Criticism.” More about A.O. Scott

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Summary A sci-fi action adventure and the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voice of Chris Evans), the hero who inspired the toy, “Lightyear” follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through ... Read More

Directed By : Angus MacLane

Written By : Angus MacLane, Matthew Aldrich, Jason Headley, Rebecca Banks, Andrew Stanton, Lauren Gunderson

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Chris Evans

Buzz lightyear, keke palmer, izzy hawthorne, sox, old sox, taika waititi, mo morrison, dale soules, darby steel, james brolin, alisha hawthorne, mary mcdonald-lewis, isiah whitlock jr., commander burnside, angus maclane, eric, deric & zyclops, featheringhamstan, efren ramirez, airman díaz, keira hairston, critic reviews.

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User reviews

A muddled and mediocre effort

• Jul 3, 2023

Really don't get the hate

• Jul 16, 2022

Doesn't go to infinity and beyond

• TheLittleSongbird
• Jan 26, 2024

The movie is ok. Many of this film's reviewers seem nuts

• brianjohnson-20043
• Jun 29, 2022

It's an okay product, but wrong I.P.

• Nov 18, 2022

No signs of intelligent life anywhere....

• PerryAtTheMovies
• Jun 15, 2022
• bbevis-47954
• Jun 19, 2022

Pretty good

• Jul 23, 2022

Sox steals the movie

• Rectangular_businessman
• Nov 21, 2022
• Balnyetnikoff
• Jun 16, 2022

Pretty decent

• Jadcock-26238
• Jul 26, 2022

Good film - with the right expectations.

• woodstock-82880
• Aug 3, 2022

This isn't as bad as everyone is claiming!

Oh well, i liked it.

• ericstevenson
• Jul 3, 2022

It's a mindless action-adventure film and I loved it!

• subxerogravity

"Zurg."

• mattstone137
• Jun 17, 2022

Great sci-fi adventure

Solid pixar movie.

• Jithindurden
• Jul 19, 2022
• neil_thiessen

Almost Perfect!

• Jul 12, 2022

Not worthy of the 'Pixar' title

• larshoeijmans

A disappointment

• schorschi100
• Sep 4, 2022

A Rebirth For Pixar

• AustinOswald

What are these reviews talking about?

• logantoemas

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Pixar’s ‘lightyear’: film review.

Chris Evans voices the big-screen Space Ranger who became a 'Toy Story' action figure in the sci-fi adventure spinoff, also featuring Uzo Aduba, Keke Palmer and Taika Waititi.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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The conflict in Pixar ’s ageless 1995 breakthrough feature, Toy Story , hinged on the displacement anxiety of old-fashioned pull-string cowboy doll Woody when his young owner Andy acquired a popular new action figure called Buzz Lightyear . The movie named for that Space Ranger, Lightyear , extends the Toy Story franchise by showing us the sci-fi adventure that hooked Andy on the character and inspired the merch. This is a funny spinoff with suspense and heart, a captivatingly spirited toon take on splashy live-action retro popcorn entertainment. The title character is given splendid voice by Chris Evans , balancing heroism and human fallibility with infectious warmth.

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My one major gripe is that this movie has left me low-key obsessed with wanting an emotional support cat robot like Sox, the feline automaton companion assigned to Buzz by Star Command to ease his troubled mind after a series of setbacks. I’ve thought of little else since seeing Lightyear , so I hope you’re happy, Pixar.

Release date : Friday, June 17 Cast : Chris Evans, Uzo Aduba, Peter Sohn, Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Efren Ramirez, Keira Hairston Director : Angus MacLane Screenwriters : Jason Headley, Angus MacLane

In the studio’s tradition of enlisting members of its creative team to do voice work, Sox is voiced by animator Peter Sohn. The cat is a digital assistant and a sympathetic listener, but he’s also a playful kitty prone to chasing lasers. And in place of fur balls, he can cough up a blowtorch or a tranquilizer dart to immobilize an adversary when necessary. Sox is a cute take on the classic Disney animal sidekick, and is typical of the endearing sense of humor at work in the screenplay co-written by director Angus MacLane and Jason Headley.

Since ranking now seems obligatory, this is solid mid-tier Pixar with plenty of kid appeal and a significant nostalgia factor for fans of ‘80s and ‘90s sci-fi. It can’t touch the studio’s space-age masterpiece, Wall-E, or Brad Bird’s ineffably moving The Iron Giant , from Warner Bros. But the beauty of the outer-space environments and the expressive charm of the characters should make this play well as the first Pixar release to hit theaters since the pandemic began. That includes IMAX screens, with parts of the film specifically shot in the larger format.

The title character of course is embedded in the imaginations of generations as an action figure — voiced by Tim Allen over four features — who came out of the box convinced he was a real Space Ranger in Toy Story . The shattering of that illusion and the rewards of becoming part of a tight-knit community gradually taught Buzz humility, reshaping him from an over-confident he-man to a lovable, occasionally clueless goofball; from a solo star to a team player.

In reimagining the live-action screen hero (albeit in a CG rendering) on whom the toy was based, the filmmakers’ first smart decision was casting Evans, whose overlapping Captain America experience enhances his authority in the role. This version shares the physical characteristics of the toy — the puffed-up barrel chest, the massive astronaut’s jawline and dimpled chin — but is more flexible both in his facial features and movements, as befits a theoretically flesh-and-blood character over a plastic one.

But the new Buzz’s emotional arc is not altogether unlike that of his toy-store counterpart. At the start of the adventure, he respects his friend and mentor Commander Alisha Hawthorne ( Uzo Aduba ), but he’s also an elitist who likes to be in control. His hero complex is such that he even narrates his own story, passing it off as a mission log. He’s as dismissive of rookie recruits as he is of his spaceship’s autopilot function, I.V.A.N., or Internal Voice-Activated Navigator, voiced by Mary McDonald-Lewis.

Lightyear is about how this gung-ho Space Ranger learns to acknowledge his human limitations and accept help. It’s also about the passage of time, and whether we fixate on regrets or move forward with whatever circumstances life presents.

That’s Buzz’s dilemma when he and his commander and their 1,000-member science and tech crew, while heading home to Earth, stop to investigate an uncharted planet, T’Kani Prime. Hostile life forms — aggressive monster vines and giant flying bugs — prompt a hasty exit, in which Buzz attempts the same steep cliff-climb flight maneuver recently seen in Top Gun: Maverick . Only he’s not so lucky. Damage to the fuel cell leaves them stranded on T’Kani Prime, with no way home until they can fix the hyper-speed drive.

Crushed by his rare taste of failure, Buzz vows to complete the mission and return everyone to Earth. But one year later, his first hyper-speed test flight using crystal fuel made from the planet’s natural resources is a bust. And the time dilation of his 4-minute flight means that everyone back on T’Kani Prime has aged more than 4 years when he returns.

With each successive test flight, that process intensifies, so while Buzz remains the same age, relentlessly pursuing a solution, everyone he knows accepts their situation and gets on with life within the new colony’s protected perimeters. This applies especially to Commander Hawthorne, an openly queer character who marries her girlfriend, becomes a mother and an eventual grandmother while Buzz continues plugging away at the perfect crystal fuel formula, aided by Sox.

Pixar and Disney films both have shown faith over the decades in children’s ability to understand death, and Lightyear is no exception, providing poignant moments of loss that cut deeper with Buzz since his life has essentially remained frozen in time.

But when a new threat emerges in the form of an alien spaceship captained by mega-robot Zurg ( James Brolin ) and his army of Zyclops automatons, Buzz is forced to go rogue. His only backup comes from the Junior Zap Patrol, a ragtag trio of volunteer cadet trainees that includes Alisha’s granddaughter Izzy ( Keke Palmer ), who dreams of becoming a Space Ranger if she can overcome her fears; clumsy beanpole Mo ( Taika Waititi ), who admits he was an academic underachiever; and jaded Darby (Dale Soules), a tough as nails old broad who’s more than happy to overlook the veto on weapons handling that is one of her parole conditions.

How that band of outsiders find mutual trust and strength in their collaborative know-how while also discovering their individual skills is a story very much out of the Pixar playbook — albeit with some time-bending twists as they travel into the future.

MacLane, who co-directed Finding Dory as well as a couple of Toy Story shorts, and Headley, who co-wrote Onward , are clearly genre fanboys high on the boundless capacity of sci-fi to create distant worlds; they toss in nods to everything from Starship Troopers to Alien to Gravity . The material is bouncy and light-hearted, even as danger mounts — there are loads of amusing throwaway jokes that humanize technology, like I.V.A.N. releasing a cockpit confetti bomb when the hyper-speed works, or two Zyclops exchanging nervous side-eye glances when Zurg stomps out in a rage.

But the filmmakers also inject plenty of tenderness, especially in the way Buzz comes to care for and rely on the crew that initially seemed such a liability. Having been too busy with his mission to focus on any personal life of his own, he finds unexpected closeness with his surprisingly resourceful cadets, particularly Palmer’s spunky Izzy, who represents a continuous line from his friendship with her grandmother. The comforts of fellowship also tidily echo the bonds that action-figure Buzz found with Andy’s other toys.

The textured visuals are often breathtaking, pulsing with luminous color, and the detailed character work is delightful, matched by strong contributions from the voice actors. Involvement in the story is enriched at every turn by Michael Giacchino ’s robust orchestral score, which ranges from quiet, intimate moments through hard-charging suspense to triumphal jubilation. The film gets in on the MCU act with a jokey mid-credits sequence and then a more dramatic one at the very end, opening the door to a sequel.

Perhaps the sweetest adjustment here to the familiar Toy Story Buzz is that his cornball heroic catchphrase, “To infinity and beyond,” is as much a reinforcement of human connection as a rallying cry for space adventure.

Full credits

Production company: Pixar Animation Studios Distribution: Disney Cast: Chris Evans, Uzo Aduba, Peter Sohn, Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Efren Ramirez, Keira Hairston, Bill Hader Director: Angus MacLane Screenwriters: Jason Headley, Angus MacLane Story: Angus MacLane, Matthew Aldrich, Jason Headley Producer: Galyn Susman Executive producers: Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter Directors of photography: Jeremy Lasky, Ian Megibben Production designer: Tim Evatt Music: Michael Giacchino Editor: Anthony J. Greenberg Sound designer: Ren Klyce Animation supervisor: David DeVan Character supervisor: Mark Piretti Effects supervisor: Bill Watral Visual effects supervisor: Jane Yen Casting: Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon

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Lightyear Reviews Have Arrived, Check Out What Critics Have To Say About The New Pixar Adventure

Chris Evans stars as Buzz Lightyear in Pixar's return to theaters.

Audiences are likely more than ready to go “ to infinity and beyond ,” as Pixar returns to the big screen this weekend with the premiere of Lightyear . The origin story of space ranger Buzz Lightyear — on which the Toy Story action figure is based — stars Chris Evans as the titular character , alongside a capable cast that includes Uzo Aduba, Keke Palmer , James Brolin, Taika Waititi and Peter Sohn — who voices Sox, the character everyone was talking about in their first reactions to the screening. Now critics’ reviews are out, so what did they think of the movie overall?

The first reactions to Lightyear sounded pretty promising, with most the movie's early audiences praising the to-be-expected phenomenal animation. Buzz’s robotic cat sidekick Sox also had everyone buzzing, and I think we can all expect to see that merchandise popping up everywhere! There were a few notes on the strength of the plot, however, so let’s get to the reviews, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Lightyear . Mike Reyes rates the movie 3.5 stars out of 5, saying the spinoff honors and enhances its timeless character in an excitingly fresh manner:

It’s a little bit rocky at the start, as the proper tone takes a little while to be set into motion. Once Lightyear finds its lane, it doesn’t stop, zooming straight through an adventure dealing with true blue hero stuff. While it may not reach infinity, the finished story absolutely goes beyond what one could have expected. By time I had reached the ending, I was already excited to see where the sequels could go, grinning at the final shot as if it was my first time watching Toy Story.

Scott Mendelson of Forbes finds a balance between the spinoff’s obvious marketing opportunities and the adventure, saying this movie is worth seeing for fans who have been looking forward to it, but it’s not quite triumphant enough to get the unconverted off the fence:

At its best moments, including some genuine emotional melancholy in the first and third acts, Lightyear plays as a film that took its commercial motivations not as an excuse or a crutch but as an artistic challenge, not unlike Creed II or The LEGO Movie. It’s not that good; it’s still very much a commercially motivated piece of art with multi-platform media franchise aspirations. However, nobody involved phoned it in.

Tomris Laffly of AV Club grades Lightyear a C+, admitting that while there’s some fun to be had with this animated adventure, the spinoff is ultimately inconsequential, and its plot excesses cause its messages to miss their mark:

What ultimately waters down Lightyear, an otherwise polished, gorgeous-looking entry into the Pixar oeuvre, is an absence of the excitement and disciplined storytelling spirit that made Toy Story such a pioneering hit. Even Michael Giacchino’s splendid score goes only so far towards insinuating a grand adventure that ultimately feels a little trite and bloated. Aiming for infinity and beyond, Lightyear frustratingly feels trapped on earth.

Alonso Duralde of The Wrap agrees with some of the above criticisms, saying that while Lightyear is “perfectly OK,” Pixar has set such a high bar that “perfectly OK” doesn’t cut it. He says this sci-fi spinoff is able to capture only a fraction of the comedy, thrills and poignancy that made us fall in love with the Toy Story movies:

You can probably also play Bingo with the Pixar plot tropes on display, from the tear-jerking montage to the vainglorious villain. In better Pixar movies, we see certain plot points coming from a mile away but are too engaged to mind, but Buzz never becomes particularly interesting or empathetic beyond his role as a ‘character who spawns a toy we care about in other movies.’

Aaron Neuwirth of We Live Entertainment rates the movie a 7 out of 10, saying that, sure, there was an air of predictability to the story, but that didn’t detract from the critic’s enjoyment of the movie:

The fun is a big part of the point, however, and Lightyear delivers on it without wasting any time. This is an enjoyable film that looks and sounds great. Pixar wanted to deliver something akin to a wild space opera, and it has done so. I enjoyed this exciting twist on the character as far as the world it chose to open up. I don’t know what Andy’s up to these days (probably something boring, as Sid from next door was far more creative), but I can see how a younger version of him would have been swept up in this space odyssey.

David Rooney of THR also thinks Lightyear is a blast, saying his biggest complaint is that he’s now low-key obsessed with getting a Sox of his own: 

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Since ranking now seems obligatory, this is solid mid-tier Pixar with plenty of kid appeal and a significant nostalgia factor for fans of ‘80s and ‘90s sci-fi. It can’t touch the studio’s space-age masterpiece, Wall-E, or Brad Bird’s ineffably moving The Iron Giant. But the beauty of the outer-space environments and the expressive charm of the characters should make this play well as the first Pixar release to hit theaters since the pandemic began. That includes IMAX screens, with parts of the film specifically shot in the larger format.

The critics seem a little conflicted about how they received Pixar’s first post-COVID foray into theaters, but fans of the Toy Story franchise aren’t likely to let anything stop them. If you want to check out Lightyear , you can do so starting Friday, June 17. Be sure to also check out our 2022 movie release calendar to see what other films are headed to theaters soon and start planning your next trip to the movies!

Heidi Venable is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend, a mom of two and a hard-core '90s kid. She started freelancing for CinemaBlend in 2020 and officially came on board in 2021. Her job entails writing news stories and TV reactions from some of her favorite prime-time shows like Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in Journalism and worked in the newspaper industry for almost two decades in multiple roles including Sports Editor, Page Designer and Online Editor. Unprovoked, will quote Friends in any situation. Thrives on New Orleans Saints football, The West Wing and taco trucks.

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Lightyear review: an exciting & heartwarming origin story for buzz.

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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).

RELATED:  Lightyear Suggests Toy Story Will Break A Massive Box Office Record

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.

NEXT:  Why Lightyear Has Recast Zurg's Voice Actor From Toy Story 2

Lightyear  releases in theaters on June 17. The film is 105 minutes long and is rated PG for scenes of action/peril.

Disney Pixar branches the Toy Story franchise off with Lightyear, a story that centers around a human version of the Buzz Lightyear toy and his missions with Star command. Set during an exploration mission, Lightyear and his crew are attacked during a scouting mission by alien lifeforms and find themselves stranded on an unknown planet. To help get everyone home, Lightyear volunteers on a dangerous mission to test pilot their means home. However, each test light passes time and the characters age in his absence.

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