Good morning, everyone! Welcome to another session of movie reviewing! Today, we are going back into the animation world known as Disney/Pixar. But we won’t just be reviewing any Disney/Pixar film, no! This time, we will be reviewing the newest one from the library that happens to be based off of the very film that started this particular animation library in the first place. Yes, of course, we’re talking about Toy Story. But we won’t be reviewing Toy Story, we will be talking about the spinoff film, Lightyear, which was just released last month. Now, I must confess that I hadn’t originally planned on seeing this film that I will mention after this introduction, and briefly talking about the plot of this film. Regardless, let’s talk about Lightyear.
Plot: When Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans), and his commanding office, and good friend, Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) land on fictional planet T’Kani Prime, and try to explore it, they attempt to retreat after discovering dangerous life forms. But circumstances force Buzz, Alisha, and the rest of the Space Ranger team to be stuck on the planet. Now, with the invention of a new technology called the hyperspace fuel, can Buzz find a way to get his team off planet T’Kani Prime, and back to the planet Earth once and for all?
So, I will get this out of the way right off the bat. I was not originally planning to see this new Disney/Pixar film. The reason being, well, as some of you may know, this new Lightyear film was said to have a lesbian scene, and lesbian kiss scene. Yeah, but the best idea to put that in a film that is supposed to be geared to kids, teens, and adults, you know? Anyway, after having conversations about this issue with one, or two other Christians, and one, or two other Christians surprisingly going through with seeing Lightyear, I went ahead, and saw it just a couple days ago. First of all, I will say this. Thankfully, there is no lesbian kids scene, only the lesbian relationship. And thankfully, the couple has a kid, who grows up marrying someone of the OPPOSITE sex. Yes, that may be a mini spoiler alert, but I figured it might still be worth mentioning anyway. So, I guess that makes the situation a double-edged sword? Here’s another thing to be grateful for. The lesbian situation is only there for a few seconds, and then we focus on the rest of the story, just like was the case with the similar situations in films like the Beauty & The Beast remake, or the 2020 Disney/Pixar film, Onward. And hey, at least Lightyear hasn’t been all too successful. So maybe if movies like this don’t do as well as previous Disney films, maybe Disney will finally get the message to not include stuff like any gay material in future Disney films? One can hope! Putting that whole deal aside, the other flaw that this film had was that the climax of this film could have probably been handled a little differently than it was in the end. The climax is still good, but it might have felt a little rushed at the same time.
Now, is this film one of Disney/Pixar’s better entries? As a matter of fact, it actually is. Though not quite as good as Disney/Pixar films like the Toy Story films (at least 1-3, but better than 4), or say Finding Nemo, for instance, Lightyear is most definitely better than more recent original stories from Disney/Pixar films like Onward, and Soul (both of which were released at different points in 2020). First off, in regards to the whole deal of Buzz Lightyear being voiced by Chris Evans, and not Tim Allen, if one were not to make that comparison, you may yet find that Evans does a good job as this character, despite Allen mastering the role a little better. There are also some additional really fun, and likable characters. Alongside Buzz Lightyear there’s also Buzz’s friend Alisha Hawthorne, her granddaughter, Izzy Hawthorne, Mo Morrison, Commander Burnside, and quite a few others. However, there is a side character that you can say basically steals the show. That character being a robotic cat named Sox, voiced by Peter Sohn. Before we briefly talk about this character, let me ask, some of you saw the 2014 Walt Disney Animation Studios film, Big Hero 6, did you not? Well, for those of you who have, you remember the nurse robot, Baymax, do you not? Well, basically, Sox is the Baymax of Lightyear. He’s funny, has a great sense of humor, and is someone that you’ll more than likely want to jump into the screen, and maybe even hug. He can also be good at giving good advice from time to time as well. As for the rest of the cast, they’re also really good too. Each, and every single one of then is fleshed out, and have very unique, and quirky personalities. The movie also does really well with developing the relationships between Buzz, and each, and every one of these characters. Oh, and while we’re on the subject of the characters, how could I not mention the villain himself, Zurg? While, we’re on the subject of Zurg, I’d like for us to briefly discuss the whole villain plot twist that people have said that they’re tired of. So, that said, the villain plot twist may have been overdone a little much in recent years. However, the plot twist is done surprisingly well in this case. I won’t go into detail as to why. Here’s what I will say, however. The plot twist is done in a way that is unique, and clever. Just watch the movie, and let’s just say that you’ll be surprised by what happens with this particular villain plot twist. The origin story of Buzz is also really cool overall. It’s exciting, gritty, and even dark at times. The story of Lightyear can feel grittier than even any of the Toy Story seemed to be. Basically, what we have is a mixture of Star Wars, some Avatar, maybe even some Mission Impossible, and any science fiction story that one can think of mixed into this film. In all honesty, Lightyear could potentially feel at times like it might be a little more for teens, and adults than kids because of that. Oh, and did I forget to mention the score that’s composed by Michael Giacchino? Let me tell you, his score helps make this film superb even more. That is especially when it comes to the more intense moments, and especially the climax of this film, despite the climax not being quite as perfect as it could have been. The animation is also fantastic. I mean specifically when you have say Buzz flying in hyperspace, or having the characters be surrounded by the beautiful nighttime sky, and things like that. It wouldn’t be surprising if some of these visuals looked even better while watching this film in 3D. Finally, Lightyear delivers some timeless messages about never giving up, being willing to accept help from others, and not going solo in life for any situation, and especially being willing to make sacrifices whenever necessary.
And that’s my review for Lightyear. At this point, there’s a part of me that wants to encourage others to see this film. At the same time, since there’s a brief LGTBQ deal with this film, I also understand if a lot of you decide not to see this film because of that. Aside from that, there’s a great plenty to enjoy about this film, from the beautiful animation, an exciting, and gritty story, really fun characters, and of course really great messages. I would say give Lightyear a chance if you want, but, again, I understand if some if you out there decide not to see Lightyear. if LGTBQ becomes a bigger problem in family films in the future, I won’t be surprised if a Disney fan like myself decides to stand my ground, and not see some of the newer Disney releases at least for a while. We shall see. Well, again, see Lightyear, if you want, and see what you think!
Final Grade: A-
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 