13 Jun Lightyear Review

LIGHTYEAR

dir. Angus MacLane, starring Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, et al

A sci-fi adventure and the definitive origin story of Toy Story hero Buzz Lightyear, Lightyear follows the 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 space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.

Pixar Animations’ second release of the year behind Turning Red, Lightyear is a breezy, fun action sci-fi action romp with reunites Buzz Lightyear with his mortal enemy Zurg. From the film’s opening moments, the audience is reminded that Buzz was one of Andy’s favorite toys. The new reveal here is that the reason for this is due to his seeing the movie Lightyear, the film which the toy was based on. Realizing that we’re watching a 145-minute movie within a movie is an amusingly surreal experience as Buzz blasts, shoots, and chops his way through his mission to save his people. Written and directed by Angus MacLane, Lightyear is one of Pixar’s lightest films, deciding to focus more on an entertaining sci-fi adventure akin to the original Star Wars rather than explore weighty themes or messages. The underlying ideals are still present: the recurring motif of collective problem solving versus the idea of going it alone is at the center of Buzz’s story but packaged in a way that feels natural and smartly weaved into the story. While far from the best movie Pixar has produced in its expansive catalog, it’s certainly one of the most enjoyable.

Starring Chris Evans as the voice of Buzz Lightyear, the choice for a warm, friendly, yet still authoritative voice couldn’t have been more obvious. For almost a decade, the audience watched Evans depict Captain America, the moral authority and all-around do-gooder of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By casting him, Pixar managed to create a bit of a narrative cheat, cashing in on his time as Cap to give Buzz the cache the character requires while being able to poke a bit of fun at Evans’ depiction of rigid duty-comes-first characters. Here in Lightyear, Evans is a delight, bringing all the gravitas we’ve associated with the character since his first appearance while managing to imbue new layers of depth and humanity. Buzz goes on a journey of growth and acceptance during the film’s runtime and Evans captures his maturation excellently.

Also a standout is Keke Palmer, voicing Izzy Hawthorne, granddaughter of Buzz’s Space Ranging friend, Alisha. Brimming with eager earnestness, Izzy is one of the strongest characters of the film. An emotional tie to his past life, her presence is a constant reminder that Buzz need not tackle the universe’s problems by himself; oftentimes the best approach to a situation is with a team and a plan. Izzy’s desire to live up to her grandma is one of her driving forces throughout the movie; conquering her personal fears and stepping up to the challenge is the movie’s secondary plot as Buzz moves along his storyline. Palmer is outstanding in the role, bringing joy and humor while fleshing out a fully realized character with her own motivations independent of Buzz’s.

By far and easily the standout character of the entire movie is Sox, the robotic cat and Buzz’s constant companion throughout the film. Voiced by Pixar animator Peter Sohn, Sox’s initial purpose is one of comfort: after Buzz’s initial failures at getting his team home, his partner Alisha gifts him the robotic companion to help cope with the setbacks. Sox is a steady presence throughout the film, with each line delivered with perfect cadence by Sohn, able to as much with a handful of words as with entire sentences. While Sox can be viewed as yet another piece of deliberate merchandising for the long arm that is Disney (looking at you, Grogu), the character itself is easily the heart of the film and the one thing most younger viewers will be talking about once the end credits start to roll.

Making his freshman debut as the director of a feature length film, Angus MacLane makes a huge splash with Lightyear. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise; MacLane has been a member of the Pixar family ranging back to 1998’s A Bug’s Life as an additional animator. Since then, he’s worked on 17 different Pixar films as well as serving as partial director for 2000’s Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins. For MacLane, who also worked on Toy Story 2-4, directing Lightyear is more a homecoming than an initial outing. His sense of adventure and wonder is captured throughout the movie; by allowing Buzz to experience the wonder and confusion of years gone by, MacLane invites the audience to do the same. With explosive action scenes, a relentless pace that barely gives our characters (or us, the viewer) a chance to breathe, and a well baked in theme of the power of teamwork, Angus McLane’s rookie debut is a rousing success.

Overall, Lightyear is a great family-friendly adventure that ranks modestly in the annals of Pixar films. While not as emotionally engaging or thematically esoteric as other films in their retinue (Coco, Inside Out, Soul), Lightyear instead opts for fun, providing a nonstop otherworldly adventure that flies from set piece to set piece. Great voice acting from all the members of the cast, combined with MacLane’s keen eye for action, Lightyear will go down as one of the most entertaining all-ages films of the year. Lightyear will be released in theaters June 17.

Review by Darryl Mansel