In 1995, Andy got a toy based on his favorite movie. This is that movie.
Buzz Lightyear is back… kind of. You see, this is the real Buzz Lightyear, the real fictional space hero that Andy’s toy was based on. Here, Buzz and his crew crash on an alien planet and Lightyear agonizes endlessly about how to get them home, but his plans for salvation are cut short when an alien force invades and Buzz and a handful of unlikely heroes must save the day.
As far as Pixar goes, this is a low tier effort which means that it’s fine, but not great. It’s nice… not thrilling, but nice. I will say that it starts strong, particularly during a sequence which shows the march of time while Buzz attempts to escape the planet that is absolutely heart wrenching.
However, everything that follows is decidedly underwhelming. While the cinematography in this movie is stunning, the rest of it – the story the script, the bad guys… it’s frustratingly average, the characters never really stick with you, and the archs are frustratingly unsurprising.
With one notable exception: Sox. I loved Sox. Sox was just a great character and I adored everything about him. As a matter of fact, I’m surprised that Andy asked for a Buzz Lightyear doll and not Sox. If his mom couldn’t afford both, I can’t believe Andy chose Buzz over Sox.
By no means is Lightyear a bad movie. I watched it and I enjoyed it, but it is missing something novel. I wish that the raw emotion from the beginning could have carried over through the whole movie, but as it is, I found Lightyear… acceptable.
This is no Toy Story, but rather a forgettable footnote.
But still… it’s fine.
Jason Gaston 