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Whether it’s a film about a rat who dreams of becoming a French chef or a teenage girl who becomes a giant red panda when she’s excited,Pixarmakes it look easy to create great films, no matter how wild the premise.
Lightyearmight offer the studio’s most complicated setup yet, chronicling an early adventure of Buzz Lightyear, the sci-fi hero of a film that only existed in theToy Storyfranchise until now, and that inspired the talking toy of the same name in that franchise. To put it another way,Lightyearis (essentially) the film the Buzz Lightyear toy inToy Storyis based on, brought into the real world for the rest of us to see.
Sure, its one-sentence pitch might seem confusingly meta on the surface, but like so many other Pixar films before it, once you dive intoLightyear, the film has no trouble immersing you in its fantastic world with a clever adventure that will entertain audiences of just about any age.
Science, meet emotion
Finding Doryco-director Angus MacLane helmsLightyearfrom a story penned by MacLane, Matthew Aldrich (Coco), and Jason Headley (Onward), with Marvel Cinematic Universe star Chris Evans voicing the titular space explorer with an affinity for narrating his every action. The film finds Buzz and the crew of his exploration vessel marooned on a hostile planet where they must attempt to create a new fuel source to escape. Buzz soon discovers that the effects of time dilation cause years to pass on the colony each time he tests the hyperspace fuel developed by the colony. Forced to watch his friends grow older as he attempts to save the colony, Buzz eventually faces a new challenge when he returns from a test to find the colony under attack from a robot army.
It’s a premise that feels surprisingly mature for an animated, all-ages feature — not just in the emotional ramifications of Buzz’s predicament, but in the “science” element of its sci-fi theme, too. While it doesn’t get too deep into the technical brambles of time dilation and hyperspace travel,Lightyeardoes just enough to sell that aspect of its narrative set-up to make it work for kids and adults alike, which is no easy feat when you’re dealing with concepts borrowed from the theory of relativity.
And although it doesn’t deliver the emotional gut-punch of the last fewToy Storyfilms or prior Pixar films likeUporInside Out,Lightyearoffers plenty of powerful, dramatic moments, too. In addition to havinggreat characters, Pixar filmshave always had a knack for heavy emotional beats (and, some might argue, can be a bit too manipulative in that department), butLightyearstrikes a great balance between giving its characters depth, heart, and emotional stakes in their world, while simultaneously preventing the action and adventure in the story from getting bogged down in processing oversized feelings.
Being able to sympathize with the characters — even animated ones — without necessarily pitying them is a tough line to walk, butLightyeardoes so gracefully throughout Buzz’s wild adventure, and the film feels more light and accessible than some of its Pixar peers because of it.
Action, animated
Lightyearalso feels like the closest Pixar has come to a mainstream, sci-fi action feature, too. Things move at a quick pace inLightyear, and the film’s willingness to embrace the tropes of both classic sci-fi and modern, action-oriented entries in the genre give the goings-on a familiar sense of excitement. Buzz is a space hero from the pulp era careening through a modern sci-fi adventure, andLightyeardoes a nice job of squeezing the potential out of every element the genre offers.
Of course, it helps that the film’s lead character is voiced by one of the most popular actors in the genre, and Evans does a wonderful job ofmaking Buzz sound like a live-action heroin every way. Tim Allen’s performance as the toy version of Buzz in theToy Storyfilms is iconic, certainly, but there was always an over-the-top edge to it that never let you forget the character was a toy. That flourish isn’t present in Evans’ voice performance, and that — along with his ability to make just about anything sound inspiring, honed from years of portraying Marvel’s Captain America — keeps Buzz relatable and interesting as a “real” character (albeit animated) no matter what’s going on around him.
Evans’ fine performance inLightyearis also supported by fellow cast members Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee),Taika Waititi (Our Flag Means Death), and Dale Soules (Orange is the New Black), who portray the trio of misfit trainees Buzz is forced to rely on. Palmer in particular delivers a standout performance as the granddaughter of Buzz’s best friend, who struggles to live up to her grandmother’s legacy in Buzz’s eyes and those of the colony.
WhileLightyearfeels like a film that can stand on its own, it still manages to pack in plenty of nods to theToy Storyfranchise and the toy character fans know and love. The film is packed with both overt and subtle nods to Buzz’s toy alter ego — or perhaps it’s the other way around, given the retroactive relationship Pixar has established between the film and the toys. Either way, the film seems destined to elicit audible gasps from younger viewers each time Buzz utters one of hisToy Storycatchphrases, reveals the inspiration for one of the toy’s accessories, or references hisToy Storycounterpart’s world in some form.
Fun, fast-paced, and smarter than you might expect,Lightyearis another feather in Pixar’s crowded hat when it comes to delivering a film that really does deliver on the promise of all-ages entertainment. Kids will likely find it easy to be swept into the action, humor, and self-aware bits ofLightyear, but adults will find no shortage of rewarding moments in the story, too.
Disney and Pixar’sLightyearpremieres June 17 in theaters. For more Buzz Lightyear and Pixar fun, check out ourbest movies on Disney+ list.
