By Lee Romero
“The faster I fly, the further into the future I travel. I get it.” – Buzz Lightyear
There is no doubt at all the TOY STORY series has been one of the most appealing of any animated series in existence – and it doesn’t seem to be losing any steam! To this very day it’s as strong as it was back in ’95 when this gem took the world by storm and quite frankly – I feel – put Pixar on the map!
With an interesting list of fun and enjoyable characters, we all know a standout has, is, and will always be Buzz Lightyear. Voiced by Tim Allen in the series, Lightyear was one of the leads who helped lead his crew through some of the most adventurous ups-and-downs in all stories. The interesting thing is of all, I thought Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) would have been the one to hve his own flick; however, life’s full of surprises and it turns out Lightyear was the ‘chosen one’ to have his time to shine on the big screen, and you know what? I ain’t even mad.
That being said, “to infinity and beyond,” folks, as Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans) embarks on an ambitious, intergalactic adventure.
In the this sci-fi action adventure and the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy, “Lightyear” follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s lands on a hostile planet millions of 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 robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg (voiced by James Brolin), an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.
Sharp, straight-forward, quick, engaging, cute, imaginative, funny, dramatic, diverse, creative, witty, inclusive, and above of all… a beating heart. Quite frankly, that would be the best way to describe LIGHTYEAR. A Pixar pleasantry through-and-through, this piece provided more than I expected. The charm to this story kicks off with a title-card shared within seconds of the film’s start, placing you in a mindset of where the purpose of this standalone comes from. Chris Evans drops some voice-over work that has an uncanny resemblance to Tim Allen, and it was impressive to have heard him keep it steady, alongside an interesting supporting and eclectic crew, mainly his cat companion, who serves as one of the film’s MVPs. To say he’s a scene stealer would be an understatement.
At an hour-and-forty minutes, this action, animated adventure straps you in and goes intergalactic within minutes. Not only did it feel great to watch a Pixar film on a big screen after two years, but it also felt great to have nostalgia extend its arm, open its hand, and slap me across my face. Too sweet! I enjoyed this piece so much, it made me go back and re-watch the first TOY STORY as soon as I arrived from my screening. Enjoy, my friends.
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Genre: Animation, Comedy, Adventure, Action, Sci-Fi | Rated: PG | Run Time: 1:40
Starring: Chris Evans, Uzo Adugba, Peter Sohn, Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, James Brolin
Directed by Angus MacLane
Official Movie Website: https://movies.disney.com/lightyear
