LIGHTYEAR – Review by T.J. Callahan
Lightyear: Come with a Buzz and you’ll leave with a smile.
Lightyear is a prequel, of sorts, to Toy Story. Think of it as the movie Andy watched that made Buzz Lightyear his hero and inspired hia favorite doll. This is NOT a Toy Story movie. Even though they are animated, the characters in the film aren’t toys, but Space Rangers trying to get back to their planet after a mission mishap that took them to infinity and beyond.
Chris Evans is now the voice of the square-jawed Buzz. He certainly has experience as a super hero. It looks like Tim Allen’s version of Buzz was reserved for the battery operated action figure.
While Lightyear is set in a galaxy far, far, away, it feels more like The Wizard of Oz…a mismatched crew sets out to be guardians of this galaxy, but Buzz ultimately just wants to go home.
Like all Disney/Pixar movies, Lightyear couldn’t let audiences take off and land without a tear shed and a lesson or two learned: don’t give up, you can learn from your mistakes and you don’t need a prequel to every movie no matter how beloved the characters are. Ok, maybe the Hollywood accountants haven’t learned that one yet.
The PG-rated Lightyear is entertaining, has a big name cast (Keke Palmer, Uzo Aduba, Taika Waititi), females in strong roles, diverse characters and a cute mascot, but it lacks the heart of Toy Story. And I’m not sure a seven year old will want to watch it over and over again. My husband, Ricky, gives Lightyear one 👁 open. I give it a 6 out of 10.
