Lightyear Film Review (No Spoilers)

'Lightyear' Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures

Andy's favorite (or 2nd favorite) childhood toy is.. no longer a toy? Chris Evans (Captain America: The First Avenger, Snowpiercer, Knives Out) takes on the role of Buzz Lightyear in an action packed depiction that inspired the toy version of Buzz in Toy Story. Essentially, this is the film that Andy watched in Toy Story that grew his love for the toy. Should we call it Buzz Lightyear Inception?

Synopsis:

"Legendary space ranger Buzz Lightyear embarks on an intergalactic adventure alongside ambitious recruits Izzy, Mo, Darby, and his robot companion, Sox. As this motley crew tackles their toughest mission yet, they must learn to work together as a team to escape the evil Zurg and his dutiful robot army that are never far behind."

What You See, Feel, and Hear

If there's one thing we've learned about Disney and Pixar over the years is that they have a well-versed understanding on making animated films that provide real-life values embedded within their stories, and Lightyear doesn't fall short of that. Within the first 20 minutes of the film you find yourself becoming emotional because of the character investment that you ALREADY have. The story provides relatable conflicts and motives from its characters that shape the direction of the film. Not only was the story detailed with predictable and unpredictable moments but the visuals are worth mentioning. Though it's easier to bypass acting flaws with animated content, it can be equally difficult to provide the cinematic experience that comes from real surroundings (even when they are enhanced with special effects). Lightyear broke that barrier. The lighting, sound, and scale that the visuals provided built an intensity similar to one from a live-action adventure film.

The writers understand the concepts of conflict and resolution, character development, and character arcs as each one was present throughout the story. Though your attention is spread out with different aspects of the film this doesn't distract you from the primary story taking place. The nostalgia stemmed from mannerisms rather than a saturation of events that tie to the original character that we knew beforehand. Whether it's "To infinity and beyond" or "Lightyear to star command, come in star command" those simple phrases take you back to specific moments of the character during your childhood without it feeling forced or staged.

Instead of the standard "G" rating that its Toy Story predecessor films have had Lightyear holds a "PG" rating, and for all the right reasons. Disney takes the opportunity to share a more relevant and mature conversation within a very family friendly story. They showcase a natural LGBT relationship for one of, if not, the first times in any Disney animated film. With full support of showcasing an LGBT relationship and a little push back with showing a same sex kissing scene, Disney took a "risk" and in my opinion it'll pay off for years to come.

My Take

I've never been heavily invested in animated films. I find them interesting, and I've had my fair share of favorites however Lightyear was pleasantly surprising. You felt every aspect of a live-action film; the emotional gravity of the circumstances that were happening, and the personal investment into the main character's journey. As we enter the second half of the year it's hard for me to see another animated film that will out perform the combination of story and visuals that Lightyear provided. I was skeptical in hearing Chris Evans instead of Tim Allen voice the famous Toy Story character, however that skepticism faded quickly and I was impressed with this modern take on Buzz Lightyear.

Grade: 8.2/10