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‘Lightyear’ Review: Infinite Buzz

The new Pixar movie recounts the adventures of Star Command’s most famous Space Ranger before he was a toy.

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By A.O. Scott

The simple, charming premise of “Lightyear” is explained in an onscreen text. “In 1995, a boy named Andy got a toy from his favorite movie. This is that movie.” In other words, it’s the origin story not of a hero but of a piece of merchandise, one that started out fictional but long ago crossed the boundary into real life. More than one hard plastic Buzz Lightyear lived in my house for a long time, just like in Andy’s. To be part of the “Toy Story” universe is to be intimately acquainted with the metaphysics of the commodity form.

This Buzz is a little different, though. He isn’t a toy, and he doesn’t sound like Tim Allen, who did the voice work in the four chapters of Pixar’s “Toy Story” cycle. He’s a real live animated make-believe Space Ranger, and he speaks in the manly baritone of Chris Evans, who played Captain America over in the Marvel Universe zone of the Disney empire.

Like Cap, Buzz is square-jawed, stoic and shadowed by a hint of melancholy — a soulful soldier in an endless corporate campaign. If “Lightyear” lacks both the sublimity and the giddy inventiveness of the best “Toy Story” movies, that may be by design. This isn’t supposed to be a 21st-century masterpiece, but a kid-friendly, merch-spawning movie from 1995. (That was a pretty good year for commercial cinema , by the way.) The Buzz Lightyear toy was meant to stick around after the movie had been forgotten, and to populate a richer, more varied imaginative landscape.

“Lightyear,” directed by Angus MacLane from a script by Jason Headley, aims to please by pandering, to be good-enough entertainment. As such, it succeeds in a manner more in line with second-tier Disney animation than with top-shelf Pixar. The hero, fighting off an invasion force of alien robots, falls in with a motley group of misfits, in whom he must instill the competence and confidence necessary for the task. The action is wrapped in lessons, delivered in a manner that isn’t too preachy, about how it’s OK to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. And there is a scene-stealing animal sidekick, in this case a robot cat named SOX, voiced in perfect feline-A.I. deadpan by Peter Sohn.

A few soft-boiled Easter eggs pop up to connect “Lightyear” with various “Toy Story” episodes. Remember Zurg? He’s back, with James Brolin’s growl and a secret I won’t spoil. An early section — a kind of extended prologue to the main action — recalls the celebrated montage in “Up” that compresses a long marriage into a few short minutes. This time, the focus is on the friendship between Buzz and his closest colleague, Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), who crash-land a crowded space vessel on a distant planet.

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Lightyear Parent Guide

This film doesn't live up to pixar's usual standards. the animation is stellar, but the story doesn't get off the ground..

Theaters: Before Buzz Lightyear was a talking toy, he was the main character in a movie about an astronaut. Marooned on an alien planet, Buzz and his fellow astronauts and scientists need to find a way to return to Earth, despite Zurg's attempts to stop them.

Release date June 17, 2022

Run Time: 100 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kirsten hawkes.

Buzz Lightyear is a dedicated Space Ranger, devoted to finishing his mission. When a mistake on his part maroons him, his fellow Space Rangers, and an entire group of scientists on a remote and dangerous planet, Buzz knows it’s up to him to get everyone home.

Returning to Earth isn’t going to be quick or easy. The scientists spend a year developing a space base (which seems absurdly fast for a planet with zero infrastructure) and trying to create a fuel cell that will allow a ship to travel at hyperspeed. Each time Buzz does a test flight with newly mixed fuel, the minutes he spends in travel correspond to years experienced by his friends on the planet. Soon, he returns to a planet and society he barely recognizes…and things only get worse when Zurg and his robotic army complicate the plot.

Pixar’s record is so strong that I have repeatedly second-guessed my assessment of this production. I’m going to stand by it though: Lightyear doesn’t reach Pixar’s standards. The only fleshed-out character is Buzz himself, and even he isn’t as well rounded as he should be. He exhibits determination, persistence, stubbornness, arrogance, and a certain amount of aloofness. Character growth is thankfully part of the plot and is welcome when it happens, but it feels like it occurs too late in the day. As for the storyline, it is clearly caught in some kind of space/time dislocation because it drags on interminably and feels a good half hour longer than its runtime. I don’t think I have ever clock-watched in a Pixar film before, but after the first half hour (the best part of the film), I was checking my watch every ten minutes.

If you’re trying to decide whether you should take your kids to this movie, I can’t give you a categorical answer – just some questions. Is your youngster obsessed with Buzz Lightyear? He or she will probably love the movie. Action fans will also get a kick out of all the human versus robot fight scenes. Is your kid easily frightened? Then you should probably pick another show. This movie features tentacled monsters that repeatedly attack people, frequent fight scenes (often with weapons), and some incredibly perilous scenes in outer space. If you have strongly held traditional views on sexuality, a kiss between two women and scenes of their family life will probably rule this movie out for you – but families with contemporary attitudes will appreciate the representation.

Should you choose to take your family to this film, there are some bright spots. The animation is stellar and the messages about persistence, hard work, facing your fears, reaching out to others, and learning to re-assess your goals are worth sharing with your kids. Buzz’s latest adventure might not reach to “infinity and beyond” but it provides a bit of a ride for young fans who want to spend some time with their Space Ranger hero.

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Kirsten hawkes, watch the trailer for lightyear.

Lightyear Rating & Content Info

Why is Lightyear rated PG? Lightyear is rated PG by the MPAA for action/peril

Violence:   There are frequent scenes of extreme peril, some in outer space, some on the planet’s surface. A tentacled underground monster attacks people throughout the movie’s runtime. Humans respond by cutting off its tentacles whenever they attack. Large flying monsters attack people, sometimes trying to carry them off. Robots attack people with weapons and there are frequent scenes of combat. A main character receives news of a friend’s death through a holographic message. Characters are shot with tranquilizer darts. A spaceship explodes. Sexual Content: A major female character kisses another woman. Scenes from their family life are seen. Profanity:   None. Alcohol / Drug Use: None.

Page last updated January 12, 2024

Lightyear Parents' Guide

Why does the group get marooned on the planet? Is Buzz responsible for the accident? What does he learn from the experience?

How does Buzz respond to the loss of his friends as they age? How does he adjust to the changes in his society?

What does Buzz learn about himself when he meets Zurg? How does getting to know Zurg’s backstory influence the big decision he finally makes?

Loved this movie? Try these books…

Disney is never slow to capitalize on its popular characters and there are plenty of kids’ books to choose from that feature the adventures of the toy Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story movies. But if you want books about the astronaut in this film, you can try Disney’s Lightyear: The Junior Novelization. Adults and art buffs intrigued by the film’s animation and visual design can try the studio’s publication of The Art of Lightyear.

There are some wonderful non-fiction resources for budding space fans. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space is a good option for youngsters who want to know “what’s out there”. Older kids looking for something more comprehensive will want to read James Trefil’s Space Atlas. Published by National Geographic, this book provides detailed information about the solar system (and beyond) as well as breathtaking photos.

Kids who want more about space exploration can read about real life astronaut Scott Kelly. In his book, which is illustrated by Andre Ceolin, Kelly shares his life story, with a focus on his year-long mission in space. Elementary school readers will enjoy The Story of Neil Armstrong, which presents the biography of the trailblazing astronaut in an easy-to-read, well illustrated account by Sarah L. Thomson. If your children want some female representation in their space stories, they can read Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream. Written by Tanya Lee Stone, this non-fiction book shares the story of the women who passed the tests of their male colleagues, but who were never given the chance to go into space.

Kids often wonder what it’s like to be an astronaut. Some of their questions can be answered in Meghan McCarthy’s Astronaut Handbook, which provides youngsters with details about astronaut training school. Young readers will appreciate Astronaut Living in Space by Kate Hayden. This easy reader lets kids follow the adventures of a fictional astronaut as she completes training and goes on a space mission. More details about life – and research – in space can be found in The International Space Station by Franklyn M. Branley.

Readers seeking fictional space adventures can begin with Magic Tree House: Midnight on the Moon. In this instalment of the Mary Pope Osborne series, Jack and Annie are hunting for clues on the moon. Another popular kids’ book series to go off-planet is The Magic School Bus. Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen take Ms. Frizzle’s class to outer space in The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System.

Related home video titles:

You can follow the adventures of the toy named for the astronaut in Toy Story , Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, and Toy Story 4.

Muppets from Space brings aliens to earth in a zany film starring Gonzo as he tries to figure out where in the universe he belongs.

When his mother is kidnapped by aliens, Milo hitches a ride on the spaceship so he can save her in Mars Needs Moms .

Raised by scientist parents on a spaceship, Willy has an unexpected adventure when he’s forced to land on an alien planet. His story is told in Terra Willy: Unexplored Planet (also released as Astro Kid.)

For some truly amazing footage in space, you can tune into Wall-E. This classic Pixar film stars Wall-E, a trash compacting robot who is trying to tidy up the mess humans left behind when they fled their ecologically devastated planet to live among the stars.

“Lightyear” is not the origin story of the Buzz Lightyear toy from Pixar’s “ Toy Story ” series. It’s the origin story of the reason the Buzz Lightyear toy wound up in Andy’s bedroom. You see, Andy’s Mom bought a Buzz Lightyear toy back in 1995 because he was the main character in Andy’s favorite film. “This is that film,” a title card tells us before plunging us into an animated space opera starring Chris Evans as Buzz. Along the way, we’ll meet the Evil Emperor Zurg and learn where all those catchphrases folks have been saying for the past 27 years originated.

I won’t fault suspicious viewers who think this sounds like a bunch of cash-grabbing malarkey, but I should point out that this retrofitting is not without Pixar precedent. If you recall, “ Toy Story 2 ” revealed that the Woody toy was originally a tie-in to a television show from the 1950s. Which begged the question as to why the Hell a millennial like Andy would want him. At least this time, the toy came from a contemporary reference for the kid. After seeing “Lightyear,” I was full of even more questions, such as, “Would Andy’s Mom have allowed a toy version of Buzz’s partner in her house?” And, “Come on, Andy! Why didn’t you ask your Mom for a toy version of Buzz’s cat?!”

More on the kitty cat later. “Lightyear” begins with a special mission for space rangers. Buzz is partnered with Alisha Hawthorne ( Uzo Aduba ), his best friend. They share in-jokes and memories of missions past. Hawthorne is a Black woman, something you don’t often see in space movies despite all that work they did for NASA in “ Hidden Figures .” She constantly mocks Buzz’s penchant for “monologuing,” that is, recording the Shatner-like captain’s log into that device on his arm. Before each adventure, the duo touch fingers and yell “To infinity and beyond!” which I assume would have been the tagline for this film when Andy saw it. By that rationale, the makers of “Lightyear” can sue the makers of “Toy Story” for stealing it.

But I digress. Buzz Lightyear, the movie character, has the same penchant for being stubborn and following his own path that his toy did. This gets him in a heap of trouble when he disregards the advice of both his team and his ship’s autopilot navigator I.V.A.N. ( Mary McDonald-Lewis ). The turnip-shaped ship he’s flying crashes, marooning everyone on a hostile planet filled with killer vines and bugs. Guilt-ridden, Buzz makes it his mission to discover an energy source that will help them achieve hyperspace and get off the planet.

Or something like that. The most important thing to know is that every failed attempt to reach his goal results in Buzz missing four years of life back home. Everyone gets older while he stays the same age. “Lightyear” represents much of this repeated passage of time in a montage scored by Michael Giacchino ; it’s reminiscent of the opening scene in “ Up .” Buzz’s unwillingness to accept failure keeps him from celebrating the marriage of Hawthorne and her girlfriend, the birth of their daughter, and far too many in-jokes and experiences for him to count. When he finally achieves hyperspace, it costs him 22 more years. By this time, Hawthorne has passed on, leaving him a recorded message that Aduba delivers with such bittersweet beauty that there were audible sniffles at my screening. You’ll hear them at yours, too.

Hawthorne’s message is delivered to Buzz by her daughter, Izzy ( Keke Palmer ). She’s inhabiting the latest iteration of their home planet, one that’s full of hostile robots who are under the control of the suspicious “Zurg” space ship. Buzz sees a new shot at getting everyone off the planet. Unfortunately, he’s on the outs with Commander Burnside (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) the military man who used to run things, and must retrieve the turnip ship without any skilled help. Izzy offers to assist and volunteers her team of amateurs, ex-con/bomb expert Darby Steel ( Dale Soules ) and Mo Morrison ( Taika Waititi ). Their space ranger abilities are best described by Whitlock’s profane catchphrase on “The Wire.” Morrison is so bad, and causes so much trouble, that he manages to make the pig-headed Buzz look reasonable.

Director Angus MacLane and his co-writer, Jason Headley do a very good job gently mocking the type of space movie that would have existed in the 1990s. They fill “Lightyear” with details that are sure to inspire arguments on Twitter from the “Toy Story” faithful. The film’s visuals gleefully rob from other movies. I saw “ Return of the Jedi ,” “ Avatar ,” “ 2001: A Space Odyssey ” and even “ The Last Starfighter ” amongst the inspirations. I.V.A.N. looks like something Nintendo would have created. Each character fits neatly into the familiar roles the genre specifies: Flawed heroes seeking redemption, rookies hoping to prove themselves, villains with secrets, and so on. The score by Michael Giacchino is one of his best, a delectable spoof of bombastic space movie music that elevates every scene it plays under.

Of course, every great hero needs a great sidekick. “Lightyear” gives us Sox ( Peter Sohn ), an adorable cat whose job is to offer emotional support to Buzz. Sox speaks in soothing tones, sort of a cross between “ Big Hero 6 ”’s Baymax and HAL, and will purr if you scratch his stomach. He is exceptionally good at calculations and occasionally makes a noise that sounds like “Be-boop, be-boop, be-boop!” Like any cat, Sox is full of surprises both hilarious and ominous. If Pixar’s plan was to create a character whose toy would fly off the shelves, they were successful. He has one scene in the movie—you’ll know it when you see it—that elicited audible gasps of panic in the theater. I’m not a cat person, but I was stanning so hard for Sox that I wanted to—you’re mocking me, aren’t you?

No matter. As far as spin-offs go, “Lightyear” is a lot of fun. The voice talent is topnotch, especially Palmer and Evans. They have big shoes to fill; Palmer has to build on the emotional bond Aduba created, and Evans has to give us a Buzz Lightyear that’s close enough to Tim Allen ’s characterization to make us believe the film’s toy tie-in. Sohn is perfectly feline and Bill Hader has a good time with his small role as a rookie with a difficult to pronounce last name. When Zurg finally appears, he’s voiced with a deranged glee by Mr. Barbara Streisand himself, James Brolin . Hell, if his kid can play Thanos, I guess he can play Zurg.

After the lackluster “ Toy Story 4 ,” I’d had enough of this series, so much so that I expected to file a negative review. In the immortal words of Buzz Lightyear, “Not today!”

“Lightyear” will be available only in theaters on June 17.

Odie Henderson

Odie “Odienator” Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire  here .

• Chris Evans as Buzz Lightyear (voice)
• Keke Palmer as Izzy Hawthorne (voice)
• Dale Soules as Darby Steel (voice)
• Taika Waititi as Mo Morrison (voice)
• Peter Sohn as Sox (voice)
• Uzo Aduba as Alisha Hawthorne (voice)
• James Brolin as Emperor Zurg (voice)
• Mary McDonald-Lewis as I.V.A.N. (voice)
• Efren Ramirez as Airman Diaz (voice)
• Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Commander Burnside (voice)
• Keira Hairston as Young Izzy (voice)

Writer (based on characters created by)

• Andrew Stanton
• John Lasseter
• Pete Docter
• Angus MacLane
• Jason Headley
• Anthony Greenberg

Cinematographer

• Ian Megibben
• Jeremy Lasky
• Michael Giacchino

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Lightyear First Reviews: An Exhilarating, Visually Spectacular Sci-Fi Adventure for Fans who Grew Up with Toy Story

Critics say pixar's toy story -adjacent space romp is gorgeous and fun, even if it doesn't reach the studio's greatest heights, and a scene-stealing sox the cat will be everyone's new favorite sidekick..

TAGGED AS: animated , Animation , Film , films , movie , movies , Pixar , toy story

Pixar returns to theaters with Lightyear , a sort of spin-off of their Toy Story franchise featuring the in-universe inspiration for the Buzz Lightyear toy (voiced here by Chris Evans ). The first reviews of the movie celebrate its animated sci-fi action and adventure story and visuals, as well as its scene-stealing robot cat for comic relief, but it’s not necessarily the studio’s greatest release.

Here’s what critics are saying about Lightyear :

Does it live up to peak Pixar?

Lightyear is the best movie of the year so far, and the best Pixar movie in quite some time. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

Lightyear emerges as a disappointing runner-up, capturing but a fraction of the comedy, thrills, and poignancy of its predecessors. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

Sadly it never reaches the emotional highs that Pixar was known for. – John Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

It lacks the emotional weight and meaning Pixar moviegoers expect. – Jeff Nelson, Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Not every Pixar production needs to be a new modern classic, but… Lightyear is not exactly going to occupy too much space in my mind in the weeks to come. – Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment

(Photo by ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Will Toy Story fans love it?

The film captures the magic of what made the Toy Story franchise while confidently opening the door for new fans to the franchise. – David Gonzalez, Reel Talk Inc.

For old and new Toy Story and family adventure fans alike, this is worthwhile dream fulfillment and highly exciting entertainment. – Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson

Angus MacLane’s animated space adventure is an absolute winner with thematic and emotional resonance, just like the Toy Story films before it. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

This is a movie for Toy Story adults — the people who grew up on the movies and now hold jobs and mortgages — not Toy Story children. – Hoai-Tran Bui, Slashfilm

It won’t engage the heart or the head in the way that Toy Story films have led viewers to expect over the last quarter-century-plus. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

What ultimately waters down Lightyear … is an absence of the excitement and disciplined storytelling spirit that made Toy Story such a pioneering hit. – Tomris Laffly, AV Club

How is the writing?

Angus MacLane and his co-writer Jason Headley craft a transportive and imaginative screenplay… The most impressive thing about the duo’s screenplay is added layers of freshness to an already beloved character. – David Gonzalez, Reel Talk Inc.

The script… tosses off a few gently mind-bending twists, but otherwise rests comfortably within an accessible, highly allusive branch of family-friendly science fiction. – Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times

The movie feels a little episodic… like a kid recapping the plot of a movie, saying, “This happened and then this happened and then this happened.” – Fred Topel, United Press International

This feels like a story designed off a checklist rather than one told from the heart because it needs to be told. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

What about a strong message for the kids?

Lightyear will show you why Andy was enamored with his movie of choice and make you remember which one did that to you too back when you were a kid. – Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson

Lightyear is a moving movie to see in our modern, cynical times when we can see people grow beyond what they are into the people we need them to be. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

There is a lesbian kiss in Lightyear … This is a great way to have LGBTQ+ representation and inclusion on the screen, and should be applauded. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

A tired message better taught in Monsters University : never underestimate the hard work, determination, and loyalty of your allies. – Tomris Laffly, AV Club

Does it play well as a sci-fi action movie?

Lightyear is still an extremely fun action sci-fi film that is better than most animated films released in a given year. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

The space action is genuinely thrilling with stakes as high as Gravity . – Fred Topel, United Press International

Pixar has dabbled in the action genre with The Incredibles and doubles down here with visually impressive, grin-inducing shootouts and fights. – Jonathan Sim, ComingSoon.net

It works out well enough to be entertaining overall for people who enjoy animated films that take place in outer space. – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

Offers exhilarating action sequences, involving racing rockets, robot armies, and a truly breathtaking space walk. – Kristy Puchko, Mashable

The outer-space visuals and action-packed fight sequences are undoubtedly riveting. – Mike Massie, Gone With the Twins

How are the visuals?

If it needs to be said, the film is a visual triumph, with stunningly photo-real images and richly detailed deep-space locations. – Scott Mendelson, Forbes

Lightyear is easily Pixar’s best-looking movie yet. It isn’t even a question. – Tessa Smith, Mama’s Geeky

One of the most aesthetically appealing features Pixar has done. The environments’ scale and scope are dazzling. Many gorgeous frames are pure art. – Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

With stunning space sequences, Lightyear adds to a genre rich in space beauty with one of the best-looking films of the year. – David Gonzalez, Reel Talk Inc.

Lightyear has visual pizzazz, from the hyperspace sequences to the heretofore hidden surprises that emerge from those colorful buttons and dials on the Space Ranger uniforms. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

The visuals are definitely up to Pixar standards, but the visual effects in Lightyear  are not really game-changing or extraordinary. – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

How is Chris Evans as the new voice of Buzz?

While Evans’s version of Buzz is akin to Tim Allen’s interpretation, this version is given the space to mold something fresh. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

Evans puts his stamp on the character and makes it relatively easy to forget about the re-voice casting and fall back into the world of Buzz. – David Gonzalez, Reel Talk Inc.

Evans also does a commendable job of taking on the iconic role of Buzz Lightyear, giving the character just the right amount of gravitas and heroism that he needs, but mixed with just a dash of ignorance and naivety. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

He’s intentionally impersonating George Clooney for the entire movie; that’s how it sounds, anyway. – Alonso Duralde, The Wrap

[He] does a creditable job… though a bit of that Allen snap gets lost. The character seems less funny, a notch more ordinary. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Will fans love the new characters too?

One of the movie’s greatest strengths is that it introduces characters with memorable personalities and quirks, with Sox being the one that viewers might be talking about the most. – Carla Hay, Culture Mix

Sox immediately belongs in the pantheon of great Pixar secondary characters, alongside Edna Mode, Dug, and Bing Bong. – Ross Bonaime, Collider

One of the best character debuts in any Pixar film. – David Gonzalez, Reel Talk Inc.

[Sox the cat is] one of the best new characters in recent Pixar memory. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

Despite feeling a bit derivative of Baymax in Big Hero 6 , [Sox] the cat brings much-needed charm, heart and smile with his cute behavior, funny situations, and loyalty as a companion. – John Nguyen, Nerd Reactor

Izzy is an instant fan fav. She has the charm, the comedy, determination, overall countenance, natural hair, and all, of a character people can relate to. – Catalina Combs, Black Girl Nerds

This [movie] is packed to the gills with vibrant characters and creepy villains, most of which are sadly more interesting than Buzz himself. – Tomris Laffly, AV Club

Should they have just titled the movie “ Sox the Cat “?

His presence alone makes this movie worth the price of admission. – Jeff Nelson, Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Suffice it to say, Sox would be the toy every kid would have wanted after this film, not a Buzz Lightyear. – Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment

Hey, if Disney wants to make a Sox streaming show or spin-off movie, I’ll happily watch that. – Scott Mendelson, Forbes

Is it a good sign for the future of Pixar?

If Luca , Turning Red , and Lightyear is the vision of Pixar going forward… then we are looking at a whole new renaissance by this prestigious animated institution. – Ryan McQuade, Awards Watch

If this is what Pixar can accomplish without really stretching its creative or emotional talents, just imagine what they could do if they gave it their all. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects

Lightyear opens in theaters on June 17, 2022.

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Movie Reviews

Movie review: pixar's 'lightyear'.

Bob Mondello

Buzz Lightyear flies to infinity and beyond in Lightyear , the fifth film in Pixar's Toy Story saga.

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‘Lightyear’ Bombs at Box Office Proving to Disney That Parents Don’t Want Propaganda

Posted by Zachary Mettler | Jun 30, 2022 | Sexuality

What happens when a woke corporation (Disney) tries to push homosexuality in children’s movies?

Parents push back, and the movie becomes a “box-office bomb.”

That’s what happened recently with Pixar Animation’s (owned by The Walt Disney Company) most recent children’s movie, Lightyear , which hit theaters nationwide on June 17.

A movie is generally considered a “box-office bomb” when a major studio releases a supposedly highly anticipated and expensive film, which then fails upon release and becomes a net loss for the studio.

To date, Lightyear has grossed $158 million in movie theaters worldwide, of which $94 million is domestic earnings.

That may sound like a lot, but the Walt Disney Co. spent $200 million to produce the film – and that doesn’t even include tens of millions more spent in print and advertising costs.

Now, consider that production companies usually garner around half of the revenue earned at the box office, with the other half going to the theater companies. So, if a movie grosses $200 million at the box office, the production company will receive $100 million.

If you do some quick math, it’s likely Disney is on track to lose $100+ million on Lightyear – a galactic loss for the entertainment giant.

As recounted by Focus on the Family’s media review guide Plugged In , the movie contains a same-sex attracted character, who in one scene shares a kiss with her lesbian partner (spoilers ahead).

“After one of Buzz’s hyperspeed testing runs, he returns to find that Alisha Hawthorne has gotten engaged. ‘What’s her name?’ Buzz asks, implying that Alisha’s same-sex attraction has never been a secret to Buzz or anyone else. Her name , Alisha says, is Kiko . Later, we see the two women kiss to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

“Even though Buzz laments the fact that everyone on the ship is marooned because of his mistake, Alisha tells him, ‘I wouldn’t have met [Kiko] if we hadn’t gotten stranded.’

“After one of Buzz’s next testing runs, he returns to find that Alisha is quite visibly pregnant. How Alisha is pregnant, given the fact that she’s married to a woman, is never explained” (emphasis in original).

Of course – Alisha’s homosexuality is not an essential part of the Lightyear’s plot.

The executives and employees over at Pixar deliberately added it, thereby influencing the young and impressionable minds of children into accepting and embracing homosexuality.

And Chris Evans, the new voice of Buzz Lightyear, recently insulted those who criticized the movie’s same-sex agenda.

“The real truth is those people are idiots,” Evans said . “There’s always going to be people who are afraid and unaware and trying to hold on to what was before, but those people die off like dinosaurs.”

Evan’s criticism of those who believe in a biblical sexual ethic is all the more pronounced, considering that Pixar replaced the original Buzz, Tim Allen, with Evans.

Allen is considered one of the few more conservative actors in Hollywood.

Actress Patricia Heaton recently took to Twitter to criticize Pixar’s decision to replace Allen.

Saw the trailer for Buzz Lightyear and all I can say is Disney/Pixar made a HUGE mistake in not casting my pal @ofctimallen Tim Allen in the role that he originated, the role that he owns. Tim IS Buzz! Why would they completely castrate this iconic, beloved character? — Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) June 14, 2022

Lightyear’s overt push to continue to normalize homosexuality isn’t new for Disney.

It’s been going on for years.

But what is new is the level of pushback that we’ve seen from parents over the past couple of years, who wish to protect their children from inappropriate sexual content and gender ideology.

Only a large swath of parents refusing to bring their children to Lightyear could cause a $100 million loss for Disney.

Hopefully, corporations like Disney will eventually learn their lesson – parents don’t want their children’s entertainment served up with a side of propaganda.

If you’re concerned about the movies, television shows, music or games, check out Focus on the Family’s free media review guide Plugged In .

Related articles and resources:

Disney Again Targets Kids with New ‘LGBT’ Clothing Line

The House of Mouse Loses Its Magical Special Privileges

Walt Disney’s Dream Has Gone Up in Smoke, From Wonderful to ‘Woke’

The Sad Collapse and Corruption of Disney’s (Woke) World

Photo from Shutterstock .

About The Author

Zachary Mettler

Zachary Mettler is a writer/analyst for the Daily Citizen at Focus on the Family. In his role, he writes about current political issues, U.S. history, political philosophy, and culture. Mettler earned his Bachelor’s degree from William Jessup University and is an alumnus of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. In addition to the Daily Citizen, his written pieces have appeared in the Daily Wire, the Washington Times, the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Townhall, the Daily Signal, the Christian Post, Charisma News and other outlets.

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Lightyear settles for being a rather conventional origin story instead of reaching for the stars, but this gorgeously animated adventure ably accomplishes its mission of straightforward fun.

Even if it doesn't quite measure up to Toy Story , Lightyear offers an entertaining -- although somewhat complicated -- origin story for the beloved title character.

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Review: ‘Lightyear’ is an emotional journey to infinity and beyond

This article contains spoilers for Disney/Pixar’s newest film, Lightyear .

Calling all space rangers, Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear soared into theaters on June 17, and you’re next in line for a life-changing intergalactic space mission — all you’ve got to do is count down to blast off. Oh, and bring tissues, trust us.

Lightyear tells the story that explains Andy’s special birthday gift when we first met him in Toy Story back in 1995. While he was thrilled to open all of his gifts, a space ranger quickly became his favorite present and his most beloved confidant. Andy took Buzz Lightyear everywhere with him, though he never quite felt (or acted) like just a toy.

Disney’s mission with Lightyear was simple, explain that feeling, and they did it effortlessly. When we first meet Buzz Lightyear, he’s on a space mission with his partner, Commander Alisha Hawthorne, as they detect life on an unknown planet. Of course, otherworldly lifeforms and untapped terrain lead to more trouble than adventure, and they soon find themselves up against their most formidable odds yet.

Try as they might, the team ends up marooned on the planet T’Kani Prime, and it’s not exactly a paradise they’ve stumbled upon. Lightyear simply couldn’t maneuver the ship in the right direction, which resulted in a crash landing.

That fateful decision rests heavily on Lightyear’s shoulders, and he’s fighting an inner battle as the rest of his team begins to adjust. This is a significant theme in the Lightyear movie. While it’s a prominent storyline, the depths of what they’re playing at unfold over the first thirty minutes in a surprisingly emotional way.

In 1995, Andy got a toy from his favorite movie… …this is that movie. See #Lightyear only in theaters beginning Friday. pic.twitter.com/CRtqMIiKVJ — Pixar's Lightyear (@PixarsLightyear) June 14, 2022

From there, Lightyear begins to tell an absolutely heartwrenching but beautiful story, and it does it almost in two parts. We see the titular character as he furiously focuses on his mishaps, while those around him focus on living in the moment and recognizing the now.

There are moments that shift Lightyear’s focus throughout the entirety of the film, scenes where we see the heartache and frustration of the array of emotions he feels. In addition to the depth of his feelings, Lightyear beautifully focuses on relationships — the kind of bonds that change your life.

First, with Commander Alisha Hawthorne, followed soon after by Sox — the robot cat companion. These two bonds take Lightyear through some of the most difficult yet rewarding moments in his life, and they are also responsible for teaching him the most important lessons. Commander Hawthorne is voiced by Uzo Aduba with Sox voiced by Peter Sohn.

Lightyear also meets another Hawthorne, Izzy, and her trusty sidekicks, Moe and Darby. While he first hopes that Izzy will be just like the Hawthorne he knew and loved, he realizes that her unique spirit and sense of self is just the kind of confidant he needs in the new space he inhabits, no pun intended.

As Lightyear’s story continues, the space ranger welcomes new ideas and different opinions as he lets go of the ever-present dedication to fixing the past. Disney and Pixar do well to weave their lessons into stories beautifully, even when they’re not all that relatable. Sure, we’ve not gone to space and been stranded on an uninhabitable planet, but we’ve all had moments where we must welcome change or be defined by our mistakes.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear (@pixarslightyear)

As the movie draws to its grand conclusion, audiences are left cheering for brave space heroes, in awe of Sox, and hoping for a future endeavor for the man behind the toy. We’d soon hop into our own space shuttles and follow Lightyear to infinity and beyond.

Disney and Pixar give us all an afternoon to be a kid again with Lightyear; it brings us back to an authentic kind of joy. There are quotable phrases scattered throughout, callbacks to the infamous quotes from Andy’s Buzz Lightyear toy, and we find out just where “to infinity and beyond” came from. It fills in gaps we didn’t know existed, allowing us to see Lightyear just as Andy did so many years ago — like a true hero.

All in all, Lightyear reminds us of the enchantment we felt the first time we sat down to watch Toy Story . It inspired us to find that child-like belief in magic again and within ourselves, and most importantly, it allowed us the realization that our most important moments are happening all around us — if we only slow down enough to notice.

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Lightyear follows a familiar Pixar theme — and that’s its biggest problem

By echoing so many past Pixar messages, the Toy Story tie-in opens itself up to comparisons and comes out behind

by Tasha Robinson

For the last seven years, one of the most popular critical analyses of Pixar Animation Studios movies has come from a Tumblr meme. Granted, it’s an insightful meme. The idea that Pixar movies all boil down to “ What if [random object] had feelings? ” does hold water, and given how much the studio built its name on the idea of evoking profound, powerful adult emotions in animated movies, it’s an understandable lens for viewing Pixar work.

But the studio’s new science fiction movie Lightyear suggests another way of looking at Pixar that’s a little less simple, but just as relevant. Arguably, Pixar’s strongest movies are about people (or toys, rats, robots, anthropomorphized emotions, etc.) figuring out how to accept who they are and how to live with each other. Lightyear forges new ground for Pixar with an ambitious story built around a new alien world and a new human society, focusing on how one man deals with his own shortcomings and losses over the course of more than half a century of lost time. But at heart, it links back to that core Pixar concept about opening up to other people as a first step toward finding a comfortable place in the world. That should be a resonant theme — certainly past Pixar movies, from Inside Out to Up to Coco to the original Toy Story , have drawn powerful narratives from the same message. But Lightyear takes such a disjointed, surface-level approach to the idea that it doesn’t land as powerfully as it should.

Lightyear has a slightly complicated place in Pixar’s franchise thinking. It’s meant to be a fictional artifact from the Toy Story world: the favorite sci-fi movie of Toy Story ’s central human character, Andy. Toy Story ’s toy version of Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) is a piece of merch from the Lightyear movie, where Buzz is a human astronaut (voiced by the MCU’s Captain America, Chris Evans), part of an elite team of Space Rangers. The bits and pieces of Lightyear ’s arc implied throughout the Toy Story movies — like Buzz’s various pull-string catchphrases and the existence of his big purple robot enemy Zurg — were all elements Finding Dory co-director Angus MacLane and his co-writer Jason Headley ( Onward ) had to deal with in plotting Lightyear . (MacLane told Polygon in an interview that they ignored the previous Toy Story animated spinoff, 2000’s film and TV series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command .)

But those connections aside, Lightyear is meant to stand entirely on its own as an adult science fiction story rather than a movie primarily aimed at 6-year-olds like Andy. Which certainly explains some of its bigger ideas. As the film opens, Buzz is part of a human mission into deep space, aboard a bulbous, turnip-shaped ship full of cryogenically frozen explorers. When the ship is diverted to explore life signs on a planet en route to their final destination, Buzz and his commanding officer Alisha (Uzo Aduba) are thawed out to investigate. The planet proves dangerous, and Buzz tries to pilot the ship to safety, but he miscalculates, damaging the fuel crystal that lets the ship enter hyperspace and leaving it stranded in hostile territory.

Obsessed with fixing his error, Buzz takes on a series of experimental missions to space to test new fuel crystals. But because he approaches the speed of light in those missions, time passes more slowly for him than for the colonists he left behind. After every mission, most of which blur by in a quick montage, he returns to find Alisha older — first married to a woman she met while he was gone, then with young children, then adult children, and so forth. The colonists move on as well, settling in on their new planet and adapting to it, until they finally decide there’s no point in devoting resources to Buzz’s ongoing mission.

That’s a lot to take in as just the scene-setting for the actual action of the film. Too much of it whips by as if there are no questions to be asked and nothing worth mentioning about the ship’s original mission or the society it came from, the time that passes between Buzz’s missions, or whether anyone starts questioning their worth before the hammer finally drops on them. There’s nothing in that setup about how Buzz lives from one day to the next when he’s on the planet, or whether Alisha ever tries to talk him out of his obsessive space jaunts. It’s all presented as the basic buy-in for the rest of the movie, which deals with Buzz’s refusal to accept the future he’s suddenly found himself in, and his struggle to let go of the past.

As a Flash Gordon-style space adventure packed with fast-moving alien creepy-crawlies, snappy banter, and big explosive action, Lightyear is perfectly enjoyable. There’s a lot of funny business about Buzz narrating his actions as if he’s the hero in a space serial, and a strange, silly scene about the sandwiches of the future. It’s no wonder all this would appeal to Andy and his generation, who likely see it much like 6-year-olds in our world might: as an exciting rush through a world packed with killer robots, icky monster-bugs, and cool laser swords.

But Lightyear is so clearly calibrated to be something more: a thoughtful meditation on the passage of time. Its biggest ideas all point to the need to connect with people and live in the present rather than the past. It’s a warning about all the things we might miss if we fixate on past mistakes instead of letting them go. And on that level, the film never hits as hard as it’s meant to.

In part, that’s because the script spends too much time explaining those themes. In part, it’s because there’s so much other business getting in the way. A robot cat named Sox, given to Buzz as a therapeutic tool to help him adapt to his time skips (and voiced by The Good Dinosaur director Peter Sohn), serves up plenty of gleeful visual and verbal jokes, but never serves his primary purpose. Buzz’s new allies Izzy (Keke Palmer), Mo (Taika Waititi), and Darby (Dale Soules) each get micro-arcs of their own, but they’re largely underdeveloped characters who mostly exist to remind Buzz that he needs to learn the value of teamwork — a moral lesson that crops up so often in kids’ movies that it’s hard to see it as an adult value here.

The way that arc plays out is particularly familiar. In the setup sequence, Buzz repeatedly refuses to accept a rookie on his mission with Alisha. He insists that he works alone and doesn’t need help or input from others. He’s echoing another big-chinned hero who has to learn the value of teamwork: Mr. Incredible, whose similar rejection of a rookie sidekick in the opening sequence of Pixar’s The Incredibles drives the entire plot of that movie.

But Lightyear doesn’t have the same narrative neatness or force. Buzz continues to echo his “I’ve got this, I don’t need help” line as he’s making his big mistake, but there’s no real evidence that teamwork could have solved the problem, or that the rookie he’s shoving aside had anything to offer. His error stems more from overconfidence in his own abilities, and not listening to the ship’s computerized autopilot. There’s only a slight disjunction between “accept other people’s help” and “listen to a robot’s calculations,” but it’s still a fairly serious one that highlights the little ways Lightyear doesn’t entirely connect its emotional dots. When Zurg finally emerges — and unlike so many recent Pixar movies, Lightyear is absolutely a story with an actual old-school villain — there’s a thematic connection to the film’s morals there as well, but one that doesn’t fully make sense within the world MacLane and Headley have laid out.

None of this keeps Lightyear from being a satisfying experience in any given scene, as Buzz and his various teammates outfight aliens and out-think robots, all on the road to the inevitable moment where Buzz finds a way to accept his life and what he’s made of it. The problem is in the ways the pieces all add up into something that never digs as deeply into these characters as it needs to. The Pixar craft is on full display, as MacLane and his team fill the screen with a polished, immersive world full of emotive, likable characters. (Notably, many of them are people of color in roles that don’t revolve around their racial heritage — a welcome reflection of Pixar’s ongoing steps forward in on-screen representation.)

But they’re up against so many past Pixar successes that mine similar emotions and ideas. They all have different constructions, but most of them have more power, in part because they bring more passion to bear. So many of the best Pixar movies are about characters struggling to fulfill one dream or another, but Lightyear makes it clear early on that its hero’s dream is unworthy and misguided, making it harder for viewers to fully engage with his battle to make it happen. (Headley’s Onward takes a similar tack in its climax, but at least lets the audience root for the heroes throughout the rest of the story.)

And that dream might have stronger roots if Lightyear spent a little more time on establishing about who Buzz was in the world he wants to get back to. It’s clear what he’s lost, but not what he values: It’s clear who he is, but not who he wants to be. Certainly viewers will fill in those blanks themselves based on what they value, but that rush to put all the narrative pieces in place leaves too many of the details in viewers’ hands. Seen through that enduring Tumblr lens, Lightyear could be summed up as: “What if people wracked with guilt and regret had feelings?” But seen as another Pixar film about acceptance and connection, it feels like a less heartfelt, more calculated echo of some of the studio’s more personal projects. It’s a familiar message, in a pleasantly shiny but visibly flawed new shell.

Lightyear debuts in theaters on June 17.

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Lightyear is a clever expansion of Pixar's beloved Toy Story franchise - packed with fun moments, warm sentiment, and downright gorgeous animation. A prequel story (of sorts),  Lightyear  introduces audiences to the "original" Buzz Lightyear — a character who feels both familiar and fresh at the same time. While fans might have worried that Lightyear would in some way undermine Tim Allen's clueless Space Ranger, Buzz the movie character doesn’t feel at odds with Buzz the toy. The film actually manages to reflect shared insecurities and arrogance in a way that makes both variations of the hero more nuanced and rich as a result. While it's certainly not the studio's most original film, it's an impressive and well-executed evolution of Toy Story as a storytelling platform.

A simultaneous franchise spin-off  and in-universe prequel to the Toy Story franchise, Lightyear is the origin story of animated astronaut Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans), the "movie" hero on which Andy Davies' Space Ranger action figure was based. The new film sees pilot Lightyear attempt a brazen escape from man-eating plants on a dangerous plant, only to strand a ship full of colonists as well as his crew — robotic cat Sox (Peter Sohn), Commander Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), and Diaz (Efren Ramirez) — far from Earth. Punishing himself for his failure, Lightyear hatches a rescue plan that, in the process, attracts the hero's future nemesis: the ruthless and powerful Emperor Zurg (James Brolin). To save his people from annihilation, find a safe way home, and defeat Zurg, Lightyear must confront his past and seek help from a rogue group of aspiring Space Rangers (voiced by Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, and Dale Soules).

RELATED:  Lightyear Suggests Toy Story Will Break A Massive Box Office Record

Following the Toy Story  franchise's $3 billion-plus box office run — and not one, but two satisfying end points for the series — Pixar has developed a shrewd loophole that expands the Toy Story universe (and merchandise machine) without undermining the already finished story of Andy's beloved toys. Lightyear is directed by Angus MacLane ( Finding Dory  co-director), who takes on the ambitious task of developing a movie so exciting, so heartwarming, and so cool that it would turn Buzz Lightyear into the most sought-after toy of 1995. To that end, MacLane succeeds, forging a Buzz that both honors what came before and feels in-sync with the toy's worldview and nuance, all while simultaneously opening the hero up to an infinity of new adventures and self-discovery.

Chris Evans walks a delicate line with his take on Buzz and the character is everything he needs to be: A likable hero, bursting with bravery, loyalty, self-confidence and charm. Evans draws from, but doesn't lean on,  Allen's iteration of the Space Ranger . The film is packed with connective tissue that informs what  Toy Story  Buzz would come to say and do later on. But with a thoughtful performance from Evans, each reference is laced with heart and provides value to Lightyear's  narrative (not to mention crowd-pleasing fun). These are not hollow Easter eggs or one-liners that steal attention or overstay their welcome.  Lightyear 's story moves fast, leaving nothing extraneous to slow it down. In fact, moviegoers may leave the theater wishing MacLane had padded the film with another ten minutes in runtime to allow for a bit more world-building.

The first act leans on a montage to establish Buzz's numerous attempts at correcting the mistake that left his people stranded and the third act rattles off a lot of exposition and scientific mumbo jumbo that many viewers may struggle to fully understand — especially since  Lightyear  isn't all that preoccupied with connecting every dot. It is only in the second act that MacLane pauses long enough to flesh out the film's supporting cast beyond thin caricature. Buzz's rookie space ranger friends are mostly comedic relief, each defined by a single flaw or fear they're on track to overcome by the end of the movie. They're all entertaining foils for Lightyear; yet, compared to other Pixar characters, they're on the forgettable side. Sox is the one exception, as the robotic feline companion is packed with surprises (literally) and steals every scene in which he's featured.

Veteran sci-fi fans (and new viewers alike) will appreciate Lightyear 's animation style, which stops short of trying to be the most realistic looking Pixar film to date. Instead, it draws visual aesthetics from 1970s science fiction films, comics, and TV where, although space is dark and grungy, the universe is filled with mysterious creatures and unearthly discoveries. MacLane balances that juxtaposition well, producing an experience that portrays blinding optimism one moment and oppressive darkness the next.

Note: Lightyear is playing as an IMAX experience and for moviegoers who are interested in a premium ticket, the cost of an IMAX admission may not be essential, but is worth the price. Especially considering that Buzz's origin story is the first animated movie in history to take advantage of IMAX's 1.43:1 ratio (for select scenes).

While it has shortcomings, most notably that Lightyear  relies on its iconic main hero (and the foreknowledge that fans have of him) rather than a unique and inventive narrative packed with memorable supporting characters, MacLane's origin for Buzz is a welcome addition to Toy Story universe canon. It's a good way for Disney to utilize its beloved toy heroes (without undermining the well-received endings to Toy Story 3 and Toy Story  4). And should it prove successful (which it will), it'll be interesting to see if Lightyear leads to other in-universe origin films for Andy's numerous toys, such as a CG animated western  for Woody. As it is,  Lightyear is a clever film, one that is sure to please young moviegoers and veteran Toy Story series fans alike.

NEXT:  Why Lightyear Has Recast Zurg's Voice Actor From Toy Story 2

Lightyear  releases in theaters on June 17. The film is 105 minutes long and is rated PG for scenes of action/peril.

Disney Pixar branches the Toy Story franchise off with Lightyear, a story that centers around a human version of the Buzz Lightyear toy and his missions with Star command. Set during an exploration mission, Lightyear and his crew are attacked during a scouting mission by alien lifeforms and find themselves stranded on an unknown planet. To help get everyone home, Lightyear volunteers on a dangerous mission to test pilot their means home. However, each test light passes time and the characters age in his absence.

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Lightyear is a good movie — and an even better IP grab

Lightyear will makes lots of money, and sell even more toys.

by Alex Abad-Santos

The running joke about Disney-Pixar movies is how well they imbue feelings into objects and lifeforms that don’t often clearly display them. Finding Nemo is about how fish have feelings. Ratatouille is about how rats have feelings. Cars is about how automobiles have feelings. Even Pixar’s logo, a little anthropomorphized lamp, seems to have feelings.

Similarly then, Lightyear is about how white men have feelings.

Lightyear centers on Buzz Lightyear. You likely know Buzz as a starring character in the vaunted, 27-year-old Toy Story franchise about a boy named Andy and his secretly sentient batch of action figures, dolls, and playthings. However, Lightyear is not a continuing solo adventure of that tiny plastic hero (who was voiced by Tim Allen). According to Disney and Pixar lore, Lightyear (2022) is the actual 1995 sci-fi flick that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toys in Andy’s universe. Andy saw Lightyear and wanted the action figure, which his mother purchased for him in the original Toy Story.

Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story movies is simply a toy representation of this original, fictional Buzz Lightyear (who is voiced by Chris Evans). Despite their differences, a shared idea of both Buzzes Lightyear — daring, stubborn, strong — is understood by Andy and by us. It’s a pretty high concept for a children’s movie.

Lightyear itself is a sweet musing on the value of friendship, an origin story that gives the titular character a sense of purpose, and a zippy ride through an often-gorgeous cosmic world. There’s also a hilarious robot cat named Sox; I am frightened by my own affection toward Sox. All in all, Lightyear is easily in the top half of Disney and Pixar’s filmography. It’s a charming and, at times, acutely funny space adventure.

Yet, there’s something beneath the surface that compromises Disney and Pixar’s proficient storytelling. It’s the idea that Lightyear exists not to just give us a free-standing movie about this space ranger’s feelings, but rather to take advantage of Disney’s very lucrative intellectual property. For a character whose famous words are “to infinity and beyond,” Lightyear feels predictable, content to play within Disney’s plum boundaries rather than push Disney and Pixar into a thrilling future.

If you think about Lightyear ’s existence too much, your brain may start to itch with questions.

Lightyear is animated the way Andy from Toy Story is animated, so does Andy perceive Lightyear as an animated movie, or is it live-action? Can Andy, who is 6 years old at the start of the first Toy Story , even understand what the movie is about? And how does Lightyear even exist in our own universe, 27 years after its debut? How did it get here? And why is it here?

Like a faceless god, the movie does not give any concrete answers to those queries. Instead, it gives us a story about failure (kind of) and friendship.

This Buzz Lightyear, along with his bestie, space ranger Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), is part of a crew responsible for exploring an unexplored planet. They quickly discover this uncharted world is a hostile one, full of giant bugs and strangling vines, which is made even more complicated when some decisive action from Buzz leaves the entire crew of their turnip-shaped spacecraft stranded there indefinitely.

Buzz is intent on righting his wrong, trying again and again to travel back home by hyperspeed — the velocity needed to get the entire crew to jump through space. He gets closer with every attempt, but still faces the nagging problem of the unbreakable relationship between time and space. Each of Buzz’s trips are just minutes for him, but they’re four years for his marooned friends, all of whom are aging normally. Buzz doesn’t see a problem with this because he sees sacrifice as virtuous (it’s one of the qualities that makes him similar to Chris Evans’s other major Disney character, Captain America). This is, in fact, the Buzz Lightyear we know and love — one who is brave and loyal, and doesn’t always have the best ideas.

There’s a question implicit in the higher-budget, better-cast, more winking IP adaptations. You can feel it in The Lego Movie , in many of Disney+’s TV series, in the stills for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie film. Sure, it seems to say, this is a project based on a familiar intellectual property, made to almost-surgically extract dollars from the wallets of longtime fans … but can’t it still be creative? Isn’t it still fun?

Lightyear ratchets that up yet another notch. The whole premise of Lightyear is that the Buzz Lightyear action figures in Toy Story were actually just promotions for this movie; that this film is not just the IP we know and love but something more authentic. Lightyear is, according to Disney-Pixar’s retrofitted storyline, the actual real-deal story. And in a creative landscape devoted to ransacking the past, isn’t this a pretty clever idea?

This is slightly complicated by a sensibility in Lightyear that, as an audience, we’re smart enough to understand the way money-grabs work. It’s hard to take Disney’s smirking critique about consumerism too seriously because Disney is the force that it pretends to laugh at.

The very many movies in the Toy Story franchise are about how these cookie-cutter toys actually are individuals with human feelings that aren’t disposable. This nifty caveat allows for new Lightyear merchandise and Toy Story toys, plushies, tents, and costumes to exist side by side in Disney’s stores .

Lightyear is very much mining existing nostalgia and brand name to pad its box office haul. Depending on its financial success, there may be several more Lightyear movies in the future. The ability to keep churning out Buzz Lightyear content is especially convenient for Disney since 2019’s Toy Story 4 was supposed to be the end of the Toy Story movies.

But the funny thing is: There’s plenty in Lightyear that’s good enough to stand on its own. It didn’t need to be about Buzz Lightyear. “Brave and loyal without the best ideas” could apply to lots of characters. It’s Buzz’s friendships that make this movie.

First, with Alisha. While Buzz reacts to tragedy by trying to force correction, Alisha adapts. She leads the rest of the crew in creating a home for themselves on this new planet: constructing buildings and living spaces, building labs to cultivate resources and sustenance, and learning to defend against the planet’s very large bugs. Scientists and architects and engineers thrive.

Alisha also starts her own life.

She begins to date a fellow crew member, which blooms into romance. As the years tick by, Alisha and her partner have kids and their kids have kids. Buzz, who returns as often as a leap year, misses out on so much of her life.

Alisha doesn’t resent him. She knows her best friend needs to try to save his crew — even if they might not need saving, given how well they’ve adapted. She understands that Buzz will keep charging into space four years at a time, so she gives him a robot cat named Sox (Peter Sohn) to keep him company.

Eventually, Buzz’s final space run is successful and he has the solution to get everyone home! But unfortunately Buzz returns 22 years into the future, and his adopted planet is now under siege from a robot threat. Buzz and Sox are the colony’s best hope, but also find themselves responsible for Alisha’s sunny, but extremely green granddaughter, Izzy (Keke Palmer), and her companions, the cowardly Mo Morrison (Taika Waititi) and octogenarian ex-con Darby Steel (Dale Soules). It’s time for the lessons of friendship, round two.

Izzy, her ragtag crew, and Buzz inevitably teach each other about heroism and life — the kind of lessons that Pixar is so adept at telling. These emotional beats are hit so precisely, Pixar should think about charging its competitors for the clinic. Buzz will grow a heart. Izzy will learn more about her grandmother. Sox will learn to love despite his android circuitry.

Lightyear ’s conclusion telegraphs another movie: Buzz, Izzy, Sox, and all the friends they made are strapped in and prepared to fly into hyperspeed. And while I’m sure it’ll be a great time, I’m just a little more hesitant about joining along.

The appeal of Buzz Lightyear — the toy and now the astronaut — has been that the character dares to dream despite an entire world telling him it isn’t practical. His existence is supposed to be a testament to endless possibility, and his adherence to it is so stubborn that it borders on frustrating. Lightyear gives us a fleeting glimpse into that, but this good-enough movie isn’t the slightest bit concerned with the unknown. There’s no thought to mapping out a future for the character that feels the slightest bit surprising or inventive, especially compared to the places that the original Toy Story took him.

The box office might go to infinity, but we’ll never get anything beyond the limits of intellectual property.

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LIGHTYEAR: A Straightforward Space Adventure For The Family

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Sometimes all you want out of a movie is a simple, fun adventure that unlocks your imagination. Many audiences go to the movies for that reason. Every child watches and rewatches a movie for that reason. Movies can inform us of our social, political, and economic situations in the world. Movies can change our outlooks, inspire us, and help us find hobbies and interests. Think about how many people’s love for dinosaurs came from seeing Jurassic Park when they were kids. Now think about a movie that will spark many young people’s interest in space and technology. Lightyear is destined to be that movie.

Interstellar For Kids

The first act setup already comes with a few surprises. Buzz Lightyear ( Chris Evans in an uncanny Tim Allen impression) and his fellow space ranger Alisha Hawthorne ( Uzo Aduba ) arrive on an uncharted planet. Terrain seems a bit unstable. No sign of intelligent life anywhere. Actually, no — it’s inhabited by giant bugs and deadly vines. In an attempt to escape, Buzz stubbornly pilots the colony ship on his own to evacuate the planet. Now, in any other movie, you would think this is a simple thrilling set piece that sets the action and tone early on. We expect them to escape successfully, and the next scene is probably the characters talking on the ship about what to do next.

Where the film goes next with this premise is at times predictable and procedural and at other times surprising and impressive, with the abrupt arrival of an enemy ship with a robot army led by Emperor Zurg ( James Brolin ).

A Cast Of Quirky Characters

With the colony now in mortal danger, Buzz must work with a ragtag group of recruits consisting of Alisha’s granddaughter Izzy ( Keke Palmer ), weapons specialist Darby ( Dale Soules ), and full-on comic relief Mo ( Taika Waititi ) to save everyone. Oh, there’s also a robot companion cat named Sox ( Peter Sohn ) who steals the show. Along the way, you have your conventional jokes, with each character’s quirkiness essentially replacing their personality traits. The main takeaway, given to us set piece after set piece, is this team of “rookies” is simply unqualified to help Buzz on his dangerous mission. None of them have an ounce of his space ranger training.

While the second act of Lightyear   definitely suffers from repetition, it steadily keeps track of two main character threads. The first surrounds the pressure Izzy faces in wanting to be a space ranger like her grandmother, but she doesn’t carry the same kind of experience or fearlessness — a story arc for a POC character that is actually explored and done well. The second is about Buzz, who is unable to let go and trust in others to help him. Most of all, he has been unable to see and appreciate the world around him, because he has spent his whole life thinking about his mission.

Plenty Of Action And Gorgeous Animation

Most of all, Lightyear is a space adventure movie, and so it delivers on its two key promises — fun action and gorgeous animation. There probably hasn’t been this much action in a Pixar film since The Incredibles . It’s all well choreographed, with a lot of thought put into where the virtual camera is going to be. On top of it all, the film visually looks stunning.

Every Pixar movie has been a fun experiment for the team of animators to tackle one specific element. Monsters, Inc. explored fur. Finding Nemo explored water. With Lightyear,  it is very clear that the animators are playing with the full spectrum of lighting, shading, and surface textures. Several times, you will find yourself noticing the texture differences among the tables, crates, glass helmets, boots, and doors. It makes all the difference when our characters must run through a series of hallways, holding areas, and rooms, all designed to look futuristic.

Lightyear:  Exactly The Movie It Wanted To Be

Aside from that one third-act twist, most of Lightyear plays out pretty much how you would expect from a movie about the Buzz Lightyear action figure. For some critics, that might not be enough for it to justify its own existence. It’s an entertaining movie that’s consistently beautiful to look at, with plenty of action and lovable characters. But it does all of that in the most conventional straightforward way possible.

At the same time, Lightyear is probably the closest you can get to a “good movie that’s based on a fictional toy.” Underneath all the flashy animation and silly jokes is a thoughtful message about living in the present with the people you care about, something that audiences nowadays may be too cynical to embrace but absolutely need more of.

Either way, this is a win. It’s about time Pixar takes a break from high-concept ideas and reinventing the thing inventor, after being invented by the thing inventor. You can criticize it for not aiming for infinity and beyond, or you can manage your expectations, respect its modesty, and applaud Lightyear for knowing and pulling off exactly what it wanted to be.

What did you think of Lightyear ? Let us know in the comments below!

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Kevin L. Lee is an Asian-American critic, producer, screenwriter and director based in New York City. A champion of the creative process, Kevin has consulted, written, and produced several short films from development to principal photography to festival premiere. He has over 10 years of marketing and writing experience in film criticism and journalism, ranging from blockbusters to foreign indie films, and has developed a reputation of being “an omnivore of cinema.” He recently finished his MFA in film producing at Columbia University and is currently working in film and TV development for production companies.

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4 Things Parents Should Know about Lightyear

• Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
• Updated Jun 17, 2022

Buzz Lightyear is a young and talented space ranger who never lacks courage.

Most of the time, his crewmates benefit from his determination.

But other times – like when he's flying a rocket near a tall mountain on a hostile planet, 4.2 million lightyears from Earth – his courage places everyone in danger.

That's what happened recently when Buzz ignored the rocket's dashboard warnings and clipped the mountain, sending him and his crew crashing down to the planet's surface. Fortunately, everyone survived. The rocket, though, did not. Even worse: The rocket lost its fuel.

"This was my fault, and these people deserve better," a discouraged Buzz tells his friend and crewmate, Alisha Hawthorne.

Buzz, though, has a plan. He and his team will mine the planet's surface for fuel. They'll repair the rocket. And then they'll head back to Earth.

Will it work?

The new Pixar film Lightyear (PG) tells the story of Buzz and his friends as they team up to fight bug-like creatures and massive robots in an attempt to get back to the one planet they love.

Here are four things parents should know:

Photo courtesy: ©Disney, used with permission.

1. It's the Movie Andy Would Have Watched

For months, Lightyear was billed as the "origin" story or "backstory" of Buzz Lightyear, the space ranger from the Toy Story films. That's certainly true, but it also can lead to confusion. After all, wasn't Buzz a toy? And weren't his tall tales about space exploits nothing more than bluster?

Fortunately, the movie's opening moments simplify the plot.

Buzz was voiced by Tim Allen in the four Toy Story films, including the most recent one in 2019. He's been replaced in Lightyear by Chris Evans.

2. It's 'Toy Story' meets 'Star Wars'

None of the scenes in Lightyear take place in Andy's room.

The movie opens with Buzz and crewmate Alisha Hawthorne investigating a hostile planet for life. (They discover dog-sized insects and people-eating plants.) Stuck on the planet, the crew builds a city and begins a new life.

Buzz and the crew enjoy moderate success in rebuilding the rocket, but Buzz's testing of the ship comes with a major tradeoff: Each time Buzz tests the rocket, his age remains the same while his friends grow older and older. That's because a few minutes of "hyperspeed" space travel are equal to three or four years back on the planet. Before long, his best friends are deceased – and he's soon working alongside their grandchildren. (This time-freeze plot, part of Einstein's theory of relativity, has been used in other time-travel movies .)

The Buzz in Lightyear  isn't the bumbling space ranger you remember in Toy Story . He's still funny, and he's still overconfident, but he's also brilliant (he's great at math) and complex (he shows a range of emotions). We also watch him grow as a character. (Buzz's robotic cat, Sox, provides the funniest moments.)

It's a Toy Story meets Star Wars plot, with plenty of battles involving laser blasters and spaceships.

As animated movies go, Lightyear isn't the fun, fast-paced, smart movie we embraced in the Toy Story franchise. For the most part, it's only … okay.

Still, it includes plenty of positive messages and thought-provoking moments (see below).

3. It Spotlights Mistakes, Second Chances and Time Travel

Lightyear puts a twist on the time-travel theme with this question: If you could, would you travel back in time and fix your mistakes? Buzz faces this choice late in the film but then encounters a dilemma: By fixing his one big mistake (crashing that rocket), he would erase the history that took place thereafter. (If he hadn't crashed the rocket, then his crewmates would not have built the city and started new lives – and the new friends he has made wouldn't exist.)

The film also includes solid messages about second chances, redemption , selflessness, courage, humility and teamwork. It urges us to display grace when others make mistakes. (Buzz learns that lesson when his new friend, Izzy, makes a big mistake.) After all, we also have made plenty of mistakes.

4. It Has a Major LGBT Angle

Lightyear makes history as the first Pixar film – and perhaps the first major animated theatrical title – with a same-sex kiss. That kiss, though, is only part of a major LGBT storyline that begins when Buzz travels back from a mission to learn that his space mate and friend, Alisha Hawthorne, is engaged.

"What's her name?" Buzz asks.

"Kiko," Hawthorne responds. "She's one of the science crew. It's funny – I never would have met her if we hadn't been stranded."

"I'd love to meet her," Buzz says.

Over the next few moments, we see a sequence of Hawthorne's life: her pregnant; her and Kiko raising a young boy; her and Kiko celebrating his graduation; and her and Kiko celebrating their 40th anniversary. It is at that anniversary party that they share a brief kiss on the lips.

The moment is groundbreaking, yes, and it won't be the last time it happens in a major animated movie.

Christian parents today are confronting issues that previous generations never faced – issues that will become more frequent. As believers, we must love our neighbors unconditionally while not being conformed to the culture.

So, what's a Christian family to do with Lightyear ? Southern Baptist leader Shane Pruitt this week encouraged families either to abstain from watching Lightyear or to watch it and "use that moment as a teaching opportunity" to talk to your children about "what God's best and original design is for relationships and families." Staying silent on this issue while watching it with your kids, he suggested, is not an option.

That's good advice.

Lightyear is rated PG for action/peril. Coarse language: none.

Entertainment rating:  3 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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