Damn the animation in 1995 really went hard.
As far as corporate cash grabs go, Lightyear actually presents an interesting premise on its surface. The film that was made is actually the film Andy saw as a child that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy. This allows the film to have a wholly original premise while still remaining tangentially related to the Toy Story Universe, and can feature some beloved characters we already know.
However, the product that’s presented is a hollow imitation of what made the Toy Story films special. When Toy Story 4 was first announced a similar sentiment was expressed in regards to the “corporate” feeling of the film. But to a lot of people’s delight, that film ended up being a fitting conclusion to Woody’s journey throughout the Toy Story franchise. Lightyear however doesn’t really have anything that special to say, it’s void of the “Pixar magic” and it very much feels like a generic sci-fi film with an IP attached to it.
That’s not to say that the film doesn’t have some merits. The animation, to no one’s surprise, is mind numbingly gorgeous. The lighting in certain scenes had me so enamoured at the stunning frames on screen. The cinematography as a whole was just so impressive, and if The Academy actually thought of Animation just as another medium for film and not a genre, it’d be great to see this get a cinematography nom.
The voice acting talent too does a pretty great job overall. There’s not anything that particular stands out but Chris Evans does a fantastic job at playing Buzz Lightyear in his prime. The sound design however, as is expected with a sci-fi film, is phenomenal. The use of silence and light speed in particular is brilliant.
The film really breaks down however with its story. The first act, while rushed, is quite enjoyable. It manages to nail down the overbearing persistence that Lightyear has to his mission due to the overwhelming guilt he feels. It also manages to nail a classic Pixar emotional beat quite well considering that it happens quite early into the film. Yet it’s precisely after this moment that the film loses its emotional heart and becomes generic and predictable.
Buzz’s team in the film is filled with uninteresting characters that have one-note jokes throughout the runtime. Sadly, this includes Taika Waititi who’s talents were wasted in this film. There’s no real chemistry between Buzz and these side characters, granted there is some between Buzz and Izzy but the relationship between Buzz and her grandma that starts the film off is far more interesting that his relationship with her granddaughter pales in comparison.
It doesn’t help that the second act of the film is tiresomely repetitive. It’s simply Buzz not trusting his team and getting into precarious situations, only to be saved by his team. It makes the “message” of the film painfully obvious, and sadly by the end of the film there’s no nuance to the message. There’s also some really convenient plot points that are never really explained but just serve to put Buzz in the situation he ends up in.
The third act recovers itself slightly and there’s fun reveals and action but it feels very rushed and slapped together. The dynamics between the team go from Buzz hating them to suddenly they’re a found family and the twist of the film isn’t really explained, and for how confusing the twist is, it really could’ve used a bit more explanation.
Lightyear isn’t a bad film by any means, but coming from one of the biggest and best studios for animated films, it certainly is a disappointment. The passion that you can feel emanating from the screen in most Pixar films just isn’t here, it screams corporate cash grab and made for investors. But Sox might be one of Pixar’s greatest sidekicks so there’s that.
★★1/2
