'Lightyear' Review: A Fun, But Unnecessary Origin Story
Pixar is finally returning to the big screen with Lightyear, a spinoff of the beloved Toy Story franchise that ultimately doesn’t justify its existence despite the entertainment value it brings to the table.
Lightyear is not an origin story of the revered character from the Toy Story films, but rather the tale of the movie character that inspired the action figure, voiced by Tim Allen. Voicing the character of Buzz Lightyear in this spinoff is Chris Evans, joined by a terrific voice cast that includes the likes of Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Peter Sohn, Dale Soules, Uzo Aduba, and James Brolin.
The voice work is excellent, with each member of the cast suitably fitting their respective characters with ease and charm. However, it’s Evans that truly shines here. Distinguishing himself from Allen’s iteration of the character was going to be no easy feat, but Evans not only embodies Buzz perfectly, but is able to form a wholly new, refreshing character that is easy to connect with. Buzz may not be the most charismatic character, but he anchors the film well, the heart of the man always warm and in the right place despite his mistakes.
The film is also considerably funnier than most audiences may expect it to be, due in large part to the instantly iconic character that is Sox the cat, voiced by Sohn. The character delivers the biggest laughs in the film, never becoming repetitive or bothersome. However, it’s when the film shows its heart that it becomes the most compelling. There is a beautiful, emotionally compelling montage that takes place early on in the film, the kind that only Pixar could devise and knock out of the park, that tugs on the heartstrings in the best ways possible. It’s unfortunate that the rest of the film fails to live up to the emotional weight of that montage.
It also shouldn’t come as a surprise that this is visually stunning animated film. Director Angus MacLane, who previously co-directed Finding Dory for Pixar, and his creative team have done a wonderful job bringing this story to life visually. The characters and environments are richly detailed and sumptuous, which should only be enhanced when audiences see the film in the IMAX format. In addition, the action sequences are extremely exciting and well-orchestrated, each topping the last in terms of scale and stakes.
Unfortunately, the most notable flaw the film suffers from is that it’s very forgettable. While the story is fun and the film is never boring, it’s a tale that ultimately feels unnecessary for Pixar to tell. The supporting characters are rather one-note and flat, making it hard to emotionally connect with the story or those characters, a considerable letdown in regards to a studio like Pixar. When the film’s twist kicks in relating to the villain of Zurg, Buzz’s arch nemesis in the original Toy Story series, it showed shades of a much darker, more interesting film that audiences will never get to see. Instead, it settles into a rather generic family film involving Buzz Lightyear.
Lightyear isn’t a terrible film by any means, but it unfortunately doesn’t meet the caliber of other, far better and emotionally rich films from Pixar. It may boast some stellar visuals and voice performances, but this is an origin story that simply feels hollow and underwhelming. Fans of the Toy Story films may find entertainment value in this version of the character, but they’re not going to find nearly as much as they have in the one they already know and love.