After inadvertently stranding his ship and all its inhabitants on a harsh, unforgiving wasteland of a planet, Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans) launches a series of desperate test missions to ensure the colony can one day escape. When the latest of these missions goes awry, Buzz finds himself having to depend on a group of oddball fellow space rangers (Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi & Dale Soules) in order to save the colony from the evil Zurg (James Brolin) and find his place amongst the stars.
Starring: Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, Uzo Aduba & James Brolin
Watch it now in cinemas
Lightyear exists both as a whole new franchise and a backdoor prequel to Toy Story – the film that supposedly sparked Andy’s obsession with Buzz and subsequent purchase of the toy. It’s an unnecessary connection that really only serves to trade off the goodwill afforded it through the Buzz Lightyear name; this is far closer to Pixar’s attempt at a gritty space adventure in the vein of Ridley Scott’s The Martian or, surprisingly, a more existential piece like Blade Runner 2049, than it is a goofy adventure. And sure you could get lost in the minutiae of inconsistencies the film creates with Toy Story but these are movies based on toys and spacemen, so let’s not do that.
All that is to say that Lightyear feels as if it would fare much better as Pixar’s attempt at a brand new space adventure, rather than carrying this convoluted baggage of a beloved established franchise with it. The story it tells is amongst Pixar’s more middling offerings; a perfectly serviceable, if predictable ride that constantly propels itself forward with exciting action and solid humour, but one that rarely surprises or offers anything truly emotional outside of an early montage. Where a fresh start may have presented Pixar with a chance to really hone in on developing a story that hits with the emotional depth of their other work, Lightyear feels constrained by its Toy Story ties, and like Buzz himself, unable to reach its full potential.
Where the film isn’t held back is in its visuals. Lightyear is consistently jaw-dropping to look at and, as with almost every new Pixar film, their most gorgeous film to date, proving that the veteran animation studio remains dedicated to being on the cutting edge of the genre technologically. Going back and comparing this to Toy Story on a purely visual level is proof of just how far animation has come, with close to photorealistic character models (not including the gravity defying size of Buzz’ head) and dense, richly populated landscapes creating an optical treat at every turn. The stunningly realised sunsets and hyper-galactic travel sequences compete with even the most lavishly produced live-action sci-fi, a feat that works, for the most part, to effectively mask the story’s shortcomings.
Much was made of the decision to cast Captain America himself, Chris Evans, in the titular role, taking over from series veteran Tim Allen. The change is slightly jarring at first and it does take some time to get used to after the instant recognisability of Allen’s performance, but Evans performs admirably, imbuing his voice with a range of emotions that effectively capture Buzz’s development and the lowering of his walls as the adventure progresses. It is Peter Sohn’s SOX, however, that steals the show. A robotic cat companion gifted to Buzz, Sohn demonstrates terrific comedic timing; his deadpan delivery always manages to score a laugh and acts as the perfect foil to Buzz’ militaristic attitude. Also along for the ride are Palmer, Waititi and Soules as a ragtag crew of space ranger rookies with varying phobias and foibles. They’re all voiced with heart and humour, but not all manage to take off in their own rights; one note characters whose arcs are fun but safe.
That really is the defining label for Lightyear: safe. Pixar’s latest doesn’t take the usual story risks the boundary-pushing animation house is known for, delivering a fun but forgettable adventure. The excellent technical innovation and solid voice acting do well to counteract those shortcomings, but can’t shake the sense that we’ve seen this all before in one way or another in other places. An enjoyable enough time, but not quite to infinity and beyond.