Overall Thoughts: Interesting concept starts very strong, but doesn't quite stick the landing.
When Disney and Pixar initially announced Lightyear back at their Disney Investor Day in 2020, I was intrigued by the idea. A spin-off origin story for its' popular Buzz Lightyear character. That being said, the marketing left a little bit to be desired. As it seemed like it was not trying to be anything genuinely original. Unfortunate controversies did not help it either.
The first half of Lightyear is almost The Incredibles in terms of how entertaining, fun and moving it is. The story moves at a good clip, and there's a few emotional tugs at the heartstrings that are earned. The action scenes have a solid level of excitement to them, and the characters are given enough development to make you care about what's going on.
The best character creation for this Pixar movie, a robot cat named Sox. Voiced terrifically by Pixar director and actor Peter Sohn (who is taking the helm for the studio's next movie, Elemental), Sox is absolutely the "Disney merchandise" character of the film. However, he's also funny, adorable and has several memorable moments. He also has a few surprises to share that earn their gasps or laughs, and a few heartfelt moments as well.
The supporting cast, led by Keke Palmer and Taika Watiti, are fine. Uzo Aduba does a solid job with her character as Buzz's best friend, Alisha. And as for Buzz himself, Chris Evans proves to mostly be up to the task. While not a versatile character here, Buzz here isn't exactly given the same cartoony presence that Tim Allen had for the character in the Toy Story movies.
That being said, a revealing twist about two-thirds of the way through the movie unfortunately throws things off. Does it somewhat nod to the Toy Story movies? Yes. But, the way it's executed does not live up to the hype or excitement that came before it. And, it leads to an ending that seems less interesting. It also has a bit of a convoluted explanation to it as well which does not help things either.
However, the animation is definitely Pixar in its' comfort zone. The work is nicely done, with the right amount of nods to what came before. And, the characters all work well in this universe as well with their animation styles. Michael Giacchino proves again that he can really nail a throwback vibe with his 80's sci-fi inspired score.
In the end, Lightyear is not as bad as I feared it would be. It's first half really does a great job setting up the stakes while not having too many roadbumps. However, it is sad to report that the film's last third really could have used a rewrite. It lacks the emotional sincerity, action, ambition and mystery of the remainder of the film.
So, yes, this is a film you could stream on a lazy afternoon. But it falls short of being the must-see entertainment that Pixar films usually are.
Grade: B-
Is this movie family friendly? Lightyear is rated PG for "action/peril". There are some intense moments of action involving guns and weapons, and some Star Wars-level action scenes. Shootouts and robot impalings/discombobulations are seen. No bloodshed, however. A couple of bathroom jokes (pulling someone's finger, for example). On another note, some families may be turned off by the discussion and inclusion of a same-gender couple in a few scenes involving one of the major characters, as well as a kiss between those characters at one moment. In the end, this is a movie that parents will widely have different opinions about, so I will leave the decision to them.
