Lightyear Deserves More Hype
Watching Lightyear this past weekend reminded me why I love Pixar and animated movies so much. The new release stars Chris Evans as the beloved space ranger Buzz Lightyear. The film stands a bit separated from the rest of the Toy Story franchise since it’s actually meant to be the movie that Andy sees as a child that sparks his interest in getting a Buzz Lightyear toy. Lightyear was surprisingly more charming than I was anticipating it being. It had a great plot, heartwarming scenes, adorable side characters and one of the first accurate and well done representations of an LGBTQ+ relationship in Disney animated history.
While Buzz Lightyear is obviously the main character in this story, it was the supporting characters that really made this story shine. Although Alisha Hawthorne, Buzz’s space ranger partner, was only in the movie for a limited amount of time, her role was so important and extremely well done. Pixar has never had a bad montage scene, but the montage of Buzz trying to reach hyper speed as time moves on around him is stellar. As Buzz continues to tirelessly complete his mission, his partner has a life of her own on the planet that they’re stranded on. She ends up married with a wife and child, and eventually, grandchildren as well. While she ages and creates memories, Buzz realizes that he has none. The most heartfelt scene in this film was the end of this montage, when he receives a video message from Alisha on her deathbed, wishing him farewell. It gave a completely new meaning to the iconic Buzz Lightyear catchphrase, “to infinity and beyond.” His newfound friendship with Alisha’s granddaughter Izzy develops in its own time and highlights the struggle of feeling like nothing in comparison to a family member. One of my favorite characters in this film (and one that stole the show in my opinion) is Buzz’s space robot cat, Sox. If Pixar knows anything, it’s how to make an audience cry and how to make the most adorable sidekick characters. I’m sure that Sox will make a very popular holiday gift this year. I know I want one!
On a final note, Lightyear was a treat to watch. I seriously doubted this movie in the beginning, and thought that it would perhaps be boring but I should know better than to doubt Pixar. Disney has always reminded me that you should always give animated movies a chance, even if they are made for children. Oftentimes, the best messages and lessons are nestled in these types of animated films but they are overlooked and not given a chance. I will always stand by animation being one of the best, most intricate forms of storytelling- and anyone who disagrees might simply be too childish to understand that.
Catch Lightyear in theaters now!