.jpeg)
Branching off from the original Toy Story timeline, Lightyear revolves around legendary space ranger Buzz (Chris Evans) embarking on an intergalactic adventure alongside ambitious recruits Izzy, Mo, Darby, and his robot companion, Sox. The twist is that Buzz's origin story (The toy) is shown in the form of a science fiction adventure film featuring Evan's Lightyear, that captured Andy's imagination prompting him to purchase the toy version of the character, therefore spawning the Toy Story franchise. Lightyear's plot is one that's both complicated and highly conventional as it relies on formulaic Disney story structures in order to make it work. Although it never reaches the cinematic heights of its previous entries, it has enough to offer as being a beautifully animated adventure that carries an appropriate amount of heart.
As visually striking as Lightyear manages to be, it's the voice performances from its cast that make it both charming and fun to watch. With Buzz, Chris Evans proves to be a clever replacement for Tim Allen as he not only embodies many of the latter's traits while playing a more serious and ambitious type of character that fits the dramatic aspect of the story. Keke Palmer does a fine job of playing Izzy, the granddaughter of Buzz's best friend Aisha who teams up with Lightyear to complete his mission. Palmer plays her character well and shares admirable chemistry with Evans. Peter Sohn steals the show with his performance as Buzz's companion and romantic cat, Sox. It's hard not to find Sohn's character likable as he makes for a funny and loyal companion to Buzz with him bound to steal the hearts of young audiences. Uzo Aduba shines as Buzz's best friend and commanding officer Alisha, whose one of Izzy's grandmothers. Although her role isn't as big as Keke Palmer's, Aduba still leaves a strong impression with audiences. James Brolin is perfectly casted as Emperor Zurg, commander of the invading robotic army and Buzz's sworn enemy. Other noteworthy voice work include members of Buzz's team with Taika Waititi as fresh and naive recruit Mo Morrison, Dale Soules as elderly paroled convict Darby, Isiah Whitlock jr. as Commander Burnside, Bill Hader as new recruit Featheringhamstan, and Efren Ramirez as Airman. Overall, Lightyear's cast makes for a terrific ensemble with them crafting likable characters that are delightful to watch.
Directed and co-written by Angus MacLane, he impresses in providing the story with breathtaking animation which looks stunning along with colors that appear sharp. If one ever imagined what a Buzz Lightyear-themed film would look like, MacLane's got them covered with the story looking like the ultimate space adventure for kids. The amount of attention that's paid to detail in regards to characters textured hair, Sox's fur, and the aggressive vines are highly commendable much like the space landscapes and planet shown in the story. At 105 minutes, Lightyear moves at a brisk pace that never feels like the film is moving too slow with composer Michael Giacchino's score adding both excitement and emotional power to the story. When it comes to directing Lightyear, MacLane presents audiences with a new type of animated adventure that pays homage to Sci-Fi classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars, while pushing the boundaries of what animation can do with making the characters in the story look more and more relatable to actual people.
When it comes to Lightyear's writing, the script explores prominent themes pertaining to teamwork, perseverance, empathy, and courage with the stories message encouraging people to not be afraid of asking for help while valuing the skills that others bring to the table. Positive representation is also reinforced with the showing of Aisha's character having a lesbian relationship. Such a subplot doesn't feel forced here and is weaved into the story in a form that feels both natural and meaningful. Despite that element, Lightyear's screenplay suffers from being too conventional with a sizable lack of originality being present. The films characterization of the new Buzz feels ideal with his need of finishing a mission being put above himself. His relationship with Alisha is significant because of their respect and loyalty for each other. One fun bit that the two share includes a hand gesture with both saying Buzz's iconic Two Infinity line. The latter's ragtag team of colorful characters provide the films humor while testing Lightyear's patience and ability to rely on others. Out of all the members of Buzz's gang, it's Sox who steals the show along with providing Buzz with a friendly companion after becoming lonely through all the time jumps. The script takes key pieces of dialogue recited by Buzz in the original Toy Story and repeats them here, ultimately paying homage to Allen's work while maintaining continuity.
Although it can definitely be said that Lightyear doesn't carry the same type of emotional core as other recent Pixar releases, it still provides a fun-spirited adventure that families can enjoy although it never answers the question of whether a Buzz Lightyear spin-off was needed and ultimately just leaves audiences confused on where it fits within the series timeline. It doesn't carry the charm of the original Toy Story nor the emotional payoff of 3 and 4, but where it's lacking in originality, it makes up for as being a satisfying animated adventure that's enjoyable though not quite as thrilling as the films it leans on for comfort.
Final Verdict: Worth watching if you're a Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story fan.
Images Courtesy Of Disney/Pixar
No comments:
Post a Comment