Title: Lightyear
Year: 2022
Director: Angus MacLane
Country: US
Language: English
Pixar's first film, Toy Story, was a monumental commercial and critical success. The first fully computer generated feature length film, the picture was a huge step in the evolution of animated cinema. Though there were a few years of hand-drawn animation post Toy Story, this new CGI animation would be the industry standard from 1995 until present day.
While spending years attempting to return home, marooned Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans) encounters an army of ruthless robots commanded by Zurg who are attempting to steal his fuel source.
Lightyear is a fun animated film that embraces sci-fi cliches in an ironic self-aware way, making allusions to not-for-children pictures like 2001: A Space Odyssey. Costing Pixar an estimated $200-million, the visuals are nothing short of an impressive spectacle. We get a varied array of set pieces, including massive jungle, volcanic terrain, and “beyond the infinite”.
Chris Evans replaces Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz in Lightyear. Evans' voice adds a new dimension to the character; giving Buzz more flaws and a less certain demeanor. Much of the picture is a conventional action romp, but the third-act presents more complicated social implications. Perhaps in order to move forward we must be quick to embrace new ideas & be less interested in preserving the past.
Lightyear manages to presents its social discussion without being preachy and, thankfully, with a little bit of subtlety. Considering a lot of Disney products need to loudly proclaim to be progressive, this picture is a refreshing departure. This film is a worthwhile viewing, albeit a younger audience will get more out of it.
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