The digital magicians at Pixar have returned with an origin story of one of their most famous characters. “Lightyear” opens with an explanation that Andy from “A Toy Story” was given a toy based on his favorite movie in 1995 and that this is the movie upon which the toy was based.

With that explanation out of the way, the film centers on a giant ship deep in space that encounters a planet and awakens Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans) to investigate. Along with a fellow ranger and a recruit, Buzz scopes out the planet only to discover it is hostile and makes a hasty exit from the plan... read the rest.

Like Toy Story 4, Lightyear is an unnecessary installment to the Toy Story franchise, but is enjoyable nevertheless. Its homage to science fiction makes the animated film feel more like a sci-fi actioner rather than an animated film the majority of the time. It has a rich and palpable atmosphere that is gorgeously animated and is filled with the laugh out loud and heartfelt moments Pixar is typically known for.

Full review: https://hubpages.com/entertainment/Lightyear-2022-Review-A-Visually-Gorgeous-Nod-to-Science-Fiction

Where has the "magic" gone? Disney muddles the mix once again and ruins a childhood favorite by removing the accomplished Buzz frontman Tim Allen for Chris Evans? I was so wanting to see the quick quips and humor a comedian such as Allen has always brought to the Toy Story franchise and sadly they went the other direction here. Formulaic and predictable. This could have been any other space-based children's animation.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/lightyear-spoiler-free-review

"Lightyear is far from yet another incredibly memorable Pixar film, but it's still an adventure filled with tons of entertainment, inspiring messages, and breathtaking animation.

Angus MacLane doesn't deviate from the studio's well-known formulas, delivering a narrative without notable deviations from the most predictable, safest path. Except for an unnecessary, overly complex twist for the target audience in the third act, Buzz Lightyear and his team take viewers through space on a remarkabl... read the rest.

Just like in "Alien" (1979) a ship's computer wakes some of the crew mid-trip when it detects an uncharted planet. Space Rangers "Buzz", "Hawthorne" and a rookie take the ship down for a look, but are soon facing some hungry plants and big bugs. He attempts to escape, but the ship (the "Turnip") clips a mountain top and crashes, destroying their power crystal. He determines to find a way to replace it - but each time he tests it out, his off-world moments become 4 years for those left behind, and so his repeated attempts to get them all home safely merely see him stay the same age as his compan... read the rest.

Lightyear is a lighthearted and fun sci-fi adventure. Let me get this out of the way first and foremost, the visuals in this film are spectacular. The artists who did this deserve a raise because this might be the best looking animated film I have ever scene. I really enjoyed the touch of changing the resolution at a certain point. With that out of the way, I really enjoyed this film, the exploration of a new world was really well done. I liked the time traveling elements that were presented, borrowing some from Interstellar, and it brought some really sad moments that nearly drew a tear from m... read the rest.

Lightyear is a decent film that overshoots its primary audience and crash lands as a decent movie but with a confused plot focused on adults rather than children.

Lightyear is a confusing film. It’s definitely not bad. It fills its runtime with funny characters and engaging conflict, but the story is a bad choice for a kids’ movie. It borrowed Interstellar’s time dilation concept and mixed it with an evil future self plot which felt out of place and left my toddler disengaged. I did enjoy the film, but its themes and script felt like a space adventure written for adults shoved into Pixar... read the rest.