Lightyear review – to infinity… not beyond

Talk about a movie that makes perfect theoretical sense. Buzz Lightyear, the co-star of Pixar’s first ever feature-length film, was always primed for a spin-off thanks to a promising backstory sprinkled throughout the Toy Story franchise (and even his own animated series in the early 2000s). And while it’s great to finally see the space ranger in full-blown action, there is… something lacking about it. Lightyear struggles to stand out among the pantheon of movies that came before it. It’s by no means a bad film –Pixar does not do bad films, period. But it is a weak film. A good film, but lacking in key ways.

Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans), a young space ranger who lives for adventure across the cosmos, finds himself in a less-than-ideal situation when he and his crew are stranded on a remote and hostile planet far from Earth. Determined to continue with his mission, Buzz embarks on a journey that takes him across space and time, one that brings him face-to-face with an invading robot menace. Luckily, he has the help of a gang of aspiring recruits, led by young and eager Izzy Hawthorne (Keke Palmer), and his robotic feline companion, Sox (Peter Sohn).

There are a lot of things that Lightyear does very well, and they’re the things we can expect of any Pixar film. For starters, the animation is top-tier. The studio’s attempts at human character designs have come a very long way since the first Toy Story. Combined with unnerving alien wildernesses and the inky blackness of space, the film’s visuals are both mysterious and inviting (with Buzz’s suit popping off the screen thanks to its contrasting green and white). And, as always, Michael Giacchino’s orchestral work is excellent. It features deep swells and dramatic percussion that capitalise the A in this adventure.

The film’s narrative is also extremely fitting. It harks back to the pulpy days of Flash Gordon, delivering a straightforward adventure through space, new planets to explore, evil aliens to defeat – all the trappings of a classic sci-fi novella. Buzz himself is a descendent of author Robert Heinlein’s competent man: a spacefarer armed with all the knowledge and skills to take on anything the universe throws at him. Plus, how to balance accounts at the end of the day, and cook a great steak to boot. This is exactly the character we first met back in 1995 and it’s exactly the kind of persona Buzz Lightyear, the toy that is, would believe himself to possess. Chris Evans is perfectly cast, channelling the order-ordering soldier we’ve come to know him for.

If I were to don a tinfoil hat, I would accuse Lightyear of being self-aware. It opens with a caption that explains this is Andy’s favourite movie. A movie he saw and loved just before getting a Buzz Lightyear action figure for his birthday. And as mentioned, the plot is very campy at times. If that’s what director Angus McClane, a Pixar veteran who has worked on nearly every film since A Bug’s Life, was going for, then well played. Everyone will want a Lightyear action figure in their Christmas stocking this year.

However, for all the excellent characterisation that’s on screen, there isn’t much that audiences are left feeling for. Pixar has been hitting ball after ball out of the park with relatable, funny, and emotionally-blossoming figures in films like Luca and Turning Red, but with the exception of one scene very early on, Lightyear doesn’t have anything close to that level. Yes, there is camaraderie, and good chemistry between Lightyear and Hawthorne, but the other interactions feel flat. Sox offers adequate comedy relief, and it’s very funny to see a ginger cat against the backdrop of an alien planet, but that concept can only go so far. And I’m very sad to report that one character in particular, voiced by the great Taika Waititi, is just straight-up annoying.

There’s also a twist in the third act that comes close to derailing the whole film entirely. It briefly looks like it’s referencing one of the best moments in Toy Story 2, but ultimately plays out as a twist for twist’s sake. The third act also feels extremely rushed, with the narrative concluding very abruptly. Characters are just not given the space to breathe and reflect on the journey up until that point.

A few hours after my screening, I stumbled upon a question that sat at the core of my experience of Lightyear: Would it still work if you discounted the nostalgia? If the character of Buzz Lightyear had not been around for more than 25 years and was instead an all-new creation, would this movie hold up? The sincere answer is “Not really.” The end result is a movie that is by no means a failed launch, but it never quite reaches the stars it’s aiming for.

Lightyear hits cinemas this Friday, 17 June.