Lightyear is a 2022 American animated science fiction comedy film about Buzz Lightyear and his adventures to infinity and beyond. No plot details have been revealed yet.
Directed by Angus MacLane (co-director on Finding Dory and director of Toy Story of Terror and Burn-E shorts). The screenplay hasn’t been credited yet but the movie is based on characters created by Pete Docter, John Lasseter, Joe Ranft and Andrew Stanton. Produced by Galyn Susman.
Buzz Lightyear is voiced by Chris Evans (Knives Out; Avengers franchise; Captain America franchise).
Release date:
The Pixar Animation Studios production will be released theatrically by Disney on June 17, 2022.
Meanwhile, Variety has reported that “Pixar’s Lightyear will not be playing in Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Kuwait […] due to the inclusion of a same-sex kiss in the Toy Story spinoff.” The scene involves a new lesbian space ranger character named Alisha and her partner. Variety noted that “the license to play the film in the UAE was suddenly revoked following calls on social media accusing Disney and Lightyear of insulting Muslims and Islam.” The film has also been banned in Indonesia for the same reason.
Reviews:
“What ultimately waters down Lightyear, an otherwise polished, gorgeous-looking entry into the Pixar oeuvre, is an absence of the excitement and disciplined storytelling spirit that made Toy Story such a pioneering hit. Even Michael Giacchino’s splendid score goes only so far towards insinuating a grand adventure that ultimately feels a little trite and bloated.” AV Club
“Pixar’s Lightyear takes the “Toy” out of Buzz’s story and embraces an ambitious sci-fi adventure carried by smart humour, abundant action and Chris Evans’ human reinvention as the iconic space ranger.” 8/10 CGM Backlot Magazine
“Lightyear is maybe the most conventional movie Pixar has ever made, but in a catalog full of high-concept, poetic, borderline art films, this feels like a charming respite. It’s an epic adventure with exhilarating action sequences that are elevated greatly by bleeding edge visuals, and this new Buzz is impossibly just as interesting as the old one.” Den of Geek
“They shoot for the stars with this, and while it’s an enjoyable experience overall, they never quite make it all the way to where they were aiming. Then again, this is the precisely the story the movie is telling, a reminder to viewers that not every mission can be accomplished but that doesn’t mean it’s a failure either.” 7.5/10 First Showing
“It leans into the idea that Buzz Lightyear shouldn’t matter enough to justify a feature-film spin-off, and that the film’s existence is another example of how the current adults in the room cannot let go of our childhood pop culture. Don’t worry, it’s not that heavy, and the picture works as a bemusing and sharply written (co-penned by MacLane and Jason Headley) sci-fi adventure…” Forbes
“Wittily, this film shows us the living scenes and personae of which the famous toys were a simplification, and it gives us new characters into the bargain: notably a robot cat companion for Buzz called Sox (voiced by Peter Sohn) who, though not especially original, adds to the film’s good-natured fun. The film just bounces along, zipping through its running time.” 4/5 The Guardian
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