The Toy Story franchise continues, but this time, it’s a prequel to the iconic character of Buzz Lightyear. Before Buzz Lightyear toys even existed, there was the man himself, an astronaut who travels through space and time, while also coming in contact with a huge threat that could be the destroyer of mankind. Lightyear has an all-star cast headlined by Chris Evans as the title character, along with Taika Waititi and Keke Palmer. The latest offering from Disney/Pixar is scheduled to be released in America on June 17, 2022. This list will highlight the five best moments from the upcoming animated feature.
Buzz Lightyear Doing His Mission Logs
Leave it to Pixar to turn something unnecessary into a must-see! There was never a need for a Buzz Lightyear origin story; however, the recent release of the second trailer showcased why Pixar/Disney is arguably the top animation studio in America. In addition to the stunning animation, the first few seconds of Lightyear capture the character’s personality down perfectly. Buzz says a couple of his notable catchphrases and it never feels forced, and him documenting missions was a fun moment that shed some light on the story overall. Chris Evans fits Buzz Lightyear like a glove. Tim Allen was perfect as the titular character throughout the franchise, and it appears that Evans is respecting the work Allen has done previously while adding some of his own flair to the voice acting.
Buzz Hyper Launches Through A New Dimension
Lightyear doesn’t fail to get into the action of the story. The first portion of the trailer showcases Buzz as an astronaut, along with Hawthrone and his robot cat Sox, but the second portion begins by diving into the central premise of the feature. Once again, the animation is simply mesmerizing here, crisp visuals, striking colors, the entire sequence of Buzz being thrust through a different dimension is great. Seeing the contrast of a wasteland environment helps establish that Buzz has entered into a new world. The mysterious solider that tackles the astronaut down talks about aliens, which should open unlimited possibilities on the way this story can go. Who are these aliens? What’s their prime objective? Is Zurg really an alien and not some cheap actor in a party city costume? There’s a lot of fun to be had in this universe and given the track record of Pixar, the company will likely deliver the goods.
Sox Reveals How Long They’ve Been Gone From Earth
So, Buzz isn’t in Kansas anymore. His world has been turned upside and now it’s been revealed that his partner has passed away. That information also reveals a huge time jump within the universe where he’s been stuck on the mysterious planet for over 60 years. It’s great that Lightyear is heading right into the sci-fi element, though the time premise isn’t anything particularly new. Still, Pixar are masters at crafting excellent and heartfelt stories, and it should be interesting to see the direction they take with this familiar story.
Lightyear Focusing On The Characters
The trailer does an excellent job of highlighting the dynamic between Hawthrone and Buzz early in the film. The salute itself isn’t what makes this moment special, it’s everything leading up to this moment. The final portion of the trailer does a superb job showcasing the new characters and their persona without the feature feeling crowded. Or at least it feels that way in the trailer. Plus, it’s nice to see an African American character written in a respectful manner that doesn’t feel shoehorned into the story. Hawthrone isn’t in the trailer much, so hopefully Lightyear does a strong job going into depth about Buzz’s partner in crime before her demise. However, all the characters have a unique characteristic that isn’t too over-the-top, but fun in the universe that Pixar is trying to convey. The studio is no stranger to creating compelling, three-dimensional characters, and based on this trailer, it appears that the studio has hit another homerun.
Buzz Battles Aliens and Zurg
The action is smooth based off the snippets shown in the trailer. Zurg as the big boss in the Lightyear feature is still a toss-up. He’s solidly showcased, but he’s not highlighted enough to get a strong read on whether he’ll make a memorable villain. Either way, the battle scene looks impressive and only enhances the hype for the upcoming film. There’s nothing that makes the battles standout as unique or bold, but it’s the layout of the war that truly helps make it captivating. Plus, aliens, gun fights, and robot cats, what’s not to love?
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