Movie Thoughts: Lightyear

It’s better than the reviews/publicity. But it starts off with a message to the audience about how this was Andy’s favorite movie and that’s why Buzz was his favorite toy and it came out in 1995. And it really seems unnecessary. Like, just let it be what it is. Don’t start your movie off telling us it was a major hit in another universe. That’s too much expectation right off the bat. We don’t need you to remind us this is a Toy Story spin-off. We’re already in our seats, paid for.

The other “controversy” — the gay kiss — is the equivalent of, “Oh, you got some shit on your lip…” from the South Park episode where they say Shit. What a nothingburger. And who gives a fuck anyway. Culture war bullshit to stir up talk. I’m glad it backfired on everyone involved, whether intentional or not.

The animation is so crisp and beautiful, I take it for granted these days. The movie isn’t the groundbreaking hit we’re told it is in Andy Morris’s universe, and it also doesn’t feel like a movie from 1995. It feels like a movie from 2022, with a really diverse cast (I think Buzz is one of only two white guys, maybe three depending on what you’re counting) and a totally innocuous, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it “welcome home honey” lesbian kiss.

Like most Pixar movies, this is a solidly made product. Everything in it is done by the book, and it’s pretty good, but it never launches itself into orbit. It never quite hits hyperspace. If it wasn’t about Buzz Lightyear, would it be better? Worse? Would I care? We’ll never know.