Lightyear Parent Guide

Buzz Lightyear is a dedicated Space Ranger, devoted to finishing his mission. When a mistake on his part maroons him, his fellow Space Rangers, and an entire group of scientists on a remote and dangerous planet, Buzz knows it’s up to him to get everyone home.

Returning to Earth isn’t going to be quick or easy. The scientists spend a year developing a space base (which seems absurdly fast for a planet with zero infrastructure) and trying to create a fuel cell that will allow a ship to travel at hyperspeed. Each time Buzz does a test flight with newly mixed fuel, the minutes he spends in travel correspond to years experienced by his friends on the planet. Soon, he returns to a planet and society he barely recognizes…and things only get worse when Zurg and his robotic army complicate the plot.

While most movies are depicted as “true” stories – at least in a “make believe” world – there is no pretense that Lightyear is a true story. Instead, the opening credits introduce it as the movie that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy so beloved of Andy in the Toy Story franchise. Oddly enough, just knowing that nothing on the screen is supposed to be real starts the story off with a bit of distance between it and the audience. That distance never shrinks and is a major weakness in the movie. I love Pixar films and expected the usual combination of peerless animation, intriguing characters, and riveting stories. Lightyear delivers on the first, but it stutters on the other two, leaving me apathetic and, disappointingly, bored for much of the runtime.

Pixar’s record is so strong that I have repeatedly second-guessed my assessment of this production. I’m going to stand by it though: Lightyear doesn’t reach Pixar’s standards. The only fleshed-out character is Buzz himself, and even he isn’t as well rounded as he should be. He exhibits determination, persistence, stubbornness, arrogance, and a certain amount of aloofness. Character growth is thankfully part of the plot and is welcome when it happens, but it feels like it occurs too late in the day. As for the storyline, it is clearly caught in some kind of space/time dislocation because it drags on interminably and feels a good half hour longer than its runtime. I don’t think I have ever clock-watched in a Pixar film before, but after the first half hour (the best part of the film), I was checking my watch every ten minutes.

If you’re trying to decide whether you should take your kids to this movie, I can’t give you a categorical answer – just some questions. Is your youngster obsessed with Buzz Lightyear? He or she will probably love the movie. Action fans will also get a kick out of all the human versus robot fight scenes. Is your kid easily frightened? Then you should probably pick another show. This movie features tentacled monsters that repeatedly attack people, frequent fight scenes (often with weapons), and some incredibly perilous scenes in outer space. If you have strongly held traditional views on sexuality, a kiss between two women and scenes of their family life will probably rule this movie out for you – but families with contemporary attitudes will appreciate the representation.

Should you choose to take your family to this film, there are some bright spots. The animation is stellar and the messages about persistence, hard work, facing your fears, reaching out to others, and learning to re-assess your goals are worth sharing with your kids. Buzz’s latest adventure might not reach to “infinity and beyond” but it provides a bit of a ride for young fans who want to spend some time with their Space Ranger hero.