Lightyear

Disney and Pixar find a way to return to the Toy Story franchise without returning to the Toy Story franchise with Lightyear which is meant to represent the movie young Andy saw in 1992 which would inspire the Buzz Lightyear toy line. While it might not look or sound like a 90s film, a minor quibble, Lightyear does entertain by offering us the misadventures of the Space Ranger who struggles to get home after getting stranded on a hostile planet light-years from Earth. Although Buzz isn't a toy, Lightyear demands a toy be made for the adorable robotic cat Sox (Peter Sohn) who is just about the best thing ever.

Recasting Chris Evans as Buzz Lightyear, the story is your basic sci-fi action tale with a good amount of Disney/Pixar heart thrown in as Buzz blames himself for stranding the crew and will not stop until he finds them a way home. We also get Zurg (James Brolin) and his backstory.

Lighyear is a breath of fresh air for what has been a largely disappointing 2022 in terms of film. It may not be as good as the Toy Story films which inspired it, but it is a hell of a lot of fun while sticking to the emotional heart which drives so many of Pixar's films. If I had seen Lightyear as a child, I too would have wanted the toys, even if Sox is the obvious break-out star whose I would immediately have chosen over plastic Buzz, Zurg, or any of the various supporting characters of the film. 

Watch the trailer

• Title: Lightyear
• IMDb: link