Lightyear

Name: Lightyear
Director: Angus MacLane
Genre: Animation
Released: 2022-06-15
Duration: 1h 45m
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules

PG Jun 15, 2022 Animation · Standard animated feature length that feels longer due to heavy themes.

Mixed reception disappointment

6.1/10

IMDb

74%

Fresh

60/100

Metacritic

★

2.74/5

Letterboxd

🎬

6.9/10

TMDB

Before you watch

Pixar's origin story for the fictional space ranger who inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy

Rewatch

diminishing returns

Attention

half watch ok

Phone-check

medium

The brief

Pixar tries to turn Buzz Lightyear into a serious sci-fi hero, but the magic gets lost in translation from toy box to space opera. Chris Evans brings gravitas that feels oddly mismatched with the colorful world, while the film ping-pongs between kiddie adventure beats and surprisingly heavy themes about time, failure, and obsession. The animation is gorgeous and Sox the robot cat steals every scene, but it never quite finds the emotional core that makes Pixar's best work sing. Perfect for kids who love space adventures, but adults expecting Toy Story's heart might leave feeling like something's missing.

space adventure time travel angst glossy sci-fi existential weight colorful melancholy robot sidekick charm

The verdict

If you're a kid who loves space adventures or an adult who appreciates stunning Pixar animation and doesn't mind a more serious tone, this delivers solid sci-fi entertainment with a scene-stealing robot cat. If you're expecting the emotional depth and charm that made Toy Story special, you'll likely find this oddly hollow despite its gorgeous visuals.