How do you make a film that will live up to the expectations of two generations? When a character comes from one of the most beloved franchises in the history of animated films, how do you do that character justice?
In June of 2022, “Lightyear” joined the likes of “Ice Age: Collision Course,” “Open Season 3” and “Hotel Transylvania 4” in the ever-expanding collection of animated sequels that seemingly no one likes. I have heard of few people who like this film and even fewer who think it does justice to the movie series whose footsteps it follows in. While it isn’t a great sequel/prequel, I think it is a great movie.
The first time I remember seeing my father cry was when we watched “Toy Story 3” for the first time. Andy had just dropped Woody and the gang off at Bonnie’s house and left for college. I did not understand what was so emotional about it. I was 11 when that happened. Now, at 21, I am beginning to understand. It wasn’t the movie that upset him, but the finality of the story. The fact that our family wouldn’t stay the same way forever: that one day, my sisters and I would leave and not come back.
My father and I were very close when I was younger, but as I have grown up we have grown apart. My dad and I like many of the same kinds of movies. We would bond over the Bourne movies, Marvel and Shrek. We have always been Little Lee and Big Lee since we are so similar.
Where we differ, in film taste, is animation. I have always loved anything animated, from shows and movies to online content creators. Sit me down in front of the most ridiculous animated film and I will be endlessly entertained. If something can make me laugh, then I will chalk it up as a wonderful film. He prefers live action, real and gritty.
“Lightyear” was the film that I had hoped would bring us back together. I was ecstatic when I heard about it for the first time. I got chills when I saw the trailer. I mean, it’s a Pixar movie for crying out loud! The beauty alone of a Pixar film is enough to make me giddy.
What did my father have to say about it? “Why isn’t Tim Allen playing Buzz? This movie doesn’t need to be made! It is just going to be a cash grab.” Yes, a critical eye when consuming media is essential, but at least give the show or movie a chance.
My dad did not have much of an interest in watching the movie, so I waited until “Lightyear” was streaming and I watched it alone at 3 a.m. on summer break. As I sat in my bed, I opened my computer to Disney+, I had only seen a single trailer and the movie poster. I knew that Chris Evans was playing Buzz and there was time travel, but that was it.
The same “my life won’t be this way forever” feeling came over while watching “Lightyear.” My dad saw our future in Toy Story, but I saw my past in “Lightyear.” My family moved around a lot when I was a teenager, coming and going from the city where I had grown up. We were never in one place long enough for me to make new friends, and so whenever we would go back, I would be excited to see my old friends. After a few years, they were gone, just like what happened to Buzz. They moved on to different friend groups, started dating and changed churches. I faded out of their memory. Out of sight, out of mind.
Buzz was stuck in the past too, and was only able to look toward the future with the help of new friends. Yeah, “Lightyear” lacks some of the personable charm and camaraderie that Woody and Buzz have in the “Toy Story” movies, but that doesn’t make it a bad film.
With all the remakes and half-cooked sequels that have been coming out for the last few years, it is easy to just not see new films because of how many have fallen short of expectations in recent memory. I did not even see “Lightyear” in theaters in favor of seeing big franchise movies like “Jurassic World: Dominion,” “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Thor: Love and Thunder.”
With the integration of social media into our everyday lives, I believe that it has gotten infinitely harder for production studios to manage fans’ expectations surrounding a prospective film. Before the release of a Marvel movie, you can watch dozens of videos theorizing about every aspect of the film and see people overanalyze trailers frame by frame, making the final product seem tame and boring by comparison. I used to be a constant consumer of videos like these and it made me highly cynical about the media I consumed… but not for “Lightyear.” I wanted to love this film so badly and I stayed away from all promotional material and online content to go in with as few expectations as possible.
Had this been a standalone movie, I do not think that so many people would have been so critical of it. When a film is attached to a franchise, it has something to live up to — something to prove. “Lightyear” had 27 years’ worth of beloved movies to follow in the footsteps of, so of course it fell a bit short in many peoples’ eyes. But the movie resonated with me because of my past experiences in life and with the franchise.
“Lightyear” is streaming on Disney+.