Buzz Lightyear Stars In His Own Movie

The movie behind the space toy from the Toy Story film series is finally here.

Buzz Lightyear stars in his own animated science fiction movie named after himself, released in 2022. He is the hero behind the space toy who appeared as a main character in the Toy Story franchise. The film takes place in deep space, on a distant planet. Buzz tries to figure out a way back home to planet Earth alongside his commander and crew. As he figures out a way to return home, he encounters Emperor Zurg, an old enemy who made a recurring role in the Toy Story series.

Many fans of Toy Story, science fiction, and Disney Pixar films will enjoy this adventurous movie that takes them into the starry skies. Lightyear has many science fiction elements and references to the Toy Story film series, as this film is based on one of the main characters from Toy Story. This film has similarities to the Star Wars franchise, for Star Wars also takes place in deep space.

Viewers can also see the strong representation and diversity of African Americans in Lightyear, for one of the most well-known black actresses, Keke Palmer, voices Izzy Hawthorne. Uzo Aduba, who voices Alisha Hawthorne, and Isiah Whitlock Jr., who voices Commander Burnside, are also African American actors who worked alongside white actors.

Buzz Lightyear’s origin story starts here. Viewers who watched the Toy Story film series are curious to know and see how the space ranger got his name. Emperor Zurg gets a major role in this film, as he is the main antagonist. Though viewers get to see Toy Story easter eggs, new characters appear in this film such as the robotic cat Sox. One noticeable easter egg from the Toy Story series is a framing device that shows viewers of the young Andy Davis watching this film and receiving a Buzz Lightyear action figure for his birthday at the beginning of this film. This easter egg shows viewers a strong connection between Toy Story (1995) and this film.

Overall, this movie receives positive reviews from critics, as many describe the movie as an origin story for the iconic space toy.