It used to be that Pixar got a pass, but after our numerous Cars and its spinoffs, it should be fair to sigh quite heavily at Lightyear. Announced almost a year ago, this is a prequel about the guy who inspired a toy made up for a movie from 1995. The origins of the spaceman action figure Tim Allen voiced over a quarter-century ago will finally be known.
The worst part of it? It doesn’t even look bad. It looks pretty decent as the First Man of Toy Story. This concept that should have gone straight to video will now continue the proof that Pixar can woefully spin off any old bullshit idea and it will still more or less work out. We’re going to have a whole theatrical release about how the parents from Inside Out meet and that’s just how it is.
Anyway, Chris Evans voices the flesh-and-blood Buzz Lightyear and it will probably be fine. The inevitable A Bug’s Life: Afterlife will probably be fine too. Who cares? They’re movies about sentient toys and sentient bugs and sentient cars, and they’re made for children. We’ve done worse.
Sheesh.
Well, Lightyear hits theaters June 17.
