By Luke Durling
Well, let’s start from the beginning, as Pixar did…
People like to say that Buzz Lightyear is a secondary character, a toy on the cogs of what is truly Woody’s Toy Story. To me, that could not possibly be the case.
I use a wheelchair. Always have, probably always will. Buzz Lightyear was a toy, but yet overcame his inability, his brokenness, by simply letting what he could not do fly away from his mind, while never losing the determination of who he was, a Space Ranger who could fall with style like the rest of us. What a wonderful lesson for a child to learn, especially one who cannot walk.
Plus, I suppose Buzz got me into science, both fact and fiction. He made the stars twinkle with not only curiosity, but also adventure. Zurg could be lurking up there, and the three eyed aliens could be living in clawed peace and joy. Who are we to know? I longed to take laser and life out into the sparkling sky, see what I could see. Instead, I found a universal better. Words and art. Star Wars beckoned while Star Trek beamed me up. I read Asimov and comic books, looked up space facts galore. I even wanted to be an astronaut, a la Neil Armstrong, for much of my toddlerhood. Can I really say Buzz did all of this for me? No. That had as much to do with my family, friends and teachers as much, if not more than the plastic spaceman. But, Buzz was a spark, and I’ll never forget that spark.
However, possibly most notably, my first real short story I ever wrote was an original story about a young, real life Buzz going through his training and becoming a full fledged Space Ranger. Oh, did I ever love creating such a story! It was filled with corny twists and turns the reader could see coming before the first sentence. Nevertheless, “The Boy Who Passed Infinity”, as the meager magnum opus was called, made me begin to fall in love with crafting stories and words.
Hyper speed forward 10-12 years. A logo is revealed for the movie that I had not actually written, but one that prompted something similar to the 22 pages that had made me realize who I was, much like Buzz had found himself.
Would you believe it’s about as corny as my original story? 😄 And I absolutely love it for that…
Now, before you get up in arms, thinking how could I possibly say that, allow me to explain. Lightyear truly is a sci-fi film, plain and simple. If you don’t like sci-fi and its quirkiness, you simply won’t like this movie. There are references everywhere and the story reflects those like a badge of honor. It is experimental when necessary, emotional always and simply a festival of lasers and fun. For a movie that meant to sell toys in Andy’s world (and, let’s face it, ours too), Lightyear is an awesome balance between the fun quirkiness and emotional realities that Pixar does so well. To say I enjoyed myself would be the understatement of the century. I left the theater with a newfound respect for the Space Ranger I love.
Not only that, but the visuals are absolutely stunning. Pixar is renowned for their jaw dropping animation, but this is a cut above them all. You can actually read the screens on the computer terminals that have nothing to do with anything and see the details in the suits and buttons all the way down to scratches, scrapes and fingerprints! It is an amazing act of justice to have Pixar back in the cinema, and Lightyear certainly is a film that screams cinematic. See it on the biggest possible screen format you can get to. Seriously, you’ll thank me for it.
On the other hand, if you feel like taking it too seriously, you might not care for it either. I advise you to drop your reservations at the door and enjoy. To those who are still upset about Chris Evans “replacing” Tim Allen, I would, as politely as possible, ask you to shut up. Evans truly does the character justice, and his inclusion is the very least offensive thing, if it is offensive at all. The suit is in wonderful hands, people. Give him a shot. To those who want to keep the show and movie from the 90’s starring Tim Allen and Patrick Warburton (yet another argument against the staunch Allen fans), I can understand that more. However, Lightyear does nothing to take away the joy and awe we felt. In fact, I would argue that it brings that same nostalgia to the forefront so it can be shared anew. If you loved Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, that is awesome! Dust off your VCRs and VHS tapes. Show the world what we grew up with, but then give Lightyear a shot. I assure you it will not tarnish the legacy of Buzz…
Others, however…
Look, I love the movie, I truly do. I don’t think anything will change that or anyone could argue against that. Despite this, I accept that it is far from perfect. Especially in one regard. By trying to be clever, Pixar kind of stumbled a bit. I don’t think it’s an all together horrible choice, I enjoy it quite a bit. They just did not give it the time it deserved. Lightyear does things right, but it’s not really long enough to get everything done completely. That’s my only problem, and it doesn’t seem like that big of a problem, because in the end, it could never be perfect. You might be slightly disappointed with that, but If Buzz teaches us anything, it’s that being imperfect is not just okay, it’s a part of life.
With that, we seem to have come full circle. An imperfect toy based on an imperfect character who inspired this imperfect little boy to be courageous, bold and daring not just until today. but to infinity.. and beyond.
Lightyear brings all of this back and more. There’s nothing better than that.
FINAL GRADE: A-
P.S. SOX is awesome! He might just be a comic relief and a spoof on selling toys, which he will undoubtedly sell, but he is awesome! That is all…
Calm and Cultured 