Over the past few years, Pixar has started to focus more on sequels and spin-offs than the original ideas that made the studio so great in the first place and a prime example of that was 2022’s Lightyear. The film focuses on Buzz Lightyear of Toy Story fame but with a totally different take on the character.
Instead of centering on the toy that we’ve come to love since he debuted in 1995, Lightyear focused on the real Buzz, who gets marooned on a hostile planet and must fight to find his way back home. While the whole idea of this spin-off was a question mark, one small aspect of the film took over the conversation.
Buzz’s closest friend Alisha is shown to be a lesbian and the sheer inclusion of this couple has made the movie controversial. That topic was raised again recently when rapper Snoop Dogg mentioned his discomfort when watching it with his grandchildren. Regardless, this lesbian couple is actually the best thing about Lightyear.
Lightyear Was An Absolutely Baffling Idea In The First Place
Before discussing anything related to the lesbian couple in Lightyear, it should be noted that the entire premise of the film was a questionable idea from the start. The thought process to do a Toy Story spin-off on its own is at least understandable.
The 2020s had been a struggle for Pixar, with most of their films either flopping at the box office or getting released straight to Disney+. That meant it didn’t really make any money on the likes of Onward, Soul, Luca, or Turning Red. So, they opted for a Toy Story spin-off to be their big return to a hit in theaters.
That said, audiences adore the world of Toy Story but the route the film went was too different from what fans know and love. Instead of the Buzz Lightyear we’ve spent decades watching, this was the man the toy was based on and he didn’t feel like our Buzz.
This would’ve been like Pixar making a spin-off movie about Woody’s Roundup, the TV show in the franchise’s universe that inspired the toys of Woody, Jesse, and Bullseye. It’s the kind of thing that’s cute in a small dose on screen but not what people want from an entire project.
Lightyear Is An Okay Movie, But Not On Toy Story’s Level
While the idea of Lightyear is somewhat flawed on its own, the film itself is actually quite good. It sits at a solid 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, with most of the praise considering it to be a fun sci-fi romp that is gorgeously animated. If Lightyear was a completely original film, it likely would’ve been viewed in a better light.
The problem ended up being the ties to the Toy Story franchise. A story involving time travel, likable characters, and sci-fi action with stunning visuals sounds great, but having to live up to the franchise is difficult. All four Toy Story films received widespread acclaim, with the first three being held up as possibly the best movie trilogy ever.
That also meant that Lightyear never really had a chance to be successful. Unless it was an all-time great movie, like most Toy Story installments, this was always going to be disappointing in comparison. That’s a shame because there is a fair bit to like about Lightyear.
Lightyear Has Weirdly Become Embroiled In A Diversity Row
Another issue facing Lightyear and any potential legacy it has is the aforementioned lesbian couple. They only appear during a montage, as in between Buzz’s adventures that cost him years, he checks in on his friend Alisha. She’s shown to be raising a daughter with her wife, Kiko.
Despite not being a focal point of the movie or appearing on screen for a long time, this lesbian relationship seems to be all that many people can talk about. As noted, Snoop Dogg recently brought up this point, meaning that years after the film was mostly forgotten, some people still have a problem with this.
This has made it so there aren’t a lot of valid criticisms aimed at Lightyear. Rather than discuss the actual flaws of the movie or how it could’ve been improved, some people choose to simply talk about this LGBTQ+ relationship.
A big example of this relates to the box office of Lightyear. It only grossed $226.4 million on a $200 million budget, and many blamed the lesbian couple. They decided that since they don’t agree with its inclusion, it must be the reason for the failure. The truth is that a lot more went into Lightyear being a flop.
For starters, many spin-offs don’t perform as well as the initial franchise, from Solo: A Star Wars Story to Hobbs & Shaw, and there’s also a lack of beloved Toy Story characters. Lightyear was also released around the same time as blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic World: Dominion, so its struggles went beyond including a gay couple.
Lightyear’s Representation Might Be The Best Thing About It
At the end of the day, there’s no denying that Lightyear has a lot of aspects that make for a good movie. From the animation style to the touching bond between Buzz and his ragtag crew to the intriguing twist with Emperor Zurg. However, its LGBTQ+ representation is actually its high point.
Disney has touted its inclusion of gay characters but it often doesn’t end up amounting to much. They tend to feature these characters but not do much to discuss or honor their queerness, whether it’s Elemental having a non-binary character or a background kiss in The Rise of Skywalker. It tends to feel thrown in more than anything else.
Lightyear doesn’t exactly do anything groundbreaking in this department, but it at least acknowledges that these characters are gay and live a happy life together. That’s important and if that’s what Lightyear is best remembered for, that’s not at all a bad thing.
Lightyear
8/10
- Release Date
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June 8, 2022
- Runtime
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105 Minutes
- Director
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Angus MacLane
