Some movies I watched in 2025: Lightyear
You thought you were getting a movie review as a reprieve from two entries of Battletoads content? Surprise! This is actually an extremely contrived continuation of that conversation! Buckle in, suckers!
A couple of dear friends invited me to see Lightyear in cinemas in 2022, and it was a nice time, if largely just enjoying the company of pals I had not seen in two years because of the pandemic. I’ve very little to remark about it that armies of dedicated Disney reviewers haven’t already picked apart.
I thought it was pleasant enough! You can see its themes and character arcs coming a mile away, and its third act feels like it drops the ball in some regard, but it’s just nice to see a CGI animated film that’s a straightforward sci-fi romp. It’s not interrupted by musical numbers, or transforming the cast into animals — you get what you sign up for, more or less.
At least, I got what I expected! Scampy of The Spirochaete Trail discussed the film’s various foibles, from its wishy-washy marketing campaign that made people just expect more Toy Story, to even its text prelude that gives the impression this is setting itself up to be a ’90s throwback.
The latter was a thorn in a lot of people’s sides, apparently; I can understand the internal discussions that might’ve led to its inclusion, but I figured the movie ought to do the talking instead of three lines of intro text.
My question is: if the film had simply removed the Buzz Lightyear branding, would anyone have had those expectations? Would it make less of a splash without that established IP, or would being something original get more eyeballs on it amidst a market of sequels and rehashes? Because I’d argue if you scrubbed out some of the references and callbacks, you’d get something that’d still stand perfectly fine on its own. A bit derivative, but sometimes all you want is a fun and fluffy sci-fi romp with no baggage attached.
Which is why its attempt to jumpstart a franchise feels so misguided to me. Its shocking reveal of Zurg’s identity is certainly, uh, unique, and perhaps the most literal way to tie up Buzz’s arc of self-assessment and betterment, but it also kills any future interest in this character. The iconic imagery of these robot underlings and their mysterious intentions evaporates the moment you realise– there is no origin story or alien agenda, he just found them in the bumfuck quadrant of space. It’s like if Darth Vader got his suit off the rack at Matalan.
Maybe there’s a story to be mined from that, but eh. Zurg himself is so tethered to this specific story, and literally interacts with no one besides Buzz, that his sci-fi allegory feels too one-note to want to bring back. I understand a lot of cartoon villains have pretty thin motivations once you get down to it, but they at least have fun to make up for it — Zurg really is just a one-trick pony…! Only on this rewatch did I see the stinger showing he survived, and if I could’ve made whoopee cushion noises while deflating at the sight of it, I would have done.
After a viewing with dad we got discussing writing afterwards, watching a video discussing Emma Coates’ 22 guidelines of Pixar storytelling, and it’s pretty serviceable if boilerplate tips on writing for the industry… but I have to wonder how much room there even is for creative visions these days, or if it’s just a pipeline to becoming a cog in the IP machine.
I remember hearing people say when applying for TV writing gigs, you were expected to either present a spec script for an established show, or pay your dues working on Coronation Street before getting to do the fun stuff. Though I’m sure this varies between networks and trends — Ken Levine says for a while studios expected a pitch and script for a completely original show from new hires, all before deciding if you’re fit for the formula machine on The Big Bang Theory or what-have-you.
Entertainment as product has always had to walk the line between the wants of the audience, the executives, and the artists… and in Lightyear‘s case (or even the 2020 Battletoads, as aforementioned!), it seemingly doesn’t matter how much heart or talent goes into a production — if it’s not what the audience are looking for, they will ignore it at best or dig it a fresh grave at worst.
After Pixar’s other films got mixed receptions, a Disney bigwig blamed it on them being ‘personal’ stories, saying they ought to focus on franchises with mass appeal, using Lightyear as an example… I don’t know, chief, even resale outlets that dealt in discounted surplus stock like TK Maxx or Matalan (it’s relevant too! no throwaway comment left unconnected!) were positively littered in Lightyear merchandise that no child expressed enthusiasm in.
It’s a drag, because I respect both creations and admire the work put into them; Lightyear remains a pleasant little surprise, while Battletoads is, uh, let’s trot out “unique” again. They’re both taking old properties and expanding them with a fresh new vision, influenced by their creative leads’ passion for nostalgia — ’70s sci-fi flicks for the former and late ’90s/early ’00s Cartoon Network/Nickelodeon shows for the latter — but looking to defy categorisation as mere reboots or remakes, wanting to tell new stories with some degree of heart.
I just have to wonder if someone in management ever has to say, “we’re not looking for that. We just want something familiar enough that’ll make people clap like seals.”
That’s admittedly my takeaway from these “rules for writers” discussions… are people going to have to be coached on the importance and respect that must be placed upon IP? I mean, I would’ve assumed that was already in practise until the over-saturation of Star Wars seemingly burned multiple generations on it. The internet’s been a prevalent part of our culture for three decades now, meaning there’s been just as many years of people having a platform to whine “this ruined my childhood” over more and more esoteric properties.
It’s too depressing a conversation to continue any further! Given the onslaught of live-action remakes we’ve been getting from alleged animation studios, something funky and off-base like Lightyear feels like a breath of fresh air, the sort of thing I’d like to see more of, I admittedly say without much of a horse in the race. I am very sincerely not paying attention to this stuff when it’s new, and am likely to be surprised by its existence years after the fact. I am very happy living under my rock, thank you for asking.
