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\nAt least, I got what I<\/i> expected! Scampy of The Spirochaete Trail<\/a> discussed the film’s various foibles, from its wishy-washy marketing campaign that made people just expect more Toy Story<\/i>, to even its text prelude that gives the impression this is setting itself up to be a ’90s throwback.
\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\nAfter 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.<\/p>\n
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<\/i> before getting to do the fun stuff. Though I’m sure this varies between networks and trends — Ken Levine<\/a> 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<\/i> or what-have-you.<\/p>\n