Lightyear Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

1. It Struggles To Justify Its Own Existence

Prior to Lightyear's release, some fans commented that "nobody asked for it," and while that may be true, do we really ask for most movies?

There was certainly room for a Lightyear movie to earn its existence in our minds, yet this oddly pedestrian sci-fi romp really isn't it.

Given that the film wants to convince us that this is the formative cinematic experience that inspired Andy's love of Buzz back in 1995, it really feels like it should be so much more - funnier, smarter, and more creatively action-packed.

The result is a film that's among the weaker Pixar efforts to date, and it's tough to imagine it making much of a cultural impact with either Toy Story fans or wider audiences.

While Lightyear is projected to turn a solid profit for Disney, is anyone going to be speaking of this movie with great reverence 20 or 30 years from now, as we all do with the Toy Story movies today?

So Lightyear isn't a great film, but that doesn't mean it's not a fun time. And so, here's what it gets right...