Pixar released its first feature-length film, Toy Story, over 25 years ago in 1995. Yet, years later, the franchise is still going strong, with the upcoming spin-off Lightyear set to release in June 2022. With the most recent Lightyear trailer, it appears the film will be one of Pixar’s most mature movies to date, with a more realistic style of animation and feeling of classic space-exploration cinema.
Unlike all the other films in the franchise, Lightyear tells the story of the “real-life” Buzz Lightyear, who the toy is supposedly based on. With the ’90s release of Toy Story, many kids who grew up with this character are now fully into adulthood, so it feels right that Lightyear should cater to older audiences. Although, that’s not to say Pixar hasn’t always appealed to adults. Many of Pixar’s most popular movies tackle mature themes, from the gut-wrenching opening of Up to the complexity of emotions seen from Inside Out.
The first notable thing from the trailer is the visuals, as Pixar continues to push the boundaries of 3D animation. Many of its more recent movies, such as Luca and Onward, have opted for more cartoonish designs with the world and characters. Yet, Lightyear appears to be leaning toward more realism, blending the cartoon style with dark and naturalistic lighting.
Then the opening shots of the trailer set the slow and dramatic tone, giving off feelings of classic sci-fi films like Star Wars and Star Trek. With Buzz seemingly traveling into the unknown, it’s likely the entire story will pay homage to other genre-defining movies, such as the space exploration of 2001: A Space Odyssey. And as Pixar usually does, it’s clear its done its research on the subject of space travel, as the gearing-up and ignition sequence is close to real-life space missions and replicate the tone set in movies like Interstellar and Apollo 13.
Of course, the movie will still have the childish charm, as a robot cat named Socks appears to be the comedic relief for Buzz’s adventure. But Pixar has proven time and time again that it can blend kid-friendly storytelling with mature themes. Its closest movie to Lightyear is likely Wall-E, one of its highest-rated releases to date, as it perfectly blends serious environmental topics with space exploitation and robot shenanigans. So, it appears this storytelling trend will continue, with hints of themes like uncertainty and anxiety being hinted at with Buzz.
It’s clear Pixar has come far since its first release, and the studio continues to be one of the best when it comes to animated movies. With how many people grew up with the Toy Story movies, as well as the old Buzz Lightyear cartoon show, it feels fitting that the franchise grows along with its audience.
Lightyear blasts to theatres June 17.
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