Metacritic reviews

Lightyear is a clever expansion of Pixar's beloved Toy Story franchise - packed with fun moments, warm sentiment, and downright gorgeous animation.

The film just bounces along, zipping through its running time.

If Lightyear is a spaceship heading to infinity and beyond, it's a little bit stuck in its own solar system for now — but that doesn't mean it's not worth the ride.

“Lightyear” is an OK movie. Chris Evans as the voice of this version of Buzz is a nice touch. But there’s just no magic here.

Despite its messy plot and underwhelming villain, the strong voice performances and stunning visuals — and, of course, Sox the cat — make Lightyear a solid space adventure.

What ultimately waters down Lightyear, an otherwise polished, gorgeous-looking entry into the Pixar oeuvre, is an absence of the excitement and disciplined storytelling spirit that made Toy Story such a pioneering hit.

Lightyear is the first movie that Pixar has released in theaters since the start of the pandemic, a return to normal that would probably feel more exciting if Lightyear wasn’t also the first Pixar movie since the start of the pandemic that feels like it only belongs on Disney Plus.

The film is a slickly produced but soulless spectacle whose jokey banter and space-opera action drowns out the story’s emotional beats.

Rather than play like a significant departure from the “Toy Story” films that spawned it, Lightyear instead emerges as a disappointing runner-up, capturing but a fraction of the comedy, thrills and poignancy of its predecessors.

The story is thin, repetitive, and almost entirely dependent on the heroes being clumsy.