‘Lightyear’ Opens at No. 2, as ‘Jurassic World’ Holds Strong

The $200 million movie revisits Pixar’s hugely successful “Toy Story” franchise. But this time the conceit is very different. “Lightyear” is a prequel about the human Buzz Lightyear — who served as inspiration for the toy Buzz fans know and love — and his effort to escape from a hostile alien planet. Being human, Buzz sounds different, with Chris Evans providing his voice. (Tim Allen voiced Buzz the action figure in “Toy Story,” released in 1995, and three sequels.) There is also no Woody.

Reviews were mostly positive, although to a lesser degree than normal for a Pixar release. (“It succeeds in a manner more in line with second-tier Disney animation than with top-shelf Pixar,” A.O. Scott wrote in The New York Times.) Domestic ticket buyers gave “Lightyear” an A-minus grade in CinemaScore exit polls.

So why did “Lightyear” disappoint?

Disney has trained families to expect Pixar movies to arrive on the Disney+ streaming service; the last three Pixar films — “Soul,” “Luca” and “Turning Red” — debuted online, with Disney citing the coronavirus pandemic as the reason. Some fans were turned off by the absence of Allen as the primary vocal talent, populating Twitter with #NotMyBuzz commentary. In a tweet that went viral last week, the actress Patricia Heaton drew attention to Allen’s absence. “Why would they completely castrate this iconic, beloved character?” she wrote.

Some ultraconservative politicians and pundits criticized the film — sight unseen — for including a same-sex relationship. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas railed against “woke Disney” on a podcast, citing the depiction of “lesbian toys” in “Lightyear.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/19/movies/lightyear-pixar-box-office.html