I wasn’t born yet when Disney and Pixar released the first ever Toy Story film back in 1995. Back then, it was a talk not just of the town, but the whole planet for being the first ever 3D-animated feature film.

Still, I’m one of those lucky kids who were able to catch up and watch the Toy Story franchise several times back when Disney Channel (not Disney+) was still the thing of the past. Woody and Buzz Lightyear are two of the most iconic characters I cherished since then.

During the pandemic, it was mentioned that a special spinoff film of Buzz named Lightyear will come to cinemas. Fast forward this 2022 (still under the pandemic), kids and kids at heart (like me) were all ecstatic to know that Lightyear has his own story to tell.

The Special Screening

Last Saturday, June 11th, selected people were invited to watch the special screening of Lightyear at SM Megamall — one of the biggest malls in the Philippines.

Other than these free Lightyear pins, the real treat is the Lightyear film itself being shown through the gigantic IMAX 3D screen — a feast in the eyes, I must say.

Overall, the experience was fun — and the film itself, well, I have many things in mind but here are…

6 reasons why you need to watch Lightyear right now

⚠️ Warning: Some spoilers ahead! ⚠️

1. Voiced by Chris Evans

 If you miss Captain America, now is the chance to hear him again, but in a different suit. Pretty much like Captain America, Lightyear is also a wise-sounding hero that does it all for his teammates.

2. A Rollercoaster Ride of Emotions

As told by Chris Evans, Lightyear isn’t your typical film. It’s an “epic sci-fi” one, and I attest to that.

Other than the usual action-packed fight scenes, there are also melodramatic parts that will truly make you cry if you’re onion-skinned (like I do). And it wouldn’t be a classic Disney film without the hilarious comedic parts in it.

And as we’re already on the topic, Emperor Zurg reveals himself around the middle part of the film.

The real spoiler here is that, Emperor Zurg is none other than Buzz Lightyear himself — but from the future.

This either makes or breaks the part when Emperor Zurg revealed he IS Lightyear’s father in Toy Story 2 — though this can very easily be just a gag referencing the Star Wars moment between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.

3. Sox

That’s it. That’s the tweet — I mean how can you resist this adorable cat?

Sox isn’t your typical feline. It is actually a robot assistant made by Space Ranger Hawthorne to Buzz Lightyear.

As adorable as it looks, it can do more than that — anything and everything between hacking into systems, examining the inconsistencies in Buzz’s hyperspeed fuel compound, and heck even play sleepy sounds to make you asleep.

That said, Sox, whether just a pseudo-cat, still lives to the spirit of a real and cute cat — just the friendlier one.

4. The (Not-so) Epic Dream Team

After Lightyear’s lone hyperspeed experimentation for more than half a century, the dynamic duo between him and his Space Ranger partner Alisha Hawthorne didn’t actually go as planned. Even so, Hawthorne parted happily and peacefully.

The almost epic dream team is actually far from being perfect. Together with Alisha’s granddaughter Izzy, Sox, and the two nutheads namely Mo Morrison and Darby Steel, they’re gonna make a huge leap in and out of space that no one will expect — not even Lightyear has even thought of.

5. Interstellar-like

If you’ve watched (or a huge fan of) Interstellar, chances are you might love Lightyear even more. From terms like “time dilation”, “Space Rangers”, and even the existence of “Hypersleep Pods”, Interstellar fans will surely get the unintentional connection and references between the two films.

It should come to no surprise that the film was produced by Warner Bros. and not Disney — but the similarities are uncanny to many eagle-eyed Interstellar fans.

6. #Pride Over Prejudice

Saving the sixth number for the sixth month is none other than the portrayal of homosexuality in the film. Well, we’re not talking about Buzz here.

As already reported by a lot of news outlets, Lightyear is banned in several Middle Eastern and Asian countries due to this “controversy” where Space Ranger Alisha Hawthorne and her wife had a subtle kiss upon celebrating their marriage. They even created a family through surrogacy and resulted into a son — which is Izzy Hawthorne’s father btw.

If you’re homophobic, chances are you would feel “disgusted” by the same-sex family portrayal in the film. But not today son, not on my watch. Especially not during Pride month. And also, educate your kids not to hate same-sex parents. A loving family, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, is still a family.

The much-awaited premiere

If you have time (I say you need to make time), Lightyear will start showing on cinemas this June 15 — at least if you reside in the Philippines — or June 17 in other parts of the world.

And just like other Disney films, you should wait for post-credits before leaving the cinema 😉  (and please, don’t leave your garbage, too).