5 Lessons from Lightyear Parent Review written by the Hobbit and the Elf on June 22nd, 2022. This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
Know Before You Watch Lightyear
Movie: Lightyear (Toy Story 5)
Rating: PG
Genre: Animated, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Length: 1 hr. 45 mins.
Age suggested: 8 and up (I’d say 6+ but the movie is long sections of drama with short bursts of fairly intense action and I just don’t think it will hold a majority of 5/6 yr olds attention.
Release Date: June 17th, 2022
Warnings: Lots of flashing light sequences, not quite strobe but very close in places. Mild amount of violence, but more general peril than in the previous movies. Death is referenced but not seen.
Quick Lightyear Summary
The opening of the film (and a few of the later trailers), summarize the appeal of this movie the best. “In 1995, Andy got a toy from his favorite movie…this is that movie.” Lightyear tells the story of Buzz Lightyear, a Space Ranger who is determined to help his community escape from a hostile planet. He is trying to find the secret of traveling through lightspeed, but will he be able to figure it out or will other factors come into play? Follow Buzz on this new adventure as he is figuring out what matters the most in life.
Is Lightyear Appropriate?
**SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT**
This was much more of a younger children’s movie than I thought it would be. Being only an hour a half, it’s also one that younger kids might actually be able to sit through. HOWEVER, there are very long philosophical drama scenes, more than in a typical animated flick. And they are followed by bursts of intense action, that all may be too much for a younger kiddo to sit through. Depends on the kiddos ability to handle that.
Now there are a handful of darker moments and more violence than any of the other movies in the Toy Story franchise. There are a lot of chase scenes that usually end with robot explosions. Despite the mild peril, there really is not any serious violence and absolutely no blood in the film.
Death is referenced and specifically the death of a grandparent is referenced several times. You’re going to see a lot of negative buzz (pun intended) over this movie because of the inclusion of LGBTQ characters but their story is told in a less sexual way than Bo Peep and Woody’s love story is. And we appreciated the inclusion. Overall, Lightyear provides a pretty safe film for the whole family.
Continue reading for our Parent Review and Lessons from Lightyear
Lightyear Parent Review
(Contains Light Spoilers)
Lightyear is a really fun play on the classic Toy Story character. There are a lot of tie ins and references to the beloved franchise while also telling its own original story. The characters that are introduced at first are immediately engaging. We start with Buzz and his space ranger partner, Alisha Hawthorne, as they are exploring a new planet. Through scientific experimentation and help from his new friend (We’ll get to Sox in a little bit), Buzz unlocks they key to save their group, but with unexpected consequences.
The next bit of the story sees Buzz team up with the thrown together crew of Izzy, Mo, Darby, and Sox. One really cool accomplishment from Lightyear is that each of the side characters is given time to grow and tell their own personal story. Also, Sox is simultaneously adorable and a fantastic comedic relief! (I really want a toy Sox for my car dashboard now!!)
There are a lot of lessons in this movie (see our 5 lessons from Lightyear section below for more details on that) and many of them come from Lightyear’s story arch. His main focus of creating meaning for his own life is completely shifted as Buzz learns from his crew and his engagement with Zurg.
The voice acting is great! Some will wonder why Tim Allen is not voicing the character again and there are two answers. One, it’s not the same character. This is the movie that the toy Buzz was based on. And two, he’s currently busy working on another Disney project- the Santa Clause series! (Which we can’t wait for!) I was generally impressed with all of the voice acting selections. They really did a fantastic job.
Overall, Lightyear is a great addition to the Toy Story franchise. It is a great entry point for new fans of the franchise while also being a nice nostalgia pop for original fans.
Continue reading for our 5 Lessons from Lightyear
5 Lessons from Lightyear
1) It’s Important to Own up to Your Mistakes.
You can’t fix every mistake. Sometimes they are big and life altering. But you can accept responsibility and keep moving forward. I especially loved that the movie focused on not just owning up to your mistakes, but also that even big mistakes shouldn’t keep you stuck. We saw what happens when Buzz doesn’t own up to his mistakes.
2) We Are Better Together than on our Own
Lightyear himself doesn’t lack much confidence, but he is also not a team player. One of his big arch’s in the movie is learning that you just can’t do life successfully on your own. And teamwork is better than going it alone. Stubbornness can work in your favor sometimes, but it’s important to have people around you who can tell you to let it go. Friends that you will listen to.
3) People Can Surprise You– Unexpected Groups Are the Best
With the clandestine group of people Buzz teams up with, there is a lot of doubt about some of their abilities. This is most seen through Mo, who starts the story as a bit of a klutz and a coward but overcomes for his team. It’s the overriding story of
4) Don’t Waste Your Life– Your Everyday Matters
In the climax of the film, Lightyear is faced with Zurg’s offer to undo all of his “mistakes.” A combination of this scene and the previous conversation with Izzy is when Lightyear has a big revelation. His definition of a successful life and mission has been wrong. He realizes that accomplishments only matter so much. The everyday parts of life are important, and what make up the majority of our time. We are made for community.
5) Our Legacies are Not Just Our Accomplishments
This is similar to the last lesson. But it was my favorite point of the movie. Izzy wanted to be a space ranger like her grandmother, but when she was talking about what mattered about her life, the title space ranger wasn’t a part of it. She talked about the people she loved and influenced, not the space missions she accomplished. It’s an excellent reminder for the parents in the audience. What we do with the time we have with our kids matters to them.
Lightyear Discussion Questions
Themes to Discuss: Purpose, meaning, responsibility, family, priorities, and making mistakes
- What would your response be if you learned that you had missed 1 year of your life on earth in the matter of minutes?
- What are the differences between Buzz Lightyear and Zurg?
- Who was your favorite side character and why?
- What does Izzy teach Buzz about purpose and meaning?
- Which other kid movies would you like to get a modern update like Lightyear?
Is Lightyear (Toy Story 5) Worth Seeing?!
Yes! And it’s worth seeing it on the big screen if you are a fan of the series. It’s not like all the other movies, but it still manages to fit in well with the series. I went in with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. It is a little more perilous and scary than Toy Story 3. A ragtag group of characters coming together to save the day and help each other is what Toy Story is all about, and in that sense- Lightyear pulls through! For more on whether or not it’s best for your kids check out our full parent review and is Lightyear appropriate section above.
Thanks for reading our Lessons from Lightyear and Review. Check out our other posts here:
-Family Friendly Disney Plus Suggestions
–Toy Story 4 review
-Lessons from Frozen 2
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