Lightyear is the best animated Disney film of the 2020s (so far)

Another month has come and gone and another film has arrived in the Disney+ library. Lightyear has taken center stage and, while the movie didn’t do phenomenally well at the box-office, the film has found some traction on Disney+ and is better than expected.

I have said before that the Lightyear film was a bad idea and it didn’t make sense in the realm of the Toy Story franchise, it has, nevertheless, been a treat to watch on the streamer.

When it was announced, the film was under fire for its purpose being unnecessary and not seeming to truly contribute to the Toy Story films that spawned it. Regardless, here’s what makes Lightyear the best animated Disney film of the 2020s, so far.

If you have yet to watch the film, major spoilers are ahead.

A cooler villain than in other 2020s Disney animated films

In what was a shocking twist, the villain, while called Zurg, happens to be Buzz Lightyear from an alternate timeline looking to go back home with the tools that he has and hopefully the help of his counterpart Lightyear along with his hyper crystal.

When the original Buzz refuses to go along with Zurg’s plan, as he recalls the friends that he made along the way, knowing that they would be erased once the deed was finished, Zurg attacks and attempts to take Buzz’s crystal.

What makes this villain so unique in the Disney villains of the 2020s is the fact that his character is a part of the hero and, quite literally, the hero himself. Onward’s antagonist was a group of small, annoying pixies and a curse that took the form of a monster made out of concrete and Luca’s antagonist was so boring I don’t even remember his name.

Zurg has a proper motivation and a reason for becoming upset when his younger Buzz doesn’t give him the crystals to complete his mission. It’s layered and sincere.

The stakes are higher in Lightyear

Something that the latter Disney animated films have been lacking were stakes. Buzz attempts to go into hyperspace as a test to see how safe it is for the rest of the fleet to go home. However, with each test taken, four years go by which happens to be only a few minutes for Buzz.

Realizing that time is running out and years have passed he attempts to launch into hyperspace again. However, his partner Alisha passed away from old age leaving her granddaughter Izzy to take up her mantle.

Buzz realizes that he’s only wasting more time going into hyperspace as the planet is going to age another four years. His urgency to get back home is insatiable and the urgency of the audience is heightened to see whether they can escape the planet or not. This raises the stakes and makes for an interesting watch.

Lightyear has dazzling action

Much like other science fiction films, Lightyear is a movie that uses every bit of its visual dazzle to amaze its viewers and keep a firm hold on the audience. The animation is top-notch with beautiful detail and layering for each character.

the movie utilizes the sci-fi genre to the best of its abilities and makes perfect use of a character that has been in the American lexicon for an infinity and beyond.

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