And the movie that we are about to watch is that movie. “Lightyear’s” opening exposition tells audiences that in 1995, Andy received a Buzzlight year action figure toy for his birthday. So now Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans) gets to have his own hero’s journey as he sets course to infinity and beyond. But giving Lightyear his own origin story gives us a new perspective on the space ranger who was in the Toy Story films mostly for comedic purposes. Of course, it would have been easy for there to be another Toy Story film featuring the same characters going on some adventure that would expand the franchise’s mythology and enrich the character work we all know and love. And now we get to see how far “Toy Story’s” legacy has come with “ Lightyear.” The film is a loose spinoff that distances itself from the toy story franchise by being a film about the title character that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy Andy received on his birthday in 1995.

It’s funny how Pixar’s success all started with “Toy Story.” Not only did one pull of a string change the history of animation with its use of computer-generated visuals, but it also changed its culture as more animation studios gravitated toward the technology for the storytelling medium.