Buzz Lightyear of Star Command [DVD]

 

 

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Both Toy Story and Toy Story 2 were PERFECT masterpieces. To this day, they're still Pixar's finest films and will continue to stand the test of time. Aside from both being beautifully animated, having perfect scripts and plots and faultless presentation, the films also sported an unforgettable cast of colourful characters, the most important obviously being Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

One of Toy Story 2's many great ideas was that Woody had his own television series, "Woody's Round-Up". So the premise has been adapted and given to Buzz in "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command". This spin-off movie was produced by Disney and launched the Buzz Lightyear animated series several years back. And it's one of those things that ranks up there with stuff like Kim Possible, American Dragon, Recess and other quality animated shows that Disney have given us.

The Adventure Begins not only features Buzz (here voiced by the one-and-only Tim Allen), but also explores his universe, notably the Galactic Alliance and Star Command (prominently mentioned in both Toy Story films). You can also expect the brilliant Little Green Men (the three-eyed aliens) as major characters, and of course, Buzz's arch-nemesis, Evil Emperor Zurg (here voiced by Wayne Knight).

Emperor Zurg is after the mysterious `Unimind', a giant sphere of great power that mentally links and unites all the Little Green Men. Obviously, the megalomaniac means to use it to conquer the whole, wide universe...and Buzz Lightyear is the one who can stand in his way. However, he can't do it alone and must accept help from Mira Nova (a spunky, mystical space ranger graduate), Booster (a bumbling, but brave janitor who dreams of being a space ranger) and XR (an experimental robot ranger) in order to survive and stop Zurg and his evil scheme.

First of all, there is an absolutely cracking intro from Pixar that features Woody, Buzz, Rex and the cast from Toy Story. Like all of Pixar's stuff, it's perfect in its CGI, script, and voice-work. It's a great way to kick off the film and will please all Toy Story fans.

The film itself...I really, really enjoyed. And I'm a ADULT. So kids will absolutely love it, too. The Adventure Begins is definitely one of Disney's better direct-to-video releases. The animation may not be on a par with any major Disney feature-film, but it's nevertheless quality, has a rather good music score and brilliant voice-acting throughout. Tim Allen obviously goes without question, but Wayne Knight deserves equal praise for his awesome performance as Emperor Zurg.

Toy Story 2 fans will remember Zurg as being a very Darth Vader-esque villain, yet in The Adventure Begins, his personality underwent a radical change. Here, Zurg is a very comical, very humorous, yet notoriously brilliant villain. And it works fantastically here. What's excellent about it all, is that because of the presentation, the humour aspect takes nothing away from Zurg's ability to be a great antagonist. And seriously...how can you NOT like a villain that says stuff like "That's Jim-Crackin'-Dandy!", "Nana Zurg would be so proud," "Can we SHOOT the big gun?!" and "Evil rules!". You find yourself rooting for Zurg on as a result.

Story-wise, the film is the classic good vs. evil premise. But what stops it from being stale is the presentation. Plus, there are some really nice twists and turns in the story, brilliant humour throughout, well-scripted dialogue, great characters, moments of tragedy, betrayal, mystery and excitement, a nice ending and William Shatner performing the end credits song "To Infinity and Beyond". And because of the film's light-hearted nature and mild-fantasy violence, it means that all the family can enjoy this.

The film was originally released in 2000 and it's lasted well, too. As for the DVD transfer, perhaps it could've been cleaner and crisper, but it's still very acceptable. There's subtitles on the disc, plus an interactive comic book which acts as a kind of prequel to The Adventure Begins. It's okay for kids but I would've gone for a few other things like a documentary, trailers and maybe an audio commentary. It would've given a bit more substance to the DVD.

In closing, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins is a high-quality production that Disney have given us. It's not a par on Toy Story 1 and 2, but it isn't trying to be. It's a grand little spin-off that I found very enjoyable. Other reviewers have surprisingly judged it harshly by comparing it to the Pixar films and I think that's unfair. Fans of Disney animated series will certainly love it and others will be pleasantly surprised. And at such a bargain price, I'd certainly recommend it. But whether you choose to rent it or buy it, this is a film that definitely merits a chance. To infinity and beyond! Obviously.

My 4 year old is mad about this film: she frequently asks if we can go back to the villa we rented on holiday; I thought this was because of the pool, beach etc but no, it's because they had a copy of BUZZ LIGHTYEAR OF STAR COMMAND and she watched it at least once every day. Am now buying our own copy. Only four out of five as it is a little misleading in that it starts with Toy Story quality graphics and then becomes a standard cartoon.

My four year old loves this DVD, he has to watch over and over again.

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5.0 out of 5 stars buzz lightyear film
very good buzz lightyear animation film , was enjoyable to watch over the xmas period , any child (or adult) that liked toy story and especially buzz and the little green men... Read more

Published 1 month ago by RIA

2.0 out of 5 stars Not much of a Buzz
We had high hopes for this and our daughter continuing her love of the Toy Story universe BUT it is a terrible cash in. Read more

Published 1 month ago by S. Eagles

3.0 out of 5 stars Alright... Could Have Been Better
As my brother is a fan of toy story, he received this of me for his birthday. Boring storyline although it kept him entertained for a couple of hours, although do not think he... Read more

Published 8 months ago by r&bmusiclover

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!!!
I bought this for my nephews who love toy story 1, 2 and 3 I needed something new before I went nuts. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Lea-lea

4.0 out of 5 stars very nice
nice dvd, good price, my 3 year old son just loves this.

it's a pitty only this dvd came out has this is only the pilot of a 3 season show with 63 episodes... Read more

Published 8 months ago by Tiago Cid Maia

3.0 out of 5 stars Buzz Lightyear of star command.
Brought this DVD for my 4 and a half year old son who loves anything toy story. It's ok but all a bit to advance he tends to loss interest after half an hour or so. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Hayley

2.0 out of 5 stars Ok, but in my opinion not suitable for younger children
My daughter is 3 and a huge Toy Story fan (especially Buzz Lightyear!). Although I wasn't expecting another Pixar movie (you can tell from the cover that this is more of a... Read more

Published 12 months ago by Ana

5.0 out of 5 stars Definate for Buzz Lightyear fans
After reading some of the reviews about the picture quality of this dvd, I was unsure of what to expect but when my son and daughter got this out to watch, I was pleasantly... Read more

Published 13 months ago by Kayjay

5.0 out of 5 stars Great buy
My little one loves this movie, as a spin off from Toy story it's a great addition to the DVD collection.

Published 13 months ago by leedsutd71

3.0 out of 5 stars Buzz Lightyear DVD
My Grandson absolutely loves the Toy Story DVD's so I purchased this for his 4th Birthday.
Unfortunately, this film is for older children ( I would estimate 7 years old and... Read more

Published 16 months ago by C. L. Williamson

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