Great Character: Buzz Lightyear (“Toy Story”)
This month’s theme: Pixar. Today’s guest post by Jason Cuthbert features Buzz Lightyear from the 1995 movie Toy Story, screenplay by Joss Whedon & Andrew Stanton & Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow, story by John Lasseter & Pete Docter & Andrew Stanton & Joe Ranft, the 1999 movie Toy Story 2, screenplay by Andrew Stanton & Rita Hsiao & Doug Chamberlin & Chris Webb, and the 2010 movie Toy Story 3, screenplay by Michael Arndt, story by John Lasseter & Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
Actor Tim Allen split some of his time between playing the comedic handyman guru Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor on the Disney-produced ABC network television sitcom “Home Improvement” with another Disney production: the first completely computer animated feature film and first ever Pixar movie “Toy Story” in 1995. Tim Allen voiced the super hero toy in an astronaut suit known as Buzz Lightyear, a nod to the second man on the moon — NASA space voyager Buzz Aldrin.
The toy battle for bedroom supremacy between Buzz Lightyear and Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) began with a story crafted by Pixar prodigies: John Lasseter, who also directed this groundbreaking playpen of fun and games, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter and Joe Ranft. The plot round table expanded with a final screenplay churned out with Oscar-nominated originality by Joel Cohen (not Ethan Coen’s filmmaking brother), Alec Sokolow, Andrew Stanton and some early work from Mr. Marvel super scribe Joss Whedon, director/screenwriter from “The Avengers.” Eighteen years later, “Toy Story” has spawned a goldmine trilogy, a children’s franchise like none other with, you guessed it, countless toys and a now timeless catchphrase:
BUZZ: To infinity, and beyond!
Toy Story plot summary from IMDB:
A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman figure supplants him as top toy in a boy’s room.
Visually, Buzz Lightyear is a hybrid of Apollo astronauts, John Lasseter’s favorite color lime green, wife’s favorite color purple, G.I. Joe toy characters and the invitingly wholesome looks of TV actor Ed Kemmer who played Commander Buzz Corry “Space Patrol,” one of the earliest science fiction programs on television.
Before Buzz Lightyear became a pivotal protagonist along with Woody in “Toy Story 2” and “Toy Story 3,” he entered the world of “Toy Story” as a brand new birthday present for a young boy named Andy, making Andy’s previous favorite toy Woody sick to his artificial stomach with jealously. It definitely didn’t help that the other toys become Buzz Lightyear’s biggest fans, thanks to his sleek special features.
BUZZ: Excuse me, I think the word you’re searching for is “Space Ranger”.
WOODY: The word I’m searching for I can’t say because there’s preschool toys present.
The constant engaging macho bravado dueling between Buzz and Woody makes their eventual friendship that much more rewarding and well earned, as Buzz comes to terms with the fact that he isn’t really a space ranger from the Intergalactic Alliance that also isn’t stationed in the Gamma Quadrant of Sector 4 — in the true, reality sense of it.
Buzz Lightyear’s difficult reality check adds an extra layer of complexity to what would otherwise be a toy who carries himself like the guy who has life all figured out. There are also the subtle old school/new school differences between Woody, the warm-hearted retro cowboy and Buzz, the emotionless, just-follow-the-rules modern space man.
BUZZ: I’ve set my laser from stun to kill.
WOODY: Oh, great. If anyone attacks we can blink em’ to death.
But Buzz gets to prove that he has his own version of compassion, as well as also being worthy of being socially integrated into Andy’s talking toy collection when he helps Woody and himself evade destruction from the reckless toy treatment of a kid named Sid. The real world outside the friendly confines of Andy’s bedroom proves to be about as safe for a toy as hell on a summer’s afternoon.
For his struggle to accept his own true origin, his entertaining bravery and his bold perseverance in the face of blatant jealousy — Buzz Lightyear is infinitely beyond a GREAT CHARACTER.
Woody definitely goes through a overarching metamorphosis during the course of the trilogy, but Buzz does in his own way as well. In the original, he begins his journey as the epitome of Disunity: A toy who actually believes he is a spaceman. By the end, he comes to accept and embrace who he is, his Unity physicalized when he and Woody successfully ‘fly’ and land beside Andy in the family car. Over time, he becomes a steadfast ally to Woody, the personification of loyalty, putting his goal-driven spaceman persona to use serving his fellow toys.
Great character in one of the all-time great movie trilogies.
Thanks to Jason for yet another Great Character post. Join us in comments to discuss your thoughts about Buzz Lightyear!