 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins
- Review Date: May 9, 2005
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1998
Common Sense Media says
A spirited romp through space.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the action relies too much on battles and explosions, but introduces likeable new characters. There is some serious drama here, though, that may disturb kids: Buzz believes that his partner has died and mourns at a funeral service. Zurg turns a good ranger to evil. Crater vipers try to bite Buzz's head off. Little Green Men get tortured by aliens. When Zurg steals their planet's Uni-Mind to turn people to evil, Commander Nebula speaks in Zurg's voice. The ideal age for this clever space parody is grade-school kids. Older kids get more of the references to famous sci-fi movies, though the theme may seem trite to them.
What's the story?
Woody, Rex, and the gang are pleased to receive the new "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" video, which they pop in to watch. Buzz and fellow Space Ranger Warp Darkmatter try to rescue three kidnapped Little Green Men from Zurg's forces, but Warp disappears in an explosion during the attempt, leaving Buzz without a partner. Back at Star Command, Commander Nebula tries to pair Buzz with rookie Princess Mira Nova, but Buzz prefers his solitude. Buzz does agree to take experimental robot XR on a mission to save the Little Green Men. When Zurg steals the Uni-Mind that allows the Little Green Men to work as a collective, gutsy Mira embarks on a forbidden plan to stop him, with Buzz in pursuit. Buzz must be reminded of the value of cooperation before his team can explore infinity and beyond.
Is it any good?
It's not Toy Story, but BUZZ LIGHTYEAR OF STAR COMMAND: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS brings back many familiar characters in a fast-paced adventure that amuses adult science fiction fans as well as kids who like Buzz and Zurg. Though it parodies the Star Wars movies, none of the jokes gets a laugh like Zurg's confession that he's Buzz's father in Toy Story 2. Still, lines echoing the rebel mission against the Death Star and Princess Leia's dislike of her title are humorous.
Though there are many fights and explosions, the violence always looks comical. Only robots (which the engineers rebuild) receive serious damage. A 4-year-old viewer pointed out that Buzz, Zurg, and the Rangers wear body armor and use mechanical wings to fly; he saw them as superheroes without the physical weaknesses of real people or even of toys, which can break. Like the fighting kids see on Saturday-morning cartoons, the combat scenes are more about action than injury. The message about following school rules gets a little muddled since Buzz and his team keep breaking them, but the emphasis on teamwork and collaboration is reinforced throughout. Younger kids won't realize that brainwashing devices, pit vipers, and regulations on lightspeed travel are staples of cheap sci-fi movies, though some may recognize the voice of Star Trek's William Shatner performing the concluding song.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about why it was important for Buzz and his friends to follow the rules. Why didn't he? What happened when he broke the rules?
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Good
I don't own it, but b4 Mom switched cable companies (an absolutely HORRIBLE idea), I had it on the DVR. This film is not "trite" to me personally. Then again, I'm autisic. Anywho, I understood the references to sci-fi movies like Star Wars. Mom thought t was all Harry Potter references, but NO, b/c J.K. Rowling wasn't done w/ that part of even the book where there's a bunch of characters stickin' their pointer finger into the air and yellin' for help. Ya' know, when this movie was made...anyway, so, like, this s so good, I actually talked to the characters as they did stuff on screen. Like, when Mira kinda breaks the rules and gets in trouble for it, I say, "Mira...don't make those choices!". Yeah, it's good. I wish I could see it again.
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| Studio: | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Director: | Tad Stones |
| Cast: | Larry Miller, Nicole Sullivan, Tim Allen |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 70 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 1, 1998 |
| DVD release date: | February 1, 1998 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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