A pretty damn good sci-fi action flick. It’s definitely aimed at kids, but I’m a big kid myself and I kept thinking about how much I’d enjoy reenacting some of these scenes. The part where Izzy Hawthorne overcomes her fear of outer space to make a leap for the departing space craft gave me chills, especially as she reaches for that lovable robot cat. I thought for sure he was a goner there. 

Characters are great in this: funny, relatable, and with noticeable growth. I’m a big fan of how the lesbian relationship is handled nonchalantly—I expected some gasps in my theater (it’s a conservative area), but nobody seemed too alarmed (confused, perhaps). The time dilation effects make for a terrific quandary for Buzz as he has to balance his desire to fix everything for himself and his consideration for his new (and old) friends. I’m still a bit confused about the reverse time travel element, but thematically it works really well. 

The film is only tangentially related to Toy Story, so as such it doesn’t have to live up to any huge expectations. It’s doing things its own way and it’s all the better for it. The world it builds with the development of robotic technology and laser shields over time is quite impressive. The voice work is fantastic!