Lightyear

In 1995, a cherished gift sparked a cinematic odyssey: Andy Davis's beloved Buzz Lightyear doll, and this is the movie that inspired it. Captain Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (Chris Evans) embarks on an intergalactic quest with his trusted companion, Commander Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), exploring the uncharted planet of T'Kani Prime. With a penchant for solo heroics, Buzz sees himself as the sole savior of their mission, much to Alisha's amusement at his theatrics and self-serious captain's log entries.

Their journey is joined by Featheringhamstan (Bill Hader), the fresh-faced rookie who earns Buzz's ire for tagging along. The trio's tranquility is shattered when they're attacked by sentient vines, forcing them to retreat to their ship, which Buzz affectionately dubs "The Turnip." As they regroup, Buzz springs into action, only to have Featheringhamstan's leg become entangled in the deadly vegetation. With a swift rescue, Buzz takes control of the vessel once more, but IVAN (Mary McDonald-Lewis), their intuitive AI, warns him of an impending collision with the planet's mountainous terrain.

Confident in his piloting skills, Buzz ignores the warning and steers "The Turnip" toward disaster, resulting in a catastrophic crash that strands the entire crew on the unforgiving planet. As guilt and self-blame consume Buzz, Alisha instead entrusts him with the mission to rescue their stranded companions.

Back on T'Kani Prime, Star Command has established a makeshift colony, striving to recreate the hyperspace crystal power source. With the necessary fuel secured, Buzz crafts his own crystal and prepares for takeoff. Despite IVAN's urgent warnings against entering hyperspace, Buzz pushes forward, only to find himself hurtling through space at an unstable speed. When he finally returns to the colony, he's met with a shocking revelation: four years have passed due to time dilation from his high-speed journey.

As Captain Buzz Lightyear greets Airman Diaz (Efren Ramirez), the weight of his actions and the passage of time settles in, setting the stage for the adventures that will unfold.

As Buzz reconnects with Alicia, he's met with an unexpected revelation: she's engaged to Kiko, a woman who has brought joy and fulfillment into her life. To ease his concerns, Alicia presents him with Sox (Peter Sohn), a loyal and ingenious robotic feline companion. Despite Alicia's reservations about his continued involvement in hyperspace missions, Buzz remains resolute in his determination to rectify his past mistakes. With each successive test, he inadvertently leaps forward in time, arriving on T'Kani Prime during pivotal moments of Alicia's life, including the birth of her son with Kiko and her eventual old age.

One fateful day, Buzz returns to find Alicia's office empty, but not before leaving him a poignant holographic message. As she lays bedridden, Alicia knows that her time is running out, and she entrusts Buzz with a vital message: the defense shield surrounding their colony has been set up, marking a new era of cooperation between T'Kani Prime and Two Star Command. With this knowledge, Buzz mourns the loss of his dear friend, only to be reinvigorated by the arrival of Commander Cal Burnside (Isaiah Whitlock Jr.), who informs him that their mission has been canceled in favor of a new strategy.

Buzz retreats to his quarters, where Sox has continued to refine the formula for hyperspace crystals. Just as he's coming to terms with Alicia's passing, two operatives from Two Star Command arrive to decommission Sox. Undeterred, Buzz and Sox embark on a daring escape, hijacking a ship and perfecting their hyperspace techniques until they finally reach a milestone 100%.

As they venture further into the future, Buzz and Sox find themselves at the forefront of a critical battle against an invading armada of robot ships. With Sox's guidance, they crash-land outside the defense shield perimeter, where they're met by Izzy (Keke Palmer), an older but no less spirited version of Alicia's granddaughter. She warns them about the impending threat and brings Buzz and Sox to meet her teammates: Mo Morrison (Taika Waititi), a charismatic new recruit, and Darby Steel (Dale Soules), a seasoned convict with a talent for piloting.

Together, they confront the robot threat head-on, with Buzz taking on a formidable opponent single-handedly. Mo's timely intervention brings down the robot, and the team rallies around a shared goal: to locate a vital new fuel source hidden within the mothership hovering above. As the stakes grow higher, Buzz, Sox, and their newfound allies must work in harmony to protect T'Kani Prime and secure their place among the stars.

As Buzz's resolve begins to waver, he seeks solitude at the destination, only to be drawn back into the fold by Sox's discovery of his old spacesuit. The allure of nostalgia proves too great, and Buzz can't resist trying it on. His companions, Izzy, Mo, and Darby, rejoin him, eager to lend a hand despite his initial reluctance. Equipped with their own spacesuits and stealth mode capabilities, the quartet embarks on a perilous journey, navigating treacherously through hordes of giant bug creatures. However, Buzz's oversight in failing to mention the time limit on stealth mode proves costly, and the group is forced to engage in a desperate battle for survival.

Though they ultimately emerge victorious, their triumph is short-lived as they discover that their ship has suffered significant damage during the escape. Buzz's frustration grows exponentially as he learns that Izzy, despite being a seasoned space ranger, harbors a deep-seated fear of the vast expanse. The tension simmers beneath the surface, only to boil over when they're tasked with retrieving a replacement part from a nearby structure perched precariously on the edge of a cliff.

Enter Zurg (James Brolin), the cunning leader of the robots, who attempts to sway Buzz to his side. However, Darby's quick thinking and marksmanship foil Zurg's plans, sending him crashing to the ground. The team successfully acquires the necessary coil, but their celebration is short-lived as they find themselves trapped in containment cones that have inexplicably merged into a single, impenetrable unit.

Buzz expertly guides his companions to freedom, only for the building they're occupying to begin its precarious descent over the edge of the cliff. In a heart-stopping sequence, Buzz teeters on the brink of disaster before the combined efforts of Izzy, Mo, and Darby manage to pull him to safety. As they board their ship and struggle to repair it in time, Izzy's mistake proves disastrous, causing them to crash once more.

In the aftermath, a robot seizes the opportunity to teleport the fuel source back to the ship, leaving the crew reeling from yet another setback. As emotions run high, Izzy laments her failure, while Buzz can't help but feel a sense of responsibility for the entire debacle, compounded by his perceived inability to live up to Alisha's expectations. It's Izzy who ultimately provides the much-needed perspective, reminding Buzz that Alisha had found happiness on the planet and that her family has cherished their time there – a poignant reminder that even in the face of adversity, there is always more to be gained than lost.

As the unlikely trio of Zurg's robots closes in on Buzz, the space ranger finds himself face-to-face with his future self - an older, wiser, and more battle-hardened version from 50 years into the future. This alternate Buzz has been stranded in a parallel timeline after achieving hyperspace travel, only to be hunted down by Burnside's forces and labeled a fugitive. Desperate to rectify the mistake that led to his predicament, he's determined to use the crystal to go back in time and prevent its occurrence. Initially enthralled by the prospect of altering the past, Buzz soon realizes the devastating consequences this would have on Alisha's life, as well as the potential erasure of Izzy, Mo, Darby, and countless other lives that exist because of his initial mistake. In a moment of clarity, Buzz tries to reclaim the crystal, but Zurg's robots intervene, capturing him in the process.

Meanwhile, back on their home planet, Izzy, Mo, and Darby are busy working together to salvage their ship and prepare for a daring rescue mission to save Buzz from Zurg's clutches. With the help of Sox, who secretly aids Buzz in his escape, the heroes hatch a plan to infiltrate Zurg's ship and extract their friend before it's too late. As they navigate treacherous terrain, Mo and Darby engage in an epic battle against Zurg's robotic minions, while Izzy overcomes her fears to help save Buzz. Just as they're about to make their escape, the heroes narrowly avoid being caught in the blast radius as Zurg's ship explodes.

Buzz, determined to put an end to Zurg's plans once and for all, uses his quick thinking and cunning to evade capture. He rigs his suit to activate its wings, allowing him to soar above the chaos and make a last-ditch attempt to destroy the crystal. In a thrilling showdown, Buzz confronts Zurg, using his laser blaster to shatter the crystal and send it crashing to the ground. With Zurg defeated and the threat neutralized, the heroes reunite and land safely back on their home planet.

Upon their return, Burnside reprimands Buzz for breaking so many rules, but ultimately commends him for his bravery in stopping the robot threat. Impressed by his leadership skills, he assigns Buzz to head the defense forces, allowing him to choose his own team. With a renewed sense of purpose, Buzz selects Izzy, Mo, and Darby as his trusted allies.

As they prepare to embark on their next adventure, Burnside informs them of a mysterious signal emanating from another quadrant - one that could pose a significant threat to the galaxy. With their new suits, ship, and bond, the crew sets off into the unknown, ready to face whatever dangers lie ahead, and to infinity...and beyond!