4K Digital Review: Lightyear

 

The backstory of Lightyear is that this is the movie that Andy watched that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy. We learn the story of the famous astronaut Buzz Lightyear before he became the greatest action figure. Chris Evans is the voice of Buzz and it has been made clear that Tim Allen will continue as the voice of the toy version. Chris does an excellent job voicing Buzz and seemingly channels Tim in his vocal performance to the point that they almost sound alike.

The movie opens with Buzz and his partner Alisha (Uzo Aduba) on a routine mission from Star Command that ends up with Buzz crashing the ship and leaving everyone stranded on a desolate planet. Buzz attempts over and over again to create a light speed drive and fails. The side effect of traveling close to light speed is that time slows down for him, so what seems like minutes for Buzz, is years for everyone else. So, with each failed attempt Buzz comes back to everyone around him getting older. Buzz's robot, Sox the cat, figures out the last part of the equation that Buzz was missing. But we are now decades in the future, Buzz and Alisha's granddaughter Izzy (Keke Palmer), along with a group of misfit recruits, are left to try to complete the mission. 

Video:

The streaming 4K video is as perfect as you would expect from Pixar. The colors and details from the materials of the clothing and spaceships are stunning. Having a 4K TV with Dolby Vision fully allows the colors to pop, even the inky blacks for deep space are striking. In fact, when I watched the movie on my 1080p TV for comparison sake, the difference between not having Dolby Vision and HDR was startling. 

Audio:

The streaming Dolby Atmos track really surprised me. The surround sound channels really get a workout in the heavy action sequences. Explosions and the heavy footsteps of Zurg sound fantastic. Another wonderful audio track from Pixar. 

Bonus Features*

Deleted Scenes

• Deleted Scenes Introduction – Director Angus MacLane introduces six scenes that are all drawn, set to music, timed and voiced, but are not included in the final version of this amazing film – which took five and a half years to make!
• The Dump – In one of LIGHTYEAR’s original opening scenes, we explore Proxima B, with its carnivorous plants, sulfur pits, weird bugs, hot climate, and lack of coffee! A familiar Space Ranger volunteers to risk all in an effort to return to Earth.
• Polly – Buzz relives childhood memories when he visits an aeronautic museum in which his father is memorialized. There, he finds Polly, his dad’s robot companion bird, who possesses a very revealing recorded message meant for Buzz!
• Meet Izzy – After young Izzy and her family (including her brother Maurice) move in next door to Buzz, the adorable, talkative girl bursts into Buzz’s home, warms up to Sox, and asks Buzz a lot of questions.
• Up in the Lair – After his spacecraft crash-lands and he winds up in the bunker of fledgling Space Rangers, Buzz is introduced to cheesy snacks and a character whose role was cut due to time. He also receives shocking information about his father.
• Tilted Ship – Star Command Space Rangers of the 56th Airborne Alpha Quadrant meet Buzz and the Space Ranger students. Buzz is given a truth serum so he’ll expose whatever he knows about his father’s connection to the aliens who have taken over Proxima B.
• Fathership – Buzz wakes up in what he thinks is his childhood home, where he meets his father, who was a time travel pilot, just as he is. But it turns out he’s on the mothership of the aliens who are destroying Proxima B – and hope to vanquish Buzz as well!

Featurettes

• Building the World of Lightyear – Visits to the Johnson Space Center in Houston and a very familiar cinematic archive gave the filmmakers inspiration as they embarked on the exciting journey of creating Lightyear’s breathtaking production design.
• The Zap Patrol – Meet the actors who gave voice to Izzy, Mo and Darby, the untrained, unprepared rangers who join Buzz on the adventure of a lifetime. While the misfits may not seem ideal for the mission, their unlikely friendship helps see them through challenging times.
• Toyetic – Learn why Lightyear is one of the most “toyetic” films ever. Join director Angus MacLane and others on the meticulous, fun process of creating toy models for spaceships and other production elements that led to the film’s richly textured animation.

 

Audio Commentary

• Lightyear Filmmaker Commentary – Join director Angus MacLane, writer Jason Headley, and director of photography Jeremy Lasky as they provide insight into the making of this remarkable animated feature while you watch it.

Conclusion:

Lightyear was a blast and filled with great animation, voice acting and a wonderful story about friendship. The bonus features are fantastic and the audio commentary is full of great details about the making of this film. Highly recommended! 

Craft Time: Sulley and Boo 3D Papercraft

Sulley and Boo 3D Papercraft PDF

Time: 20 Minutes

What You’ll Need

• Regular paper or cardstock
• Scissors
• Glue or double-sided tape

How To Make It

1. Print the template on regular paper or cardstock and cut out the pieces.
2. Starting with the body, cut along the three dark lines of the triangular tabs located at the bottom of the body. Fold the paper at the dashed lines away from you. Using glue or double-sided tape, secure the A tab located near the top of the body to the back of the piece next to it. Next, secure the A tab located near the bottom of the body to the back of the piece next to it. Continue this pattern with the remaining B and C tabs. Complete the shape with the D tabs.
3. For the head, fold the paper at the dashed lines away from you. Beginning with the left side of the head, secure the E tab to the back of the piece directly below it. Secure the F tab to the back of the side of the head. Secure the G tab to the back of the piece next to it. Repeat this pattern with the E, F, and G tabs on the right side of the head. Slide the H tab into the opening at the top of the body and secure it with glue.
4. To put the right leg together, you will need the following three pieces: Outer Panel, Inner Panel, and Front Leg. Fold the paper at the second horizontal dashed line on the Front Leg toward you. Fold the paper at all other dashed lines away from you.
5. Secure tabs M-P on the Front Leg to the back of the corresponding areas on the Inner Panel.
6. Attach the Outer Panel to the Front Leg using tabs I-L on the Front Leg. The front, left, and right sides of the leg are now complete.
7. To complete the back of the leg, secure the R tab to the inside of the Inner Panel and the S tab to the inside of the Outer Panel making sure it goes over the T tab. Secure the T tab to finish the leg.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 for the left leg.
9. Make sure the claws are pointing outward on each foot. Attach the legs to the inside of the body using the three Q tabs on each leg.
10. Fold the spine in half along the center dashed line and secure so the design is two-sided. Do not glue the tabs together. Instead, butterfly the tabs outward and attach them to the light colored area on his back labeled “spine.”
11. Fold the tail in half along the center dashed line and secure so the design is two-sided. Do not glue the tabs together. Instead, butterfly the tabs outward and attach them to the area on his back labeled “tail.”
12. Fold Sulley’s right arm in half along the center dashed line and secure so the design is two-sided. Fold the O tab away from you and secure it to the area on the body labeled “O.” Fold the left arm in half along the center dashed line and secure so the design is two-sided. Fold the P tab away from you and secure it to the area on the body labeled “P.”
13. Fold each horn in half and secure so the design is two-sided. Fold the tabs back and use them to attach the horns to the sides of his head.

Notes

Cutting should be done by an adult.

Giveaway: Bo Peep's Sheep Mug

Enter to win this Bo Peep Sheep mug from Toy Story 4 featuring Billy, Goat and Gruff! You also get a $20 Starbucks Gift Card! Good luck! The giveaway is open worldwide and the winner will be notified by email!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Toy Story 4 - Big Game Ad

Watch the new Big Game Ad from Toy Story 4. See the film in theatres Summer 2019! ABOUT "TOY STORY 4": Woody has always been confident about his place in the world and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. But when Bonnie adds a reluctant new toy called “Forky” to her room, a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends will show Woody how big the world can be for a toy. Directed by Josh Cooley (“Riley’s First Date?”) and produced by Jonas Rivera (“Inside Out,” “Up”) and Mark Nielsen (associate producer “Inside Out”), Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” ventures to U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019.

BO PEEP IS BACK! CHECK OUT HER NEW “TOY STORY 4” CHARACTER POSTER & VIDEO

Bo Peep is back! This long-lost friend of Woody, Buzz and the gang always shared a special connection with Woody, but they have not seen each other in years, and Bo has become chipped and faded over time. Bo’s strength and sarcasm always belied her delicate porcelain exterior, and it turns out she’s an adventure-seeking free spirit who feels right at home on the road. When she and Woody are reunited under unlikely circumstances, they realize they’ve grown worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy.

“Bo’s taken control of her own destiny,” said “Toy Story 4” director Josh Cooley. “While Woody was watching Andy grow up, Bo gathered dust until she took it upon herself to head out into the world. And when Woody shows up, they can’t believe that they’ve found each other again.”

Annie Potts returns as the voice of Bo Peep. “She is modern, independent, capable and confident,” said Potts of her character. “Bo is written and conceived to be inspiring as she has weathered life’s ups and downs with grace. I aspire to that.”

Blu-Ray Review: Incredibles 2

It's been 14 years since Director Brad Bird introduced us to his family of superheroes and since then we have become surrounded by superheroes from various studios.

The movie opens literally right after the original ends. We see our heroes, the Parr family take on The Underminer! And just like that we thrown into the action!

As we know from the first film, superheroes are illegal but enter a tycoon Winston Deavor who wants to see superheroes legal again. Helen is chosen to lead the campaign to bring superheroes back while Bob is left to take care of the household.

What follows is an engaging story full of heart and family. While we have waited 14 years for this sequel, Incredibles 2 easily ranks as not only one of Pixar's best movies, but one of the best superhero movies ever! The movie not only lives up to the hype of the original but surpasses it in several ways. For one, the humor level far exceeds that of the original. Jack Jack and Edna Mode easily steal the show. Second, the action is far more intense with bigger stakes. With the main characters all established, the action scenes will leave you on the edge of your seat. Third, there is a lot more depth to the overall story. They explore the superhero genre in ways that not even Marvel has yet to explore.

Pixar crafts one of the best films, animated or otherwise of the year and can only be summed up in one word, incredible!

Video:

Once again Disney shows why they are the best at blu-ray transfers. The video is once again top-notch! The colors are vibrant and every detail and texture on the fabrics, to skin tones, to the cityscapes, to the water effects, everything is a rainbow of color! Another outstanding effort from Disney!

Audio:
The audio mix is stunning! Explosions envelopes you into the action! The score and the dialogue are all perfectly clear!

   Blu-ray & Digital:

• All-New “Auntie Edna” Mini-Movie - When Bob Parr visits super-suit designer Edna Mode looking for help with his high-energy toddler Jack-Jack, Edna pulls an all-nighter designing a suit to harness the baby’s seemingly limitless powers.
• 10 Deleted Scenes With Introductions - Suburban Escape,  Kari Revisited, Return of the Supers, Chewed Out, Late Audition, Slow Day, Frozone and Honey, Restaurant Robbery, Fashion Show and Security Breakdown.
• Super Stuff - From buildings and vehicles to costumes and props, every action movie requires a lot of really cool stuff. Meet the makers and learn what it takes to design and build such a uniquely incredible world.
• Heroes & Villains – A collection of mini-docs about the backstory and major design ideas behind the “Incredibles 2” characters — featuring voice actors, director Brad Bird, and Pixar artists talking about the many elements that make these characters feel real.
• Ralph Eggleston: Production Designer - This short piece explores the many ways a single production designer has influenced the look, feel and character of the Pixar universe, culminating in “Incredibles 2.”
• Strong Coffee: A Lesson in Animation with Brad Bird - Brad Bird’s passion for animation dates back to his childhood and mentorship under Disney’s Milt Kahl, and that enthusiasm and powerful insight emanates from every film he’s made. Take a deep dive into Brad’s early years at Disney Animation Studios and his time at Pixar.
• Paths to Pixar: Everyday Heroes - At its heart, “Incredibles 2” is about family dynamics and the challenges of being a working parent. Meet the parents of Pixar as they discuss their personal connections to the film and their experience with stretching to balance work and family.
• SuperBaby – A documentary/hip hop music video hybrid hosted by Frankie and Paige from Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark. This piece explores how Jack-Jack came to life onscreen — from design to special effects to animation — all set to a hot beat.
• Commentary – Get inside commentary from animators Alan Barillaro (supervising animator), Tony Fucile (supervising animator, story artist and character designer), Dave Mullins (supervising animator) and Bret Parker (animation second unit and crowds supervisor).
• Theatrical Short: “Bao” - An aging Chinese mom suffering from empty nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy.
• Making “Bao” - Director Domee Shi shares her secret recipe for making an animated short — discussing how her rich cultural heritage, unique relationship with her mom, and her love of food all informed the making of the food-fantasy “Bao.”
• Outtakes & Stories - Raccoon Fight Story, Evelyn Animation Outtakes, Puppet Animator Interview, Outtakes Goofy Arms Story and SuperBaby Music Video.
• Character Theme Songs, Vintage Toy Commercial TV Spots , Toolkit Montage and Global “Incredibles 2” Trailers

Conclusion:

One of the best Pixar films ever! All of the fun and heart of the first film and more. Plus, the high quality video and audio presentation combined with a wealth of bonus features makes this a must have in your blu-ray library!

First Look at the Incredibles 2 Blu-Ray

Take your first look at the artwork on the Incredibles 2 Blu-Ray!