Buzz Lightyear is a
character- Art and entertainment :* Character , an agent in a work of art, including literature, drama, cinema, opera, etc.* Character , a 1997 Dutch film, based on the novel by Dutch author Ferdinand Bordewijk* Character , by Dark Tranquillity...
and the main
deuteragonistIn literature, the deuteragonist is the second most important character, after the protagonist and before the tritagonist. The deuteragonist may switch from being with or against the protagonist depending on the deuteragonist's own conflict/plot.-History:Greek drama began with simply one actor,...
of the
Toy Story franchiseToy Story is a CGI animated media franchise created by Pixar and distributed by Disney, beginning with the original 1995 film, Toy Story. The franchise focuses on a group of toys that secretly come to life and end up unexpectedly embarking on life-changing adventures...
. Buzz is a space ranger action figure and the co-leader of Andy's Room. He has also appeared in the movie
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure BeginsBuzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins aka Buzz Lightyear of Star Command the Beginning is a 2000 Disney animated direct-to-video film that acts as a pilot to the television series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command...
and the television series spin-off
Buzz Lightyear of Star CommandBuzz Lightyear of Star Command is an American animated science fiction/adventure/comedy series produced by Walt Disney Television. The character is from the planet Zurtron. The series originally aired on UPN and ABC from October 2000 to January 2001 as part of Disney's One Saturday Morning...
, as well as the two film sequels. His often repeated catchphrase is "To infinity ... and beyond!"
Tim AllenTim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
voiced the character in the
Toy Story film trilogy and the TV movie, while
Patrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
provided Buzz's voice for the TV series, and
Pat FraleyPatrick "Pat" Fraley is an American voice actor, who is best known as the voice of Krang, Casey Jones and numerous other characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
voiced him for the video games and the attractions in Disney Parks.
Concept and creation
Buzz Lightyear's name was inspired by
Apollo 11In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
astronaut
Buzz AldrinBuzz Aldrin is an American mechanical engineer, retired United States Air Force pilot and astronaut who was the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history...
. Aldrin acknowledged the tribute when he pulled a Buzz Lightyear doll out during a speech at
NASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, to rapturous cheers; a clip of this can be found on the Toy Story 10th Anniversary DVD. Aldrin did not, however, receive any endorsement fees for the use of his first name. Regarding the design of Lightyear, his creator,
John LasseterJohn Alan Lasseter is an American animator, director and the chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He is also currently the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering....
, is on record as saying he wanted to create an action figure in the line of GI Joe for Toy Story and decided upon a spaceman figure. He attributes his design to the influence Apollo astronauts, in particular their clear helmets, skullcaps, communication devices and white suits The purple and lime green colour scheme were his wife's and his own favourite colours respectively. The wholesome good looks of television actor
Ed KemmerEd Kemmer was an American motion picture and television actor.-Life:Kemmer was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and served as a fighter pilot in World War II. He was shot down and sent to a POW camp...
are also believed to be a prototype for Lightyear. Lightyear's chin, specifically, was inspired by Brendan Mullen, although Lasseter downplayed Lightyear's chin size in comparison to keep it from seeming too 'cartoonish.' Kemmer played Commander Buzz Corry in Space Patrol, one of first science-fiction series on US TV.
Toy Story
In
Toy StoryToy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
, Buzz Lightyear is first seen when given as a gift to Andy at his birthday party. Buzz is the most popular toy in the media at that time, and Andy's toys are quickly amazed at the impressive features that he has. He first belives that he is a space ranger, but after he sees a commercial in Sid's house about him, he realizes he's just a toy. However, Woody, the leader of Andy's toys, immediately grows jealous of the attention Buzz gets. The friction between the two is soon put aside when they save themselves and each other from a "toy murderer", Sid.
Toy Story 2
In
Toy Story 2Toy Story 2 is a 1999 American computer animated film directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon. It is the sequel to the 1995 film Toy Story, released by Walt Disney Pictures and the third film to be produced by Pixar...
, Buzz Lightyear appears as the main protagonist and must assume the leader of the gang, in order to rescue Woody, who was captured by a toy collector named Al. Things get complicated when a toy named Stinky Pete tries to force Woody to get shipped to Japan with him, a pull-string doll named Jessie, and her horse, Bullseye. Buzz and the toys eventually rescue Woody, Jessie and Bullseye, who come to live in Andy's room with everyone.
Toy Story 3
In
Toy Story 3Toy Story 3 is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy-adventure film, and the third installment in the Toy Story series. It was produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Lee Unkrich. The film was released worldwide from June through October in Disney Digital...
, Woody, Buzz, and the gang end up in a daycare center, whom the leader of the toys is evil Lots-O-Huggin' Bear. Buzz is caught spying, and turned back to "demo mode". Therefore, he thinks he is a real space ranger again, and turns on his friends. Buzz turns back to his normal self, after he nearly gets crushed by a television set in a garbage truck. After many situations they face, Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the other toys are given by Andy to a little girl named Bonnie. The end credits show the toys embracing their new life with Bonnie.
In other media
In
Buzz Lightyear of Star CommandBuzz Lightyear of Star Command is an American animated science fiction/adventure/comedy series produced by Walt Disney Television. The character is from the planet Zurtron. The series originally aired on UPN and ABC from October 2000 to January 2001 as part of Disney's One Saturday Morning...
, Buzz is a space ranger working for Star Command, protecting the universe from Evil Emperor Zurg. He works in a team alongside Mira Nova, a Tangean princess with phasing powers, Booster, a janitor from the planet Jo-Ad, and XR, a robot created by the Little Green Men (the aliens from the movies, LGM for short). To compare this animation and the
Toy Story films, the button between the red and blue ones is green in the
Toy Story films and yellow in this animation with the releasing of strings when pressed. He returned as the main protagonist with Woody only being a supporting character
In the outtakes of the Home improvement episode "Say goodnight, Gracie", Tim is seen arguing with a Buzz Lightyear action figure. Also on the episode "I Was a Teenage Taylor", a small child comes trick or treating at the taylor house dressed up as Buzz Lightyear.
In the
Super BowlSuper Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
on February 3, 2008 during the 3rd quarter, Buzz and Woody are watching the Super Bowl and then watch a promo for
WALL-EWALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future...
, who is playing with a vacuum.
Buzz Lightyear can be seen as meet-and-greet characters in the various Disneyland theme parks around the world. He also has a cameo appearance in
Bedtime StoriesBedtime Stories is a 2008 American family-fantasy-comedy film directed by Adam Shankman that stars Adam Sandler in his first appearance in a family-oriented film...
as part of the audience (hence reasoning why he is Bugsy).
In
Finding NemoFinding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo...
, a Buzz toy can be found in a toy box in the dentist's office.
In
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Loan-a-Lisa" he is seen as a cloud in a parody of
Up called P.U.
and in
The Color Yellow, he appears in a drawing by Ralphie and
Toy Story being mentioned as well
then him being played by Tim Allen is mentioned in the episode The Italian Bob by Lisa.
In
The Sorcerer's ApprenticeThe Sorcerer's Apprentice is a 2010 fantasy adventure film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, directed by Jon Turteltaub, and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the team behind the National Treasure franchise...
, Buzz Lightyear can be seen on an alarm clock (hence when
Toy Story 3 was in theaters four weeks before).
Buzz returns in the theatrical short films
Hawaiian VacationToy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation is a 2011 Pixar animated short directed by Gary Rydstrom. The short features characters from the Toy Story films and takes place after the events of Toy Story 3...
and
Small FryToy Story Toons: Small Fry, is a 2011 Pixar animated short directed by Angus MacLane. It was first screened in theaters ahead of The Muppets. This was the second time a Pixar short screened with a non-Pixar film, after Tokyo Mater screened with Bolt...
.
Characteristics
Buzz is a space ranger from the Intergalactic Alliance and is stationed in the Gamma Quadrant of Sector 4. He is the captain of the Alliance's Team. Lightyear is known for his bravery and courage. Buzz believes that following rules is the way people should live their life. Though a great leader, at times he can be rather unemotional, one of his biggest character flaws. Buzz is said to be Emperor Zurg's son (à la
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes BackStar Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan...
) as mentioned in
Toy Story 2Toy Story 2 is a 1999 American computer animated film directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon. It is the sequel to the 1995 film Toy Story, released by Walt Disney Pictures and the third film to be produced by Pixar...
, but in
Buzz Lightyear of Star CommandBuzz Lightyear of Star Command is an American animated science fiction/adventure/comedy series produced by Walt Disney Television. The character is from the planet Zurtron. The series originally aired on UPN and ABC from October 2000 to January 2001 as part of Disney's One Saturday Morning...
, this is revealed to be a taunt intended to catch Buzz off guard. Either way, this shows that Buzz does not know his father (although as mentioned in
Toy Story 2, he was indeed killed, possibly by Zurg, as neither of these facts have been refuted). Buzz is trained in several forms of martial arts and is a highly skilled warrior in hand to hand combat. Being in peak physical condition, Buzz makes a perfect space ranger and is an example to many. Perhaps unexpectedly, Buzz Lightyear the space ranger toy enjoys his closest personal relationships with two cowboy dolls: his best friend in the trilogy is Sheriff Woody Pride, who along with Buzz is the main protagonist of the three films, and by the end of
Toy Story 2, he has developed a crush on Jessie the Cowgirl, which is consummated with their romance in
Toy Story 3.
Buzz wears a high-tech space suit, similar to those of modern-day astronauts though more streamlined and iconic. The suit chest features a control panel. On the left hand side of the suit, a large red button activates the suit's flight system. The buttons on the right of the suit have numerous functions such as contacting Star Command, shooting grappling hooks, and activating full throttle. On the toy Buzz of movies however, all they do is make Buzz say different catch phrases. Buzz's suit also protects against the vacuum and cold of space. It can also translate all he says into any language even an outer space dialect. A retractable helmet, when activated, covers Buzz's head and allows him to breathe in space or on planets lacking a sufficient supply of oxygen. The left arm of the suit has a panel that flips open to reveal a display that contains a mission log in the wrist area to record history and provide records. The right arm contains the weapon system which projects an unusually strong and powerful red-colored
laserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
out of the small cannon on the back of the wrist. Buzz has a utility belt as an upgrade to suit. It has various things such as
anti-gravityAnti-gravity is the idea of creating a place or object that is free from the force of gravity. It does not refer to the lack of weight under gravity experienced in free fall or orbit, or to balancing the force of gravity with some other force, such as electromagnetism or aerodynamic lift...
servos, magnets for climbing purposes, and a
grappling hookA grappling hook is an anchor with multiple hooks , attached to a rope; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and hold. Generally, grappling hooks are used to temporarily secure one end of a rope. They may also be used to dredge...
.
Action figure
Toy figure, Buzz Lightyear, with packaging, licensed from the film
Toy StoryToy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
, plastic / cardboard, made for Thinkway Toys in China, 1995-1999. The Buzz Lightyear figure was manufactured by Thinkway Toys, New York between 1995-1999. An enhanced, newer model was released in 2009 to coincide with the
Toy Story 3-D Double Feature. Originally,
Tim AllenTim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
's voice was on the action figure. The newer models feature a voice actor who sounds similar to Allen.
The Toy Story Action Figure, Buzz Lightyear was subject to mass sales in the Christmas after the film's release, mainly in the United States and United Kingdom. Additional parts could be purchased, e.g. wings etc... It was the number 1 toy sold in the UK and has remained a sought-after collectible since. In 1995, Thinkway didn't think that
Toy Story would be that popular hence didn't make enough dolls to meet demand, as referenced in
Toy Story 2. When Toy Story 3 came out they made 2 more Buzz Lightyear action figures for the Toy Story Collection, one normal one and a extra one with the utility belt from Toy Story 2. Produced by Thinkway Toys also with the spaceship box from the movies.
In May 2008, NASA and Disney announced that an original Thinkway Toys' Buzz Lightyear action figure would fly aboard the space shuttle Discovery on mission
STS-124STS-124 was a Space Shuttle mission, flown by Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Discovery launched on 31 May 2008 at 17:02 EDT, moved from an earlier scheduled launch date of 25 May 2008, and landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, at 11:15...
. The 12-inch toy was to remain on the International Space Station for six months, where it would take part in an experiment and appear in a video downlink from space. The flight was arranged as part of the Toys In Space program that began in 1985.
The mission launched with Buzz aboard the NASA
space shuttleThe Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
DiscoverySpace Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
(
STS-124STS-124 was a Space Shuttle mission, flown by Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station. Discovery launched on 31 May 2008 at 17:02 EDT, moved from an earlier scheduled launch date of 25 May 2008, and landed safely at the Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, at 11:15...
) on May 31, 2008, to celebrate the opening of Toy Story Midway Mania at
Disney's Hollywood StudiosDisney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
and
Disney's California AdventureDisney California Adventure, or simply California Adventure, is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001 as Disney's California Adventure Park. The park is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and...
theme parks, with the ultimate destination of the
International Space StationThe International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS). The action figure "ate" dinner with the 10 astronauts and cosmonauts and was seen peering out a window aboard the ISS. The action figure stayed aboard the space station for a period of six months as part of a NASA toys-in-space educational program.
The Buzz Lightyear action figure returned from the space station on Sept. 11, 2009 aboard mission
STS-128-Crew notes:Nicole Stott was originally scheduled to return aboard Soyuz TMA-15, but a change in the flight plan was made due to the possible flight delays in future shuttle missions, which may extend Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk's mission beyond the six-month duration preferred for station...
.
In October 2009, Thinkway Toys released a replica Buzz Lightyear figure based on the figure in the
Toy Story movies as part of their
Toy Story Collection series of toys. This Buzz Lightyear was much more accurately detailed than the other Buzz Lightyear figures and it has features similar to the figure seen in the movie with similar pop-out wings complete with blinking lights at the wing tips, laser, wrist communicator and the figure has over 65 phrases with original voice. However, the figure lacks the karate chop action.
The figure also comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and comes packaged in the spaceship packaging as seen in the movies.
In 2010 Lego created a Buzz Lightyear Action figure. The Lego set is number 7592 and has 205 pieces. When the figure is completely built it has articulating head, arms, hands, torso, legs, feet, wings and visor.
Cultural impact
On October 2007, readers of
EmpireEmpire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
voted him #1 of the Top 20 Greatest Pixar Characters. They also rated him the 94th greatest movie character of all time.
Buzz's classic line "To infinity... and beyond!" has seen usage not only on T-shirts, but among philosophers and mathematical theorists as well. Lucia Hall of
The Humanist linked the film's plot to an interpretation of humanism. She compared the phrase to "All this and heaven, too!", indicating one who is happy with a life on Earth as well as having an afterlife. The 2008 quadruple platinum song
Single Ladies"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...
by
Beyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
includes the lyric "...and delivers me to a destiny, to infinity and beyond," a reference which was pointed out by alt-country singer
Jeff TweedyJeffrey Scot "Jeff" Tweedy is an American songwriter, musician and leader of the band Wilco. Tweedy joined rockabilly band The Plebes with high school friend Jay Farrar in the early 1980s, but Tweedy's musical interests caused one of Farrar's brothers to quit...
of the band
WilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
during a 2010 solo performance in Chicago. Also in 2008, astronauts took an action figure of Buzz Lightyear into space on the
Discovery Space ShuttleSpace Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
as part of an educational experience for students while stressing the catchphrase. The action figure was used for experiments in
zero-gWeightlessness is the condition that exists for an object or person when they experience little or no acceleration except the acceleration that defines their inertial trajectory, or the trajectory of pure free-fall...
. Also in 2008, the phrase made international news when it was reported that a father and son had continually repeated the phrase to help them keep track of each other while treading water for 15 hours in the Atlantic Ocean.
See also
- Buzz Lightyear (attractions)
External links