Quick Review: Lightyear

Lightyear
Music composed by Michael Giacchino
Orchestrated by Jeff Kryka, Pedro Osuna
Additional music by Curtis Green
Orchestra conducted by Marshall Bowen
Music edited by Stephen M. Davis
Score recorded at Warner Bros Eastwood Scoring Stage
Album running time: 76 minutes
Available on Walt Disney Records

For Lightyear, we return to the Toy Story universe (in a convoluted way that's mentioned at the top of the film).  Here, Buzz Lightyear is a real Space Ranger from Star Command and we get to see his adventures.  Musically, we get Michael Giacchino returning for his eighth Pixar animated film, having done the music for The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Cars 2, Inside Out, Coco, Incredibles 2.  That's one less than Randy Newman.  Speaking of Newman, we don't hear any musical references to his Toy Story scores.

Giacchino's score heavily features three main themes - Buzz's theme, Zurg's theme and the Hawthorne theme.  The score uses a big orchestra and choir (all sections were recorded separately due to COVID restrictions) to get that big sci-fi adventure sound.  The themes work well, Buzz's theme is hummable and able to be noble and heroic.  Zurg's theme is full villain-mode and the Hawthorne theme is saved for the tender moments, reminiscent of his Lost material.

We hear the militaristic snare drum in Mission Log, followed by the introduction of Buzz's theme.  Initial Greetings jumps into action mode, with rapid string/woodwind runs, and large brass presence.  Lightyear continues the military snare with Buzz's theme in hero mode before building the theme up until the end of the cue.  The Best Laid Plans of Space and Men continues Buzz's theme in the forefront with some electronics underneath.  Blown on Course adds some anxiety into the mix with Buzz's theme added underneath a dancing string line.  Brass lead the charge in some great sci-fi style writing.  

We get a bit of reflective music in A Hyper Failure, with a bit of mysterious drama after a sting.  That tone continues in Lightyear's Behind, adding a poignant piano solo of the Hawthorne theme.  Mission Perpetual focuses on Buzz's relentless need to correct his original mission.  Naturally, it focuses on the driving strings and snare with several statements of Buzz's theme. The Lone Space Ranger continues with the poignant Hawthorne theme for strings and piano.  Afternoon Delight Speed features some frantic writing with a sneaky interlude before hammering in a large end.  The brief cues Light Speed at the End of the Tunnel and Relative Success burst with repeating patterns for the whole orchestra.  

Zurg Awakens finally introduces parts of the villain's theme with high shrieking strings, low brass and ominous choir.  Operation Surprise Party is a bit of comic underscoring with a hint of Buzz's theme.  A Good Day to Not Die has some roaring brass and stomping rhythm.  The full brass and choir open Zurg's Displeasure with Zurg's theme in full villain march mode.  Space Afraiders starts with a bit of light pizzicato strings and clarinet before ostinato strings bring action and then a big statement of Zurg's theme.  Zurg's theme is mixed in the frantic action in Zurg-onomics with some heroic moments mixed in with the over-the-top villain material.  Oh, Hover keeps the movement going with a fun motif getting passed around the orchestra.

Mistake It All In features the Hawthorne theme after some action.  Buzz, Meet Zurg has a full grandiose stomping sound of Zurg's theme with choir and organ.  To Infinity and Be Gone uses the Hawthorne material, but a bit more reflective, and then picking up the speed in Hawthorn In Her Side.  

World’s Worst Self-Destruct Sequence brings the militaristic momentum back, with a brief Zurg theme interruption.  Time to Space Your Fears again has Zurg interruptions among the militaristic tension building.  Hiding from Yourself uses Zurg's theme with Buzz's theme bursting through in Improv-Izzy-tion.  The orchestra gets to really show off in Back to Buzzness, with bright brass and rapid strings playing off Buzz's and Zurg's themes. 

In Home on the Space Range, we hear a long build-up of Buzz's theme before the film's most optimistic and heroic statement of the theme.  Infinite MOEtion adds the choir and electric guitar to Buzz's theme, with the Hawthorne theme overlaid in some sections.  It's a fun wrap-up of the thematic material with an end credit flair.  One Suite Buzz, is naturally a longer exploration of the main themes in slightly different arrangements with Buzz's fanfare getting the most repetition.        
 
Giacchino's themes are the highlight of the score, and are used extensively through the score but not at the levels of The Batman.  It's nice to get a fully orchestral (with choir!) animated sci-fi score and it's fun to hear a few of Giacchino's score influences mixed into the action.  It doesn't drift into cartoonish sounding, with the score grounding the characters and adding the necessary emotional beats.  Buzz's theme matches the film's version of the character and adds that hopeful and heroic moments the film needed.

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