There was a time, not all that long ago, where the only place to see movie trailers was movie theaters. Now we watch teasers for trailers on our phones. But studios have also learned there’s a whole other way to get extra promotion out of their films’ promos: trailer reaction videos. And when your film stars some of Hollywood’s most likable performers, they’re an easy way to get us talking about your upcoming release yet again. That definitely applies to a delightful new Pixar reaction video for the animation studio’s latest Lightyear trailer. It features Chris Evans, Taika Waititi, and Keke Palmer geeking out to their own movie.
I’d like to make fun of these big-time celebrities for being huge nerds about hearing their own voices. But there’s no way I wouldn’t be a total dweeb about it, too. And if you’re honest with yourself, you’d do the exact same thing.
They should be excited anyway. Despite some initial skepticism about a Buzz Lightyear origin story, the trailers have been excellent. The story sounds pretty fantastic, as well. And that’s true even if the film has weird ramifications for the Toy Story universe. Here’s the official Lightyear synopsis from Pixar:
The definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy, “Lightyear” follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox. Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg, an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.
Yes, aliens actually exist in the world of Woody and Buzz. Maybe that shouldn’t be so strange for a universe where toys have sentience, and yet it is. Then again, we now live in a world where trailers have their own trailers and studios release their own reaction videos. And I promise that would have been really weird not that long ago.
