Lightyear | 2022 | PG | – 1.3.1

Why is “Lightyear” rated PG? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “action/peril.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes a kiss between two women, many dangerous flights in a space vessel, many encounters with alien lifeforms that do not lead to evident injuries, several encounters with giant robots that result in damage to the robots, and some mild exclamations and name-calling. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.

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The origin story of the Buzz Lightyear toy in “Toy Story” follows the Space Rangers as they get marooned on an alien planet. Buzz (voiced by Chris Evans) is determined to get everyone back home and complete their mission, while encountering an army of ruthless robots led by the evil Zurg (voiced by James Brolin). Also with the voices of Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Taika Waititi, Dale Soules, Uzo Aduba, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Angus MacLane and Bill Hader. Directed by Angus MacLane. [Running Time: 1:40]

Lightyear SEX/NUDITY 1

 – Two women kiss and we read a sign celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.
► A woman talks about being engaged and that she met her partner while marooned on an alien planet. We see a married pregnant woman.

Lightyear VIOLENCE/GORE 3

 – Many large robots stand around a laser shield surrounding an encampment with people inside, and shoot at it. A giant robot punches through a wall and grabs a man on the other side; he holds him off the ground as the man struggles to get free and a young woman shoots at the robot (it turns out to be a training weapon that shoots paint) while a man shoots a harpoon gun at the robot and a woman says that she is not allowed to use weapons because it would violate her parole. A giant robot shoots at people and does not hit them but causes property damage when things (like a satellite dish) are cut in half with laser blasts; the robot is struck in the head with a harpoon and falls hard on the ground motionless (it revives later). A man is chased by a giant robot in several scenes, it slams through passages to get to him and then points a weapon at him but does not fire, and the giant robot is shot by someone else and falls to the ground. A young woman jumps out of a ship and floats through space toward another ship, she misses the entry port and scrambles to grab something to hold onto, and a cat that was with her floats away until the young woman grabs it by the tail. A ship hurdles toward a planet and it glows red in flames; a man tries to slow it down by pushing from the outside and it eventually slows somewhat before crashing to the ground.
► Four people use a stealth mode to sneak among many alien insects and one man gets to a ship while the stealth mode time runs out on the other three and the insects attack them; one man pulls a chord on his suit that surrounds him with a bubble that looks like a raspberry, the insects attach themselves to the ship and they are thrown off when it takes off. A man is wrapped by tentacles that look like vines and pulled underground, he is then pulled into the air by a giant insect and another man climbs the tentacle to try to retrieve the other man; they are both wrapped with tentacles and pulled underground until a woman shoots the tentacles and the two men are freed and get to a ship just before the hatch closes. A man struggles to lift a space vessel off a planet and it hits the peak of a tall stone wall damaging the vessel and it crashes back down on the planet’s surface marooning them; we see people being evacuated. A space vessel is wrapped by long tentacles that look like vines and it begins to sink into the ground. A man is wrapped by tentacles that resemble vines and they are hacked off by a glowing machete like weapon; several other people are shown being wrapped and dragged in several scenes but we do not see anyone come to harm. Many large insect-like creatures with glowing red eyes are seen in several scenes. Many large robots drop to a planet’s surface from a ship searching for people. A man flies a ship and is chased by flying robots; people in the back of the ship shoot the robots with weapons and explosives, the pilot ejects and the ship crashes. A man is grabbed by a giant robot’s hand, he is taken to the robot’s ship where they fight, and the man is thrown by the robot and struck hard several times.
► After a vessel crashes, a large robot approaches and scans it, and we see it disappear (transported to another vessel in the air). A man tests new hyper-drive systems and we see flames from the rockets at launch, flashing lights and we hear alarms ring when systems fail in several attempts. A man tests new hyper-drive systems numerous times without success and every time he returns to the planet he encounters a time dilation.
► A man breaks a window and jumps out with a cat running away from armed guards that plan to decommission the cat; they encounter another guard and the cat spits a tranquilizer dart into her neck knocking her unconscious. A man is shot in the neck with a tranquilizer dart and falls unconscious. A man and a cat in a vessel move out of a hangar as guards and robots surround them and try to stop them; we see a couple of guards slide off the ship and onto the ground (no injuries are seen). Four people and a robot cat are encased in capture cones that keep them from leaving a room; they slam into the control panel until it disengages from the cones and they get out.
► A man is revived out of stasis on a space vessel to explore an alien planet; we see him, a woman and another man moving through what look like vines and they use glowing machetes to cut them out of their way. A robot cat is shown with a wound over one eye.
► A man returns to a planet to find a woman dead; he watches a video message from her and she says that she was ill. A woman mocks a man about narrating his movements while exploring an alien planet. A man yells at a new recruit about his having “sad eyes.” A man yells at an autopilot system in several scenes. A computerized voice predicts “certain death” during a dangerous course correction. A robot cat startles a man when it talks to him; the man takes a karate stance. A cat describes a test flight as “utterly terrifying.” People talk about a plan to do away with giant robots that threaten them and one man says, “Kill the robots,” and “Not to die.” We understand that a young woman is afraid of space. Many robots in a group hold up their hands with one finger raised; it’s not clear if it is intended to be an obscene gesture.
► A man says that he needs a bag during a flight in a ship and the pilot says, “Do not vomit inside the vehicle” and “Engage your helmet and that will catch it”; we later see the man with an airsickness bag (we do not see him vomit). We see glistening orbs on the ceiling of a hangar and understand that they are alien insects. A man eats gooey gelatinous food. People mock a man for the way he thinks a sandwich is made. Bugs fly into a laser shield and are zapped in a few scenes. A robot cat coughs up a laser tool.

Lightyear LANGUAGE 1

 – Name-calling (feisty, oddities, strange, turnip, sad eyes, zurg, lucky, quitter, saucy fingers), exclamations (blast, oh no, you’re toast, I’m gonna mess you up). | profanity glossary |

Lightyear SUBSTANCE USE

 – None.

Lightyear DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Exploration, adventure, completing missions, obstacles, family, home, guilt, failure, overcoming obstacles, quitting, astraphobia.

Lightyear MESSAGE

 – Home is where you make it.