Thread by @AlexandraErin

If Disney had released Lightyear during Not A Pandemic, it probably would have done okay-to-good just on brand recognition, loyalty, and the strength of "It's summer, this is a movie."

But it's a pandemic. And they released a movie that statistically nobody was looking for.

Specifically, they released a movie whose high concept is "This is what a little kid in a fictional universe 30 years ago would have been really into.", whose title and main character make it sound like it should be in that same universe, and which doesn't live up to its concept.

It's not a Toy Story movie and it's not in any way a movie that Andy Disneypixartoystory would have gone to see in the first half of the 90s, which could have been interesting at least, if done well.

It's a movie without a clear purpose or a clear audience.

Homophobes like this one are trying to make it sound like they tanked the movie with the strength of their being super worked up about a lesbian kiss that magically compelled them to sexualize their own children, or whatever it is this is supposed to mean.

https://twitter.com/Missus_Massacre/status/1538496735688814595

But it's just like when basically the same fashy bunch of censorious busybodies took credit for Solo: A Star Wars Story underperforming and tried to say it was a sign that consumers had turned on Disney: it was the wrong movie at the wrong time. "#GoWokeGoBroke" isn't a thing.

I know it's a thing people say. They say it when coincidentally something they don't like and wish they could censor fails. They ignore when something they don't like and wish they could censor does well. It's like thinking they control the sun, which rises and sets on its own.

Nothing in particular, as far as I know. They simply claimed that their ire tanked Solo because they failed to tank The Last Jedi, which is what they were actually mad about.

https://twitter.com/PuffyCurry/status/1539430074486640640

...okay, this is just illustrating the point that the movie's concept and messaging and purpose are unclear, but multiple people have replied with this supposed plot point.

Lightyear is not about "the real guy who inspired the toy". It's (supposedly) an SF movie in Toy Story.

The idea that Chris Evans was playing "the character of the real-life human Buzz Lightyear within the Toy Story universe" or that there was such a person comes from entertainment reporters not really grokking how the movie was being explained to them, early on.

I think Evans might have added to the confusion, either through trolling or also not fully understanding the concept. But it's been a while and nothing in the confused/confusing messaging gave me a reason to actually care.

The only reason I'm talking about this movie is the absurd notion that it was sunk by homophobes protesting a kiss.

And. It's a mess. In a better year, with no pandemic, it might have been different because Disney plus summer plus name recognition. But this wasn't the year.

I don't even think the messaging was that confusing, to be honest. It reminds me of the "Hello Kitty is a human girl." thing where some people are at once way too literal in how they read something but also reading way too broadly past what the text actually says...

...but also the movie-going public is the same audience that was confused by "Hello Kitty is a human girl." and also the same audience that managed to show up for Rogue One thinking they were going to see a sequel to The Force Awakens.

Anyway. My point is, they released what's probably a basically serviceable computer-animated space opera but under basically the worst possible set of banners to do so at close to the worst possible time to try to release a real roller coaster of a film with emphasis on coast.