Sunday, December 8, 2019

Buzz Lightyear and Asterix



Like many, I felt that Toy Story 3 closed out the series perfectly, and wasn't sure that there was a need for another sequel.  I was happy to find out the Toy Story 4 was just as enjoyable as the rest.  I re-watched the first three installments to get ready for it and I was amazed at how the quality of the animation keeps improving. If I had one complaint with the movie, it's that Buzz kind of got sidelined and didn't have as strong of a sub-plot as Woody. 

23 comments:

Fishing in the Timestream said...

have to admit I don't get the joke. If a menhir is a tall upright stone of a kind erected in prehistoric times in western Europe, and that's there already, what is he gonna do that isn't there now? I hate to ask cause I didn't want to kill the buzz. :c

Ross said...

Tip that sucker on its side and you can get multiple menhirs!

Bob Greenwade said...

This cover really rocks! #BadPunNoCookie

I've not yet seen Toy Story 3, and I barely remember seeing #2. Maybe after the holidays I'll try to dive into the whole set, starting with the original.

It does seem like the major movie-makers are learning that it only pays to make a sequel when there's actually more story to tell. That's why there was such a big gap in the Independence Day and Men in Black franchises. (Also Ghostbusters, to a lesser extent; in that case, though, there were other factors that played a bigger role.)

Buzz really needs to team up with Spaceman Spiff some time.

Jay Johnson said...

I haven't seen Toy Story 3 or 4, but I'm not surprised by your observation about Buzz. One of the big points of Toy Story 1 was that once you got past the flash and gimmicks of Buzz, was there anything of quality there? While homespun Woody had more possibilities to him and more connections to (some due just to time with) the larger world.

Or on a more comics-related note, how DC's Trinity characters have stood the test of time vs. Rob Liefeld's flashy 90's X-people.

Super Grover said...

In honor of Carroll Spinney, how about Big Bird and Baby Huey. You can follow that up with Oscar The Grouch and The Grinch.

Bob Greenwade said...

I'll second Super Grover's suggestion -- given the season, at least the Oscar and the Grinch one.

Carycomic said...

Conversely, I liked TOY STORY 4 precisely _because_ it focused on Woody's unresolved relationship with Bo Peep. Not to mention, solving the mystery of what happened to her in the first place! But, now that Woody has bequeathed the mantle of leadership to Woody, perhaps the latter can spend half of TOY STORY 5 improving his own relationship with Jessie.


As for today's cover? Excellent use of the 2001 Pylon (as I personally like to call it)! It's well-demonstrated ability to transcend the boundaries of time and space makes this otherwise-zany team-up delightfully plausible. Speaking of zany team-ups, how about this one?

Popeye vs. Guy Gardner!

I can just see everyone's favorite sailor man jumping up to object as his estranged girlfriend and everyone's least favorite GL stand before Rev. J. Wellington Wimpy as he intones:

"I now pronounce thee...OLIVE GARDNER!"

Anonymous said...

@Jay Johnson: Or Maxell Smart (Don Adams) and Santa Claus (Tim Allen) can team up against...

"The Men From G.R.I.N.C.H."

Carycomic said...

P.S.---sorry! That should have read "...bequeathed the mantle of leadership to Buzz..."

See how distracting talking about Woodys can be? :-D

Super Grover said...

Carroll Spinney who played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch died today.

Anonymous said...

P.S. @ Carycomic: shouldn't that read "...bequeathed the mantle of leadership to Buzz...?"

Carycomic said...

@Anonymous: already duly self-noted and corrected. But, thanks, for reading, anyway! :-)

Anonymous said...

@Super Grover: I'm sorry to hear that.
Connecticut lost a television giant of its own, Saturday night. Channel 3 News anchor-person Denise D'Ascenzo.

My condolences to her family and friends.

:-(

Super Grover said...

Rene Auberjonois who played Odo on Star Trek Deep Space Nine and voiced a lot of cartoon characters also died.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Fishing. It's because Obelix always made his menhirs in a round, tapered shape, like this: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/asterix/images/e/e9/Obelix.gif/revision/latest?cb=20111117134828. He would have seen the rock on this cover as raw material, not the finished product.

Carycomic said...

@Super Grover: Whoa! First I've heard of that!

Adieu, Horatius Crustaceous Sebastian I. :-(

Anonymous said...

@Carycomic: actually, he played the voice of Chef Louis.

Carycomic said...

@Anonymous: my bad! But, I do know for certain that he also played Father Mulcahy in the original M*A*S*H feature film. The man was truly more versatile than most of us give him credit for.

Anonymous said...

Is Asterix an indefinite character (describable with an ASTERISK)? LOL! XD!

Anonymous said...

Asterix is also tiny, like an asterisk.

Anonymous said...

@my namesake: No asterisk; no aste-reward.

Richard S. said...

Tip o' the space helmet for including Dogmatix.....

Anonymous said...

Dogmatix will mark this spot.

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