Pixar? More Like Grift-ar!

This week Disney/Pixar debuted the second trailer for their upcoming opus Lightyear.

I mentioned this film last year, pointing out that it supposedly features the real Buzz Lightyear, whose space-faring adventures inspired the action figure seen in the Toy Story movies. It's an admittedly cool concept, but there's just one problem with it— Lightyear clearly takes place in a future filled with advanced technology, such as warp drives and android cats. Which would mean the Toy Story movies weren't set in the present day, but in the future as well!

Ah, but it gets worse!

As I watched this new trailer, I started noticing that some of the tech looked a bit... familiar.

Like the spherical spaceship seen on the left. I can't help but think it looks a LOT like the Aries Ib Lunar Lander from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Sure, it may just be a coincidence, as a sphere is the simplest form in the universe. 

On the other hand... why design a ship that's a dead ringer for one from one of the most famous space films of all time? 

And then there's this shot, which is a bit harder to defend. 

Buzz stands in the middle of a fog-filled, swampy planet while wearing a bright orange flight suit. Just like Luke Skywalker, who stood in the middle of a fog-filled, swampy planet while wearing a bright orange jumpsuit in The Empire Strikes Back.

They could have made Buzz's suit literally ANY other color besides orange here. I can't think of any reason to go with that hue other than to evoke Luke's ensemble.

We then see some sort of aliens in battle suits. Yeah, those are Zakus from the Gundam franchise.

Especially when you see their "faces," what with the single red eye in the middle of the black visor. Jaysis, they're not even trying to hide it here!

OK, I'm not accusing Pixar of outright plagiarism here, but... OK, yeah, I am. And it's not even the first time they've done so. They knowingly swiped all these elements, and thought no one would ever spot 'em. But I noticed, Pixar. I noticed.

Back To The Future?

This week Pixar released a trailer for their newest animated feature, Lightyear. I guess you could call it a prequel of sorts, as it's all about the "real life" Buzz Lightyear, who was the inspiration for the action figure featured in the Toy Story movies.

That's admittedly kind of a cool idea. There's one major problem with it though.

Based on the technology seen in the movie (such as spaceships with warp drive), it's clearly taking place sometime in the far future.

The action figures were modeled after the real Buzz Lightyear, right? That means they were manufactured AFTER he became famous. Which means all the Toy Story movies have to take place in the future as well!

Didn't think about THAT now, did you Pixar?