Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins is a 2000 American animated science fiction comedy film directed by Tad Stones, who is also the producer with Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley. It is a spin-off of Pixar's Toy Story franchise and was released direct-to-video in the United States by Buena Vista Home Entertainment on August 8, 2000.
The film acts as a pilot for the television series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (2000–2001), and compiles three episodes of the show into a single narrative. Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins was nominated for two Video Premiere Awards: Best Animated Video Premiere and Best Animated Character Performance for Tim Allen.
Contents
Plot
Buzz Lightyear and his partner Warp Darkmatter search for three missing Little Green Men (L.G.M.), a noosphere-dwelling race working as scientists for Star Command's Universe Protection Unit. They discover the lost L.G.M. in a hidden lab belonging to Buzz's archnemesis, the evil Emperor Zurg. Buzz and Warp break in and rescue the L.G.M. However, Zurg escapes and triggers the self-destruct mechanism; Warp gets pinned under debris and forces Buzz to leave just before the explosion happens, seemingly killing Warp. Stricken with survivor guilt over Warp's death, Buzz refuses to have another partner.
Later, Commander Nebula introduces Buzz to Mira Nova, a prodigy ranger and the princess of the planet Tangea, which Buzz saved from Zurg a while back. With the power of "ghosting", Mira is able to phase through objects. Nebula makes Mira Buzz's new partner, but Buzz refuses. Afterwards, Buzz prevents a well-meaning janitor named Booster—who dreams of becoming a space ranger—from being fired. Meanwhile, in Zurg's fortress, a new robotic henchman named Agent Z is hired. Zurg learns of a large orb on the L.G.M. home world called the Uni-Mind, responsible for the telepathic link between them; he sends Agent Z to capture it. The L.G.M. on Star Command build a new robot soldier called XR, capable of being repaired after any damage. The L.G.M. offer XR as Buzz's new partner, but Buzz is hesitant. The L.G.M. then get a telepathic message about Zurg's attack on their homeworld. When Buzz and XR arrive on the L.G.M. planet, Agent Z confronts them and destroys XR while Zurg steals the Uni-Mind. Unable to think clearly, the L.G.M. rebuild XR, accidentally making him self-aware. Commander Nebula decides to launch a full-scale assault on Planet Z, despite Mira's argument that a solo ranger could go to stop Zurg with the Alpha-One prototype spacecraft.