Disney and Pixar's Lightyear is struggling to reach the stars at the box office. The Toy Story spinoff will open with an estimated $52 million at the box office. That's the best opening for an animated movie since the pandemic began, but it's still well below the film's previously projected $70-85 million haul despite a strong opening day. It's also not enough to top Jurassic World Dominion, which looks to remain in the top spot at the box office with $57.1 million in its second weekend at the box office. Lightyear has fared considerably better than its box office rival with critics, sporting a "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes (though it's also the lowest score for the Toy Story franchise) compared to Jurassic World Dominion's "rotten" score. ComicBook.com's Charlie Ridgely gave the animated film a perfect 5-out-of-5 review. He writes:
"Lightyear could absolutely work as an original title — Toy Story really isn't necessary to make the tale or characters enjoyable. But the connection is used about as perfectly as it could be. There are a few lines that harken back to Buzz's catchphrases in Toy Story, but the story never leans on the adventures in Andy's room. Instead, it offers the chance to unpack a much more interesting version of the deeply human toy that has been in our lives for nearly 30 years. Lightyear aims for infinity and more than delivers, taking us a little further beyond what we'd expected."
Lightyear -- the film Andy saw that inspired him to ask for a Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story, with Chris Evans somewhat controversial voicing the cinematic Buzz in place of toy Buzz voice Tim Allen -- scored an A- CinemaScore, suggesting a positive audience experience that could boost sales via word of mouth. It'll need it if it's going to catch up to its budget, which is estimated at $200 million.
Like Jurassic World Dominion, form chart-topper Top Gun: Maverick remains strong this week. A full list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend is in the works.