John Lasseter could have cast a “real” action-movie star as Buzz Lightyear, action-figure toy; but he needed a sweet doltishness that was nicely vocalized by Allen, who starred as a not-as-smart-as-he-thinks-he-is Mr. Fix-it on TV’s Home Improvement. There’s a tinny tone to Allen’s heroic declarations, suggesting an emptiness inside, at least inside the skull. In the first Toy Story sequel (another is due out next year), Buzz leads a commando squad to find the kidnapped Woody — he’s finally on the kind of mission he was born, or rather built, to carry out. In true action-hero form, Buzz also has paternity issues. In a tense chat with the space villain Emperor Zurg, Buzz intones: “I’ll never give in. You killed my father!” Zurg replies, “No, Buzz. I amyour father!” To which Allen-Buzz screams an incredible, Oedipal, “Noooooooooo!”
The Voices of Pixar
Pixar's Toy Story 3 hits theaters June 18, the latest project from the studio to arrive stocked with unusual vocal talent. TIME surveys Pixar's 11 feature films, and the peculiar voices that have helped these unforgettable stories take flight
Tim Allen, Toy Story II (1999)
Full List
Mastering the Art of Vocals
- Tom Hanks, Toy Story (1995)
- John Ratzenberger, A Bug’s Life (1998)
- Tim Allen, Toy Story II (1999)
- Mary Gibbs, Monsters, Inc. (2001)
- Ellen DeGeneres, Finding Nemo (2003)
- Brad Bird, The Incredibles (2004)
- Paul Newman, Cars (2006)
- Patton Oswalt, Ratatouille (2007)
- Ben Burtt, WALL-E (2008)
- Bob Peterson, Up (2009)
- Timothy Dalton, Toy Story 3 (2010)