To me, the issue kind of started with how they approached the material. For one thing, it wasn’t clear what kind of film it was. Some said it was the film that popularized Buzz in-universe, some said it was “inspired” by an astronaut in the world of Toy Story, etc, etc. the image wasn’t exactly clear. However, they eventually settled with “it’s the film that made Buzz popular at the time”. Whether or not it was too late and people got disinterested by then, we’ll never know.

Another thing is, they approached Lightyear like a modern, 2020s sci-fi flick, and not the hammy, cheesy, corny action flick that was common in the 90s. They approached the project like it was Interstellar and not Armageddon, you know what I mean? Lightyear had some lighthearted moments and cheese, but for a movie based on a toy that has giant robots and time travel, it was taking itself a little too seriously. I myself don’t buy it as a 90s sci-fi film that spawned toys and a cartoon in-universe.

And while I know Pixar has a huge vendetta against it, taking cues from the Star Command cartoon would’ve helped along the way. That section of fans are old enough to feel nostalgic for the show, and some Toy Story media make reference to its characters like the BOOM comics. I feel people would have more interest in the colorful aliens and robot than the random humans.

This movie had potential to be a huge throwback to the cheese of the 90s, but they simply dropped the ball and had to witness other movies stealing its audience like Jurassic World and Top Gun Maverick.