For many fans, a love for unlikely crossover begins early, at the toybox, where G.I. Joe might do battle with Stormtroopers or He-Man and the Masters of the Universe can team up with the Transformers. But even if you're some kind of purist who believes action figures from different franchises should never meet, you'll likely find something to appreciate in this new fan short.

Produced by Nukazooka, "Darth Vader Vs Buzz Lightyear" delivers exactly what the title advertises, with a realistic interpretation of a battle between the Dark Lord of the Sith and the pride of Star Command. Yet it's so much more.

Although the short is "realistic," it never quite stumbles into the dreaded gritty territory. Sprinkled amid the drama, laser blasts and lightsaber slashes, there's humor, such as when Vader wonders who this "Sir" Buzz refers to, or when suit damage briefly gives the Dark Lord helium voice. And while there is dismemberment -- it's a lightsaber battle, after all -- there's also winking acknowledgement that Buzz is still a toy: When his arm is chopped off, Buzz simply picks it up and uses it as a weapon before reattaching it to his body.

It's perhaps not a fair match-up, which will leave "Toy Story" fans with an unavoidable feeling of dread. However, the heartwarming ending more than makes up for that.

(via Fashionably Geek)