Onward (Review)
Onward Proves that Pixar is the Best at What They Do.
Pixar always manages to make pretty magical films, and this time they did it literally with the fantasy flick, Onward. Being a huge geek myself, I was ecstatic to see the studio tackle their very own version of Dungeons and Dragons with that special twist they always seem to add to their movies. The cherry on top of Onward though is the impressive voice cast led by Marvel alumni Chris Pratt and Tom Holland. The two bring the full force of their charisma to bear, breathing life into a heartwarming epic that proves that Pixar has truly perfected their cinematic formula. It’s easily one of my favorite Pixar movies to date.
Onward tells the tale of elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot (Holland and Pratt). The two are polar opposites of each other with Ian being afraid of everything and Barley being fearless. Their differences are shoved aside as they discover that their deceased father left them a spell that could bring him back for one full day. Being a couple of goofy teens, they screw it up and only manage to bring back his lower half. Luckily, Barley is an expert when it comes to all things magical and comes up with a plan to bring back the other half of their dad. Together they set off on an epic quest to bring their dad back before they run out of time.
Pixar always creates incredible settings for their films. Onward is no exception, as it brings elves, pixies, dragons, and so much more together with a 21st-century twist. You see, the setting for the film is a world where magic was replaced by technology out of sheer convenience. Because of that, all of these fantastic creatures have been essentially turned into modern caricatures. Ian is a typical high school student trying his best to find a way not to be an awkward, anxiety-ridden teenager. His older brother Barley is pretty much the epitome of a Dungeons and Dragons playing, headbanging, fantasy geek, and a bit of a screw-up. The noble steed that they embark on their incredible quest on is a crappy van with a pegasus airbrushed on the side named “Guinevere” (who I love more than every character in Cars combined). All things considered, it seems like a world where magic simply doesn’t exist anymore. Yet, in typical Pixar fashion, that’s just so they can teach a lesson about the magic that the brothers manage to create on their own along their journey.
Both Chris Pratt and Tom Holland have both lent their voices to animated movies before (Pratt in The Lego Movie and Holland in Spies in Disguise) and they also appeared together in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Those experiences go a long way in making their characters so lovable in Onward. Ian is pretty much the elf version of Peter Parker, and there’s a reason why we love Holland in that role so much. Barley, on the other hand, is an excitable idiot and exactly the kind of guy I’d love to have as a buddy. They manage to pull off the “odd couple” polar opposite cliche perfectly, as they never fall into stereotypical pitfalls. The rest of the cast is pretty great too, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus playing their tough mom and Octavia Spencer playing a semi-retired manticore who aids them on their adventure. Both are especially good together as they chase after the boys, and I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel focusing on a “mom’s night out” with the two. All of them bring the perfect amount of energy to their characters to make Onward a wonderfully funny film.
Pixar isn’t a studio that takes it lightly when it comes to pulling on heartstrings. Onward is no exception as it tackles some delicate family dynamics that come with losing a parent. It never gets too heavy though and instead uses the semi-dark story element to study how this affected the two brothers and their relationship over the years. I won’t spoil the end for you, but trust that it’s a teary-eyed one. It also has a more lighthearted message at its core as Ian learns to believe in himself. Turns out that magic requires your belief in order to work, so Ian has to gain some self-confidence fast for the duo to complete their quest. As if that wasn’t enough, he also has to learn to trust Barley no matter how counter-intuitive it might be. Pixar seamlessly melds these elements in the story of Onward, and a lot of filmmakers could learn from director Dan Scanlon who co-wrote the script with Jason Headley and Keith Bunin.
Onward is an absolute delight. I loved the fantasy setting, the creativity that went into designing all the characters, and the beautiful animation. It’s a little less zany than some of Pixar’s past movies that feature living toys, talking cars, or personified emotions. However, I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all because Onward is far from tame. It’s one of the most epic adventures that the studio has created, and I was rooting for Ian and Barely the entire time. Despite being elves, they’re very believable human characters, and I couldn’t help loving them. Not only that, but Onward is an incredibly funny movie. The whole audience was cracking up as they dealt with biker pixies, mythical cops (one of whom was openly gay), and gelatinous cubes. I had a blast watching Onward and it goes without saying that I’m sure it will receive an Oscar nomination (Pixar films always do).
