Pixar Is Moving 'Onward' And Upward With Latest Animated Feature
Starring Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Lena Waithe, Ali Wong, Tracey Ullman, Wilmer Valderrama
PG
Comedy, Drama
Run time: 1 hr, 42 min
Directed by Dan Scanlon
In theaters March 6, 2020
I hadn’t thought much of Onward when I first saw the previews - sure, it looked cute, but my thoughts didn’t go much further than that. I should have known better than to underestimate Pixar - especially when it is an entirely new property and not a sequel. The unassuming ones (hello Inside Out) always take me by surprise. And this was a pleasant one. It makes perfect sense - a solid voice cast, a fantasy element and a premise that’s unlike any other. It’s a winning combination, and one that was laugh out loud funny.
Two elven brothers (Holland and Pratt) who lost their father early on in life are given a present when the youngest turns sixteen: a spell that could bring their dad back for a whole 24 hours so he could see how his sons grew up. Unfortunately, the spell doesn’t go according to plan and they only get half of him - the bottom half. To get the other half, they have to go on a quest, a quest filled with magic, trials and revelations. It’s a hero’s journey meets a buddy cop story meets a feel-good family tale, and it’s a lovely, heartwarming combination.
It may be (definitely is) me spending too much time watching Marvel movies, but it was a delight hearing Chris Pratt and Tom Holland portray brothers when I’d occasionally picture it as Starlord and Spider-Man on this journey. However, it speaks to the quality of the movie that it managed to go past that. One thing that worked most for me was the fact that magical or fantastical beings just existed in the modern world. There was roughly five minutes of world-building backstory, but that’s all we needed to know. Lore is explained in the terms of a Dungeons and Dragons style game that turns out to be based on this world’s history, so we are able to learn along with other characters.
The final result of the story is fairly predictable, but you aren’t seeing this film for insane plot twists and turns. You see it for a family friendly film that will have something for everyone to joy. That’s what Pixar is good at - and that’s what it delivers with this film. It feels a tiny bit long, but it is full of laugh lines, gorgeous animation and a really creative take on a familiar storyline. Thanks to Pixar, it feels like we are beginning the slow rev-up into blockbuster season for the year, and this one comes with an unexpected short at the beginning as a cherry on top.