Disney / Pixar
With the Coronavirus spreading across the country, theaters are being shut down left and right. This led to many films not being seen by the public. One of the films, which had a low opening weekend return, was Pixar’s Onward. Since theaters will be shut down for the upcoming weeks, Disney decided to release the film early on VOD and then eventually put it on Disney+ in April. I saw it in theaters opening weekend but was excited to check it out again and was happy that people get to see this film from the comfort of their home.
Onward is Pixar’s 22nd film and is directed by Dan Scanlon, who previously directed Monsters University for Pixar. Chris Pratt and Tom Holland lend their voices to two elf brothers, Ian and Barley, who live in a magical world full of unicorns, winged beasts, and the power to bring back someone from the dead for one day. Ian and Barley’s father passed away when they were younger, and they would take any chance to see their dad again. When Ian is presented with a staff for his 16th birthday, which belonged to his father, he uses it to try to bring his dad back, but it only conjures up the lower half of his body. The gem that powers the staff runs out and the brothers embark on a quest to obtain another gem to finish the spell.
Ian and Barley join the ranks of iconic Pixar duos like Mike & Sulley, Buzz & Woody, and Marlin & Dory. This is due to Chris Pratt and Tom Holland’s great chemistry. They are two very different characters and their interests separate them. They have one common goal and that is to spend another day with their dad. The journey they go on together allows for the characters to reconnect with one another which leads to an emotional ending. The two realize that they can’t waste any time since they only have 24 hours until the spell runs out, but the pair makes time to have fun along the way which strengthens their relationship.
Disney / Pixar
What makes this film so entertaining is the adventure that Ian and Barley go on. The world they live in has become accustomed to the normal way of life and hardly ever uses magic to get by. Whenever Ian uses the magical staff, the two brothers are in awe. They were experiencing magic for the first time and the film captured their curiosity about magic well. The film moves at a quick pace but makes each part of their journey thrilling.
Just like every other Pixar film, the animation in Onward is perfect. The smallest details in the magical world are treated with care and make it feel lived in. As the brothers go on their adventure, they encounter various creatures which are uniquely crafted. One of my favorite minor characters was Manticore, who has forgotten her adventurous ways and now runs a family restaurant. The manticore is a Persian legendary creature that looks like a sphinx and I love how Pixar designed the character while keeping the magical charm to it.
The trailers for Onward didn’t work for me and I went into the film not expecting much. I honestly thought that this would be at the bottom of the list of Pixar films. I ended up putting it towards the Top 10 for me on my Letterboxd account. This was a magical fun filled movie with great voice acting that I will be watching for years to come.
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