Hello everyone and here is a new review of a Pixar movie, though this one will be a lot more recent. Yes Onward was among the last big movies released theatrically before theaters had to shut down and is the sophomore effort from director, Dan Scanlon, who previously did the Monsters, Inc. prequel, Monsters University (review coming in the near future) for the studio as well as working on other works of theirs. So he’s one of the more recent talents that the studio has at their disposal and this film is the one that is supposed to kick off a new wave of original Pixar movies now that their mostly done with making (often worthwhile) sequels. This is of course a great thing as it’s always awesome seeing Pixar do original ideas and I was really looking forward to Onward. I really enjoyed Scanlan’s previous feature, I thought the concept was really neat, trailers looked amusing and it looked to have what I like about Pixar’s movies. Glad to say then that this is indeed a promising start to this new decade of theirs. Now let’s head off on a magical quest to see how much magic Pixar still has!
In a mystical world beyond our imagination, magic once existed and used commonly throughout the land. It enchanted, and amazed yet was also difficult to master and thus due to technological advancements such as electricity it was mostly discarded, and became obsolete since it didn’t serve much of a purpose. Now in modern day everything is like how it is in our world only with fantastical beings residing in it and it is here where we are introduced to elf brothers, Ian, and Barley Lightfoot who live with their mom in the town of Mushroomton. The former is a shy high schooler whose having trouble with his self confidence as he tries to meet certain goals in life while the latter is the older, more outgoing type who is fascinated by magic, and it’s history so much so that he plays a whole role playing game rooted in it. During Ian’s birthday he can’t help but think about his father, who passed away before he was born, whom he never knew and what he was like. So it comes as a surprise when their mother, Laurel, gives Ian a present from his father which Barley recognizes as a wizard’s staff that comes with a Phoenix gem, and visitation spell which has the ability to bring their father back to life for one single day. While Ian does succeed (albeit accidently) in forming the lower half of their dad’s body, the gem disintegrates. Now the two most go on a grand, and glorious quest in order find another gem and complete the spell so they can bring back dad, but will they be able to do it before it’s too late?
When this movie was officially first announced back in 2017 I was immediately onboard with it it as I found the premise, and really the overall concept of magical creatures in a modern day setting to be something that while done before (like Will Smith’s Bright to name a recent example) is ripe with so much potential, and many possibilities and I ended up really digging how the film itself utilized those elements in a creative manner that made them tie into the main story of the feature. Not only does it provide some opportunities for some neat comedy, and visuals but it also brings up a lot of interesting ideas with how the film deals with the whole magic vs. technology conflict and how that can also be applied to the way we live today yet it never really picks one side over another and acknowledges both the pros, and the cons of each as well as really being about making the effort to go out, and experience new things instead of always playing it safe and putting in no effort. It even argues that there is always going to be some form of magic in the world even if things may not go the way we hope which is always a great, and hopeful message especially at this point in time. But really at it’s core Onward is a story about two brothers who just want to their dad one more time and it’s that drive that gives the movie it’s heart. The film of course has that effective emotion that Pixar is known for and it works really well as a mediation on grief, and loss and how that can effect someone but also how it is possible to move forward in life and still appreciate the life that we’re living. What makes it even more authentic is that Scanlon himself did lose his father at a very young age so this a very personal project for him and that shines through in the movie. It does sort of remind me of Up in some ways in that regard (though I think both handle their themes in their own ways) and the movie does a really nice job of conveying these themes to us with how the movie is constructed and how little character moments, and plot beats are payed off so well in the film’s climax which is incredibly satisfying, and perfect in it’s execution as I could not have imagined the film ending any other way and being as satisfying as how it turned out here. As for flaws well my biggest problem with the film is that the plotting, and pacing can feel pretty rushed at certain points mainly in the first, and second acts and this is something that has been a common occurrence in some of Pixar’s more recent features (or really a lot of other mainstream animated features) and I do wish that their movies weren’t always in such a hurry to meet a specific runtime and take the time they need to flesh things out. Still the movie does have a nice mix of character specific moments to go along with the more action packed/antic focused parts so it doesn’t derail the movie it just holds it back a bit. Still some unevenness in the narrative doesn’t detract from the stuff that really works about this quest.
As I mentioned above with the concept its a truly imaginative one that is well realized in this movie and the animators played a huge part in making that so. I know it’s become a bit of a cliché to say this but Pixar’s movies tend to be visually striking and this is no different as this is a very pretty film to look at and captures it’s setting really well. When it comes to the designs of the different characters they consist of different mystical beings such as elves, trolls, mermaids, cyclops, etc. that live in a contemporary setting in that they wear clothes we wear and so on and I think they do have an appealing look to them and it is enjoyable seeing what type of occupations some of the creatures would be playing like a bunch of Pixies being a biker gang being one such highlight. The movements of the characters are also well done, and smooth while the backgrounds are varied as we can go from a small suburban area that has nice fantastical touches sprinkled around to vast open lands, and dark, and eerie dungeons and it’s all looks great and has a lot of details yet they are still able to mesh with the cartoony design aesthetic of the characters. I also really liked the way the magic was shown as we see Ian use a lot of different spells throughout the feature and the amount of magic used increases as the movie goes along all the way up to the final battle which is a lot of fun and sports some very creative visuals (specifically one involving a dragon). Another stand out was how the dad’s legs were animated and how much personality was brought to a pair of legs which made for some neat visual gags, and even some heartwarming scenes as well. Also helping is Scanlon’s direction which is similar to his work on Monsters University in that he is able to bring a lot of energy, and excitement when needed (the highway chase involving the Pixie bikers is really thrilling) while also handling the intimate, character focused moments with the care required and he makes it work seamlessly. Let’s also briefly mention Mychael, and Jeff Danna’s score which also adds to the proceedings as it has a grand, sweeping, folkish feel to it with a bit of rock metal thrown in for good measure and it fits the mood well and does the job in terms of making us feel like we’re on a grand adventure. As always very strong technical work from the team at Pixar once more and Scanlon gets to show off his fine directorial skills again.
In my eyes if a movie like this is going succeed then it needs to have a strong main character (or in this case main pair) to make the audience invested in the journey, and Ian, and Barley fit that role perfectly. The former I found to be very relatable as he is trying to achieve certain goals in life (getting his driver’s license, making friends, etc.) yet struggles and is unsure of himself often and the death of his father has affected him a lot. His arc of becoming more confident in himself and ultimately appreciate what his life has to offer, and become his own person is very powerful and connected on an emotional level. The latter meanwhile helps him realize these things along the way and proves to be the (slight spoilers) father figure that Ian had right in front of him this whole time and one refreshing aspect about their relationship/dynamic is that Barley is fully supportive of Ian through the whole film, even when they fight, and will do anything to help. Plus his love of magic is an enjoyable character trait and plays into the story nicely. Also helping is Tom Holland, and Chris Pratt who respectively voice the brothers who both provide strong, often powerful voicework, nailing the personalities of both of them and they play off each other excellently (they nail the dramatic scenes in particular) making me want to see them work together more often in any future projects. The rest of the supporting cast is also fun to watch as I really enjoyed Ian, and Barley’s mother, Laurel, who is voiced by Seinfeld alum, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (always a delight to watch) as she is strong, caring, and willing to do anything to keep her children safe and she gets some of the funniest scenes in the feature. Another stand out is the award winning Octavia Spencer as Corey the Manticore as not only does she have memorable, and creative design but is also a very fun, relatable character going through something of a mid life crisis as she spends her days managing a medieval themed restaurant (I can imagine a lot of people relating to her outburst over what her life has become) while Mel Rodriguez’s Officer Colt Bronco is also an enjoyable character as he plays a not evil step father to Ian, and Barley (another refreshing aspect) and also gets his fair share of laughs. Overall their all well rounded individuals who all are affected by the events of the feature in a positive way and it makes the ending all the more satisfying.
Onward is a very promising start to this brand new decade for Pixar Animation and is a movie that I feel deserves more recognition, and attention (didn’t help that it was the last big movie to open before everything had to shutdown). It’s a really beautiful picture that has a creative premise, a well constructed story, effective emotion, some beautiful animation, relatable characters, great vocal performances, and a knock out of a conclusion. While it may have issues in terms of pacing, and plotting at the beginning that hold it back from being one of my absolute favorites of the studio it still works well on it’s own terms and it is refreshing in how it isn’t trying to scale the lofty heights some of the Pixar’s other movies have reached and is instead more focused on telling it’s own story and you know what that is great. Dan Scanlon once again proves himself to be a strong storyteller, and director and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next and I’m glad that he was able to make this movie that clearly meant a great deal to him. All I have left to say is here’s to hoping for more quality movies from one of the finest animation studios in the coming years and if Onward is any indication I think things are going to turn out very well.
Rating: A-
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