ONWARD:
NOT ONE OF PIXAR’S BEST ANIMATED FILMS, BUT STILL A QUEST WORTH EMBARKING ON!
By Nico Beland
Movie Review: *** out of 4
DISNEY/PIXAR
Two brothers embark on a life-changing quest to bring their deceased father back to life in Onward, the latest animated film from Pixar Animation Studios and one of two films being released this year by the studio with Soul following in June. The film is directed by Dan Scanlon (Monsters University) in his second directing outing with Pixar and is a return to original animated films from Pixar following the back-to-back releases of Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4.
The movie looked interesting when the trailer first came out showing a bizarre modern-day fantasy world with all kinds of imaginative characters and creatures inhabiting this otherworldly suburban neighborhood, kind of like what DreamWorks did with Shrek years prior. However, the Shrek comparisons pretty much end after the modern-day fairytale world and Onward becomes its own unique animated adventure.
While I can’t say Onward is among Pixar’s best work, it’s still an enjoyable road trip movie, nonetheless with plenty of colorful characters, a strong brother-brother dynamic, dazzling animation, and a lot of heart. It isn’t perfect, but it’s a fun quest to embark on with your entire family.
The film follows Ian (voiced by Tom Holland-Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spies in Disguise, Dolittle) and Barley (voiced by Chris Pratt-The Lego Movie 1 and 2, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jurassic World 1 and 2), two brothers living with their widowed mother Laurel (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus-Seinfeld, A Bug’s Life, Veep) in a world inhabited by mythical creatures where magic once existed but became obsolete after technological advances over the years. On Ian’s sixteenth birthday, him and Barley are given a gift from their dad who had passed away when Barley was a young boy and before Ian was born, a wizard staff and a spell that can bring him back to life for one more day.
However, things get a little wacky when Ian performs the spell and only the lower half of their dad’s body is resurrected and with only 24 hours to bring the rest of him back, Ian and Barley go on a quest to find a phoenix gem to finish the spell. Along the way they encounter a centaur police officer (voiced by Mel Rodriguez-Getting On, The Last Man on Earth, Better Call Saul), a pixie bike gang, and the legendary manticore…named Corey (voiced by Octavia Spencer-The Help, Hidden Figures, The Shape of Water) as these two brothers race against time to bring their dad back while also learning that maybe the fatherly figure might be closer than they thought.
The film also features the voices of Kyle Bornheimer (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Casual, Playing House) as Wilden, Lena Waithe (The Chi, Ready Player One, Queen & Slim) as Specter, Ali Wong (Black Box, American Housewife, Birds of Prey) as Gore, Grey Griffin (The Fairly OddParents, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Avatar: The Last Airbender) as Dewdrop, Tracey Ullman (The Tracey Ullman Show, Corpse Bride, Into the Woods) as Grecklin, Wilmer Valderrama (That 70s Show, From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, NCIS) as Gaxton, and John Ratzenberger (Toy Story franchise, The Incredibles 1 and 2, Cars trilogy) as Construction Worker Felix.
Overall, Onward doesn’t quite have the same emotional powerhouse compared to other Pixar films, but it’s still a fun animated adventure with a colorful cast of characters, some humorous scenarios that at times can be very clever and well executed, and some legitimate drama and heartfelt moments. It doesn’t really tug at your heartstrings the same way as something like Inside Out, Coco, or even the Toy Story movies, but there are some genuine heartwarming and poignant moments when the brothers are reminiscing on their dad and telling stories to each other, one of them in particular that’s being told by the older brother (Barley) is so depressing and tragic I almost cried.
All the dramatic moments are beautifully handled and completely sold through the voice acting which is perfectly cast in this movie. Tom Holland and Chris Pratt both hot off the MCU work great together, Pratt as the fearless adventurer who wants to explore the great unknown and Holland as the wide-eyed kid in desperate need of a confidence boost, they both have some great banter between each other, get into all kinds of wacky shenanigans, and share a brotherly bound that’s actually quite touching, not to mention their character designs capture the likenesses of the actors portraying them similar to John C. Reilly in Wreck-It Ralph or Craig T. Nelson in The Incredibles.
Of course, the other voice talents have their moments to shine, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the most awesome mom in cinema since Sally Hawkins from Paddington and even had a moment during the film’s climax where I wanted to shout out “Yeah, go mom!” and Octavia Spencer is hilarious as mighty beast turned restaurant owner Corey the manticore with one of the funniest restaurant freak-outs since the McDonalds’ Szechuan Sauce incident (BTW Disney, if you’re reading this, bring it back for the Mulan remake!).
For the most part I was getting into the story and character building, but there are some issues I have with the movie and it’s mostly about the dad. The film doesn’t really show much of a connection with the brothers, mother, and father which makes it a little difficult to be invested in the quest when one of the characters is literally just a pair of walking legs with pants and shoes on without much of a character, had the movie explored more about the family’s relationship with their dad this probably would have been a lot stronger narrative wise.
Also, while the film has great character building, I can’t say the same for its world building, it’s just your typical suburban and city environment that films like Shrek and Zootopia had but with mythical creatures inhabiting it. The movie doesn’t really explore the world around it or show how it works, it feels more like a device to get the plot going rather than an environment you can be immersed into.
If you’re looking for an entertaining animated movie or something to bring the kids to then Onward is a good pick. Sure, it may not have the same replay value as other Pixar movies, but I think it’s a quest still worth checking out for at least a viewing or two.
From the blog www.moviewatchinpsychopath.blogspot.com
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