ONWARD - REVIEW

Onward, directed by Dan Scanlon and starring Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Tom Holland (the most recent Spider-Man films) is yet another feather in Pixar’s cap.  While it doesn’t rank among their best, it continues their tradition of mixing humor and emotion for compelling storytelling.  Once again, Pixar manages to make a family-friendly film that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.

Taking place in a land inhabited by all types of mythical creatures, including elves, centaurs, and pixies, the film follows two elven brothers, Ian (Holland) and Barley (Pratt) as they set off on an adventure to find a Phoenix Gem.  Doing so will enable them to perform a spell written by their late father, that will bring him back to life for one day. It’s a race against time, however, as the spell was inadvertently begun, only conjuring a pair of legs, and the brothers only have 24 hours to complete the spell before their chance to see their father again disappears forever.

While the land and creatures are all beautifully rendered, and the art style is striking, I was a bit turned off by its modern spin.  Even though it’s revealed early on that magic was too difficult to master, and so the land’s inhabitants instead advanced through technological means, a land occupied by gas stations, restaurants, and freeways feels a tad uninspired.  To be fair, the target audience, children, might not mind; but then again children are dumb.

As the adage goes, it’s the journey, not the destination, and Pixar once again puts its heroes on one wild and fun quest.  However, the adults might be a little too far ahead of our characters in terms of what they’re really after, and where they’ll ultimately end up.  Still, watching Ian and Barley discover what’s truly important, and what they’re made of, definitely makes for an entertaining ride well worth taking.  Pixar knows their stuff and is able to bring everything together for a satisfying conclusion that is both exciting and moving.

One thing Pixar always nails is the cast.  Holland and Pratt are great together, playing off each other wonderfully, easily pulling off the brotherly dynamic that the film is ultimately about.  Mel Rodriguez (television’s The Last Man on Earth) steals the show as a centaur police officer, who is also dating Ian and Barley’s mother played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus (TV’s Veep).  Octavia Spencer (The Help) is fun as Corey, an Manticore (another miss) who has shunned her adventurous past and instead runs a tavern-turned-family restaurant as a means to simply get by after magic was traded for convenience.

Again, not the best Pixar movie by any stretch, but that comparison is hardly fair.  It’s a funny, sweet adventure that I would recommend to any dumb child, and any adult who hasn’t let their inner dumb child die.