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The first non-sequel Pixar movie since 2017's Coco, Onward is a heartfelt movie that, like Coco, deals with loss and death in an accessible way. Although the fantasy-adventure plot is fairly straightforward, the story may make even adults (especially those who've lost a parent) shed some tears.
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Teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley embark on a magical quest to spend one more day with their late father. Like any good adventure, their journey is filled with cryptic maps, impossible...
- (346)
- Dan Scanlon
- PG
- Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy, Animation
Mar 20, 2020 · “ Onward ” springs from a deeply personal place and nestles on a heartbreaking premise: the possibility of being able to spend just one more day with a parent who has passed away. But the high-energy, pop-culture-heavy result feels frantically eager to please, until it tries to yank at your heartstrings in the by-now familiar formula of ...
- Pixar brings magic to suburbia with the winsome fantasy-adventure Onward.
- Every Upcoming Disney and Pixar Animated Movie
- Verdict
By Kristy Puchko
Updated: May 25, 2021 8:59 pm
Posted: Feb 21, 2020 5:00 pm
This review has been updated since its original publish with added context regarding the official score.
Through tales of toys, cars, monsters, robots, and rats, Pixar has created a reputation for jaw-dropping cinema that speaks to the tenderest parts of the human experience. Their latest offering, Onward, centers on an average teen boy, who has totally common concerns. He frets over making friends. He fears learning to drive, and he worries over what path to take to become a good man, like his late father. The only thing that sets this plucky hero apart from the boy next door is that Ian Lightfoot is an elf.
Directed by Dan Scanlon, Onward is set in a world of elves, centaurs, Cyclopes, satyrs, and pixies, a world that was once full of magic, wonder, and adventure. However, once technological advances lead to a slew of modern conveniences like indoor lighting, gas stoves, and cell phones, these mythical creatures gave up on their wild side, turned their backs on the relics of old, and lost touch with magic. Nowadays, they live in a cozy town where houses are shaped like toadstools, skyscrapers have castle-like towers, and instead of raccoons rummaging through garbage cans, they've got mangy, hissing unicorns.
But magic isn't easy. One wrong move and poof: their dad is only half back. The bottom half, loafers to purple socks to pleated khakis, then just nothing but a bit of blue mist above his belt. Now, Ian and Barley must team up on a quest for an ancient artifact that will give them a second crack at this reunion. And they must do it before the clock runs out!
It's a charming story that will tug at your heartstrings from the very start with its tale of father-son yearning and brotherly love. Then the waist-high Dad twist gives a jaunty weirdness that allows for a slew of silly visual gags, some of which seem snatched from Weekend at Bernie's. Much like the Monsters Inc. movies, Onward makes the most out of its fantastical setting by dropping in all kinds of curious creatures in thoughtful ways. Instead of a giddy puppy scampering underfoot, the Lightfoot family has a little pet dragon. Instead of a mounted police officer, this neighborhood is looked after by centaur cop named Officer Colt Bronco (a bouncy Mel Rodriquez). And rather than your biker gang of big, burly dudes, there's a gang of mostly female pixies, who are small yet just as burly and raring to tear down the road and fly into the fray.
An impeccable voice cast brings these legendary creatures to vibrant life. As he has for the MCU's Spider-Man, Holland delivers an aw-shucks sweetness as Ian, playing flustered and fascinated with equal gusto. Pratt brings his signature blend of goofiness, giddiness, and a bro-y bravado to Barley, creating a D&D nerd who breaks the stereotype's confining mold. Louis-Dreyfus gives Big Mom Energy with plenty of warmth, edged with never-say-die moxie. Together, the three of them paint a tonal tapestry that glistens with intimacy, which makes the family's moments of tribulations and triumphs gloriously resonant. However, the scene-stealer of Onward is Octavia Spencer as the Manticore, claws down.
A storied actress who has gamely dived into prestige drama (Hidden Figures), twisted sci-fi (Snowpiercer), irreverent comedy (Drunk History) and even psycho-biddy horror (Ma), Spencer brings her diva grandness to this mighty beast, who has the claws and brawn of a lion, the stinging tail of a scorpion, and massive bat-like wings. When we first meet the Manticore, she's lost touch with her savage side and has turned her once rowdy tavern into a family-friendly theme restaurant where tater tots are handed out far more often than quests. However, Ian and Barley aren't the only parties who set out for adventure in Onward. A B-plot involving the Manticore not only allows for some more grown-up-aimed gags (like jokes about seedy pawn shops and cramped cars) but also gives Spencer room to spread her wings and get wild. And her excitement is absolutely contagious.
Filmmaker Dan Scanlon has crafted an adventure that gleefully flies high with its fantasy elements, yet never loses touch with its grounded family tale. In that regard, it feels like '80s Amblin, but without being a stodgy homage. It's got charm from its playful production design to its exuberant voice cast to some deeply silly visual gags. (My fav...
Mar 6, 2020 · Onward: Directed by Dan Scanlon. With Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer. In a magical world full of technological advances, elven brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot set out on an adventure to resurrect their late father for a day.
- (172K)
- Animation, Adventure, Comedy
- Dan Scanlon
- 2020-03-06
Feb 21, 2020 · Onward (2020)88%. Critics Consensus: It may suffer in comparison to Pixar's classics, but Onward makes effective use of the studio's formula -- and stands on its own merits as a funny,...
Feb 21, 2020 · Chris Pratt and Tom Holland voice elf siblings on a magical quest to spend one day with their late father in Pixar's fantasy adventure 'Onward,' from 'Monsters University' director Dan Scanlon....
