Onward: Go On and See This Movie!

This movie has actually been one of my most anticipated of the year. I've been really excited to see this movie ever since it was announced. When I read that Tom Holland and Chris Pratt were going to be in a Pixar movie, I was thrilled. This movie was kind of personal to me as well. It deals with two brothers who lost their father at a young age and they're trying to see him again. This hit home for me since I lost my dad when I was younger. I had a connection to it. I just wanted to get that out there before the review.

Onward is directed by Dan Scanlon and stars Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Octavia Spencer. When Ian Brightfoot (Holland) gets a wizard staff for his 16th birthday, he has the opportunity to bring the dad he never knew back for an entire day. Things backfire, however, when only half of his dad comes back. Now, Ian and his brother Barley (Pratt) must go on a quest so they can see their father again. With all of that out of the way, let's dive into the review!

In case you couldn't tell from the title, I loved this movie. Actually, as I'm writing this, I've already seen it twice. Pixar, as per usual, has another beautiful story on their hands. There's so much to love about this movie, particularly the characters. Ian is a very shy, uneasy elf. He's not too sure of himself and he's very scared to try new things. What drives him throughout this whole story is the chance to meet his father. Barley, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He's outgoing, loud, and very energetic. He knows everything about quests and wizards, so he's a mentor to Ian throughout the film. Barley also has what Ian doesn't: some memories of his dad. That's where this movie shines. It's set in this fantastical world (more on that in a bit), but it's telling a very human story: two boys trying to see their father again. What really helps tell this story is the two brothers and a major part of that is the casting. Holland and Pratt have great chemistry with each other. It helps that they've worked together before (Infinity War). Usually with animated movies, the actors record their lines by themselves. They don't really interact with the other cast members. I watched some behind the scenes for the movie and I found out that Pratt and Holland actually recorded their lines together. That was good to hear because it adds a lot to the movie. They really bounce of each other pretty well. Holland is great as Ian. He does a good job of really letting the audience root for him. We feel bad when he messes up. Pratt is also great as Barley. He's similar to the other characters Pratt has played: a lovable fool, with a heart of gold. The humor is great in this film. A lot of it comes from the fact that the boys are dragging their father's legs with them. There's a lot of physical comedy that comes with this. The characters are also really funny too. Onward isn't afraid to get emotional, though. I teared up about four times, and that's being generous. There's one scene in particular that comes to mind between Barley and Ian. Barley is talking about a memory he had with his dad and it's extremely touching (I won't get into details because it's a spoiler). The whole movie is full of heart. Then again, it's a Pixar movie. I'd be pretty worried if it wasn't. I mentioned earlier that the story is set in a fantastical world. In a way that's a lie. While it's true that there are elves, manticores, and centaurs running around, the funny things is that they're pretty much like us. They drive cars, go to work, have fast food restaurants, and a lot of other human things. Earlier in their history there were wizards, but that all changed when an elf discovered electricity. Now they're just like us. It's such a neat concept (yes, I know the movie Bright did something similar but this movie shows more of it). That's what's so great about Pixar. They have fantastic concepts for their films. Whether its toys talking, monsters scaring for a living, or a fish trying to look for his son, they pretty much always bring their A game. It's no different here. At several points in the movie, Barley mentions a board game that's pretty similar to Dungeons & Dragons. He goes on to say that it's historically accurate. I thought this was just him being hopeful, but, it makes sense. There were wizards and dragons in their history. I just got it confused with ours since this creatures are doing such human things. What really helps bring this world to life is the animation. It's absolutely beautiful. There's so much attention to detail. The rivers look like actual rivers and the fields look like a photograph. You could see the dust particles in Ian's room and the beads of sweats going down his face when he's nervous. I'm blown away by what Pixar (and other animation studios) can do now. It's insane.

There's really not a lot of negatives about this movie. Some things I can't really go into too much detail about because they're spoilers. There is a subplot with the boys' mom, Laurel (Louis-Dreyfus) and a manticore named, well, The Manticore (Spencer) that I could've done without. Yes, it adds to the overall story, but it's a part of the narrative that I wish was taken out because it holds the movie back a little bit. That being said, in a roundabout way, it does add to the message of the movie, which I will not spoil. Other than that, I really didn't have any problems with the movie.

To wrap everything up, Onward is another hit for Pixar. The characters are great, the cast has great chemistry, there's a ton of heart and humor, it's not afraid to yank on the heartstrings, the world is really cool, and the animation is fantastic. The only thing that holds it back is a subplot that I wish was scrapped. But that's a very minor gripe. I really think that you should see this movie because it's a great, heartfelt, original story. Please go see it. This was one of my most anticipated movies of the year and it really lived up to my expectations. Be sure to hug your parents, siblings, and any other family after you see it, too. If I were to rate it, I'd give Onward a 9.5/10. Also bring tissues!