ONWARD / CERT: U / DIRECTOR: DAN SCANLON / SCREENPLAY: DAN SCANLON, JASON HEADLEY, KEITH BUNIN / STARRING: TOM HOLLAND, CHRIS PRATT, JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / RELEASE DATE: MARCH 6TH
Pixar has a reputation for quirky yet heart-warming ideas, and their latest offering, Onward does not break this mould. It’s a pretty straight forward premise (at least for a Pixar movie): take a fantasy setting and push the technology forward so it resembles the modern day. It’s an idea that seems familiar, but rather just dropping elves and pixies into the modern world, Onward takes a fantasy world and just asks ‘what if they stopped using magic, because magic is hard?’.
The result is a fun and coherent fantasy setting, and the background to an adventure romp that is in part a love letter to fantasy tropes, specifically fantasy roleplaying games. It’s also a meditation on both grief and the impact that an absent father can have on a family. The tale opens on the birthday of Ian Lightfoot (Holland). He’s a shy young elf who has difficulty making friends and likes making lists. His brother Barley (Pratt) is a large, loud, and confidant chap who loves playing games and is fascinated with the past. He’s also prone to getting into trouble, as his nostalgia for bygone times keeps rubbing up against modern standards. A birthday gift from their long dead father, kept secret from them until they both came of age, sends the two brothers on a quest of magical discovery.
Obviously, as this is a Pixar movie so it turns out that magic and emotional honesty are tied to each other. This is a tale of two brothers (and their mom) discovering more about themselves than the actual quest. It’s also incredibly geeky and proud to be so. The movie goes out of its way to reference the Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual, and also goes that extra mile to confirm that the inspiration behind this story is less about Tolkien and more about people.
This makes a lot of sense in context of the story; fantasy gaming is about coming together as a group to solve problems that seem impossible after all. Pacing wise, this is solid family fare and though they are plenty of emotional moments throughout, there’s nothing here that’s particularly challenging or unique. It fails to pull the same sort of surprises as Inside Out or even Toy Story, but none the less, it’s delightful. The world-building is solid though a little bit simplistic; for a movie inspired by fantasy tropes, it’s a little light on detail, and it feels that depth has been sacrificed for the sake of accessibility. Holland and Pratt are, of course, superb, with Pratt especially tapping into his Parks and Recreation comedy chops to deliver an earnest yet endearing performance. Though not a classic, it’s a fun feature with something for everyone.
