Quarantine Binge: "Onward" (2020) Review
Editor’s Note: With no new theatrical releases for the foreseeable future, we will be reviewing a variety of old and new films that are available to stream on popular services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. For a full ranking of films in this series and to find our other reviews, please follow this link.
Plot Synopsis courtesy of IMDb.com: “Two elven brothers embark on a quest to bring their father back for one day.”
Directed by: Dan Scanlon (Monsters University)
Written by: Dan Scanlon, Jason Headley (A Bad Idea Gone Wrong) and Keith Bunin (Horns)
Starring: Tom Holland (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld)
Onward is rated PG.
Pixar’s Onward was one of the last films released theatrically before the nation shut down and is now streaming on Disney +. The animated film is set in a fantastical world of swords and sorcery where technological advancements have caused most people (or elves, fairies, and centaurs) to forget about their own magical ability. Rather than travel by flying, or use spells to create spontaneous light, society found it easier to drive cars and use electricity.
In this quasi-modern world, high-schooler Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) and his older brother, Barley (Chris Pratt), find a spell that would reunite them with their deceased father for one day. Unfortunately, the spell only succeeds halfway and brings back their father as a fully animated pair of pants. The brothers (along with their literally topless father) set out to find another magic gem to bring their father back in his entirety before the spell wears off completely.
We have seen a lot of films retell classic tales in a modern setting, but Onward still does a brilliant job of melding the high-fantasy world with our own. From a biker gang of pixies to restaurant names like The Hobbit Burger (“Now Serving Second Breakfast”), Onward is filled with winks and nods to classic fantasy tropes. Each set piece served as a novel deconstruction of some aspects of modern life with a creative spin.
Pixar films (and Disney films in general) do a great job of tailoring their humor to children without leaving adults behind and this one is no different. Even though they never get to physically interact on-screen, Pratt and Holland have great chemistry as brothers. Julia Louis-Dreyfus voices their mom, alongside Mel Rodriguez who plays a hilariously stereotypically stepfather (who happens to be a centaur).
If Onward sounds like a film for Dungeons and Dragons nerds or Lord of the Rings geeks, it absolutely is — although not exclusively. Onward uses its amusing setting to tell a rich story about loss, hope, and familial love that had me in tears. The story is straightforward but the film doesn’t go where I expected. Each shortcoming or disappointment suffered by Ian and Barley furthers the poignant message of the film that we can’t control life, only what we do with it.
Reel Rating: 8/10
Onward was released theatrically on Mar. 6, and was made available to stream on Disney + on Apr. 3.
