I get excited for a new Pixar movie. Almost everyone I know does. There’s something special about the studio that has created some of the best animated all movies of all time, something magic. Magic is certainly the name of the game with the studio’s latest release Onward – the story of two elf brothers living in a society where reality lives in harmony with fantasy, embarking on a cross-country road trip to retrieve a spell which can revive their father – and for the most part it succeeds, even if the story gets lost in some tropes and drags in the middle. Whilst it may not sit at the top of the pedestal of the studio’s releases, Pixar and director Dan Scanlon manage to bring enough heart and emotion to the story to carry you through the gorgeously animated environments. Combined with the terrific voice-work led by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, clever pop-culture riffing jokes and that Pixar charm, Onward is a film more than worth your time; a solid addition to the Pixar canon, even if you won’t see yourself going back to it as often as some of their other classics.
Onward tells the story of Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt), elf brothers who could not be more different in their personalities. Where Ian is shy and cautious in his approach to life, struggling to make friends and really stand out in his world, Barley is loud and bombastic, constantly getting into trouble as he crusades for the conservation of magical artefacts left over from ancient times, believing that magic could still be as prominent as it once was if people just believed again. On Ian’s 16th birthday, the boy’s mother Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) presents them with a gift from their father Wilden (Kyle Bornheimer), who died shortly before Ian was born: a magical staff from yesteryear. Powered by the Phoenix Gem Wilden has entrusted his sons, Ian discovers he has the ability to wield the staff, attempting to perform a spell of his father’s own design which will resurrect him for 24 hours to spend with his family. When Ian’s inexperience causes the spell to malfunction and the gem to shatter, the boy’s are left with a pair of sentient legs belonging to their father, and a quest to recover a long hidden Phoenix Gem in order to finish the spell and see their fully fleshed father.
A huge strength for Onward lies in the world building. Within the opening 10 minutes you have a complete understanding and appreciation for this extremely original concept: the melding of reality with fantasy. Trolls and Elves live in Mushroom houses on suburban streets, driving cars and playing video games just like the rest of us. Raccoons raiding garbage cans are replaced with rabid Unicorns and children attend school in a castle, learning everyday subjects like Maths and Sociology. It’s a clever device that adds a ton of charm to an otherwise fairly clichéd road trip buddy movie. You’ve seen the story enough to know that the boys will encounter troubles along the way and their relationship will be tested but you don’t care because everything around that story visually is just so delightful and jaw-dropping to look at. This extends to the jokes too, which for the most part, play off the unexpected, such as dangerous bikers in the form of 3 inch tall Pixies. One joke that doesn’t pay off so much however, is the character of Wilden, the boys father, or rather his legs, as he is seen as throughout the film. There’s something inherently stupid about seeing a pair of disembodied legs flailing around the place that elicits a giggle, but it gets old quickly for the older members of the audience, who admittedly, the film isn’t for, but Pixar adds enough jokes in for the adults to keep a smile on everyone’s faces.
The story is a different, more complicated beast. The central relationship between Ian and Barley is amazing, a true highlight that will leave you weeping openly in your seat in true Pixar fashion. Based on Dan Scanlon’s own family dynamic, there is a real focus on brotherly love and the lengths we go to as a family to stick together and that relationship works here in large part thanks to the casting of Pratt and Holland. The two Marvel superheroes have tremendous chemistry, really selling the brotherly bond and love between them, as well as the insecurities that go along with growing up without a father figure. As Ian struggles to find his path he looks up to his big brother, who is also struggling to move ahead without his father to guide him. Both actors deliver top notch performances, giving the story a lot of emotional weight and proving that their on-screen chops can easily translate to the animated space. This extends to the supporting cast too with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer turning in solid work as the boy’s mother and a fearsome restaurant owning Manticore respectively. While they are good in the film, the storyline they are given isn’t as high quality. Acting as a kind-of dull side quest to the boy’s mission, Laurel and the Manticore attempt to track the brothers to stop them from unleashing an ancient curse. There’s some good banter between the two and an attempt at fleshing out the mother’s devotion to her children but the storyline really just detracts more than it entertains, cutting away from the boys and causing the whole film to lose momentum as a result.
Onward isn’t a particularly original film for Pixar. It follows the studio’s tried and tested formula of encasing a familial bond within an engaging story and world and letting the lessons and emotion come organically. We’ve seen it done before with Woody and Buzz in Toy Story and Mike and Sully in Monsters Inc. and for good reason: it works. Whilst Onward doesn’t reach the levels of those films, what makes it stand on its own is the packaging of a realistic world merged with the fantastical. It is the film’s greatest strength outside of Pratt and Holland, disguising the shortcomings of the narrative with sheer charm and jaw-dropping visuals. When the time comes to hit the audience with emotional punches, Onward lands them, bringing the journey to a satisfying close and making you happy you stuck through the sometimes unevenly paced story. It’s a ride well worth taking and whilst the plot may fade from your memory, the emotions you felt and the Pixar magic never will.
Onward stars Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Octavia Spencer – Available to purchase digitally worldwide and streaming on Disney + in America now and in Australia on April 24.