Tag: Chris Pratt

Thor: Love and Thunder

Post author By Mark
Post date July 11, 2022

After embarking on a series of adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy, a battle-weary Thor (Chris Hemsworth) prepares to seek out a life of peace before a distressing message from an old friend warns him of the threat of Gorr (Christian Bale) – a cursed being on a personal mission to end the existence of gods. When Gorr sets his sights on Earth and Thor’s ex-girlfriend turned super-hero Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Thor and Jane embark on a journey across the universe in search of a way to defeat Gorr and find meaning in their lives again.

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson, Taika Waititi, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan & Russell Crowe

Watch it now in cinemas

Love and Thunder is a Taika Waititi movie through and through, for better and for worse. 2017’s Ragnarok signalled a reinvigoration of the uptight Norse god – infusing Thor with a bro-ish charm and dim sense of humour and surrounding him with a colourful cast of characters – in a move that was unexpected but welcomed, packing all the action and emotional character beats that Marvel fans expected into an exciting new world. The sequel is Waititi fully let loose and in doing so, Love and Thunder loses itself in the incessant improvisational comedy Waititi so clearly enjoys. It’s not that it doesn’t work sometimes, but when the characters and story are sacrificed and you’re exhausted rather than elated at the end of it all, something isn’t working.

As a character, Thor has undergone a lot of reinvention throughout his many appearances in the MCU, and the start of Love and Thunder finds him in an interesting contemplative place. Pairing the God of Thunder with the Guardians of the Galaxy seems like the obvious next step in this reinvention, a natural segue into comedic hijinks that can exist on a smaller scale than infinity stone-seeking titans and Asgard-ending colossuses. Thor has been through so much, and it is natural that he should feel some fatigue. Waititi’s solution, then, is to shift this fatigue onto the viewer, completely undercutting any exploration of Thor’s mental state with joke after joke – rarely soliciting anything beyond than a chuckle – to the point where even the Guardians get so sick of it they leave.

Marvel movies have always leaned into comedy, with a quick quip often underpinning dramatic moments so as not to let things get too serious, but Taika takes Love and Thunder into full-blown comedy territory. The problem is quantity over quality. The Waititi schtick – off-kilter, improvisational one-liners interjected at awkward times – is so tired at this point, after films like Free Guy, Lightyear and Jojo Rabbit in the intervening years, that two hours of nothing else is simply interminable. Very few of the jokes here break from the formula, and those that do are rarely given more than a second to breathe before a handful more are thrown at you. This endless stream of gags wreaks havoc on the main storyline’s pacing, creating a hollow emptiness that often means you completely tune out until a serious dramatic moment is suddenly thrown into the mix and shocks you into paying attention again.

It’s a shame given Waititi’s track record. His films have always proudly worn their hearts on their sleeves and leaned into really dramatically resonant emotions, and those moments are buried here underneath all the comedy. Jane and Thor’s goofy reunion is underpinned by a heart-wrenching reality check that always threatens to boil over and create a genuinely moving scene, but the theme is never given a substantial amount of screen time to turn the tide against the onslaught. Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher could have provided a moving counterpoint to Thor and Jane’s journey of loss, and Bale is giving an incredibly fun performance here, but is tossed aside and seems to only be brought back into the fold whenever a studio executive has told Waititi that joke time is over and it’s time to get back to business.

Ultimately what saves Love and Thunder from approaching The Dark World territory is Hemsworth’s utter commitment to the role. Thor is as much a part of him now as Harry Potter is to Daniel Radcliffe and the film is carried by Hemsworth’s bumbling swagger and charm. There’s an ease about him, as someone so supremely confident in this character, that you as an audience feel a certain level of confidence in letting him take Thor in new directions knowing he truly cares. The comedy may fall flat a shocking amount of the time, but it certainly isn’t Hemsworth’s fault, and a lot of the jokes that work, only do because of him. The same sadly can’t be said for Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, who is saddled with some of the worst material in the film and given an incredibly rushed arc that doesn’t allow her to really stretch as an actor, outside of the impressive physicality she displays once powered up.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a truly disappointing sequel in the MCU but Thor: Love and Thunder is unfortunately just that. With a returning Taika Waititi that refuses to tone down his idiosyncratic humour and take the time to sit with his characters, the first fourth outing for a Marvel hero is a disappointingly exhausting one, despite Chris Hemsworth’s best efforts to imbue renewed vigour into a character audiences have loved for over a decade now. There isn’t much to love, but a few sparks here and there suggest the thunder could be brought back in the future, it just might be time that Taika took a step back.

5 / 10

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Tags Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Christian Bale, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Marvel, Natalie Portman, Pom Klementieff, Russell Crowe, Taika Waititi, Tessa Thompson, Thor, Thor: Love and Thunder

Ranked

RANKED – The Jurassic Franchise

Post author By Mark
Post date June 15, 2022

The Jurassic franchise has been a staple of the creature-feature genre since Steven Spielberg’s technology pioneering blockbuster hit screens in 1993. Since then we’ve seen all sorts of crazy dinosaurs, colourful characters and epic set-pieces as the series has evolved through the decades, culminating in the recently released Jurassic World Dominion. Here we take you through a ranking 65 million years in the making, to crown the apex predator of Jurassic films.

6. Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Dominion is the worst of the Jurassic franchise by about 65 million years and it’s not even close. What should have been a slam-dunk of a premise – dinosaurs finally unleashed upon the world and forced to interact with humanity – is completely squandered by returning director Colin Trevorrow, who instead gives us a story about a devastating locust plague. Just about everything else that could elevate that awful premise also drops the ball, as the returning trio of Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are forced into half-baked corporate espionage scenarios before being completely shoved to the side.

What makes this culmination of the franchise sting so much is the lack of respect for the dinosaurs. They barely register as anything more than plot devices, cropping up to give Chris Pratt’s Owen and Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire obstacles to overcome as they search the globe for their newly adopted daughter Maisie (Isabella Sermon). Far too much of Dominion is spent tackling the existential crisis of this young girl coming to terms with her genetically altered creation and, along with the locusts, works to reinforce a line spoken in Jurassic World that the filmmakers now seem to believe themselves: “people don’t care about dinosaurs anymore”. Only we do, and Dominion seems hellbent on wasting them every chance it gets.

5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Under the mantle of director J. A. Bayona and an approach that breaks all the franchise norms, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom unfortunately fails to find much success with its renewed outlook. In what feels like the first of two competing halves of separate films, returning heroes Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) are called upon to help protect the creatures they narrowly escaped from in their previous outing, as a volcano threatens to wipe out all prehistoric life remaining on the troubled island Isla Nublar. This opening is substantially better than the second half of the film, which meshes much of the better parts of the previous films while stripping back much of the unnecessary baggage.

The hardest pill to swallow comes in the form of the large tonal shift during the third act, which comes from a left turn into shady black market dealings, undercutting a more horror-focused haunted house adventure. As one complete film, this transition is rather jarring and isn’t helped by the cast of forgettable faces struggling to assist Pratt and Dallas Howard in keeping the film afloat. Toss in a needlessly bizarre plot twist and another big bad dinosaur hybrid that only exists for a big final showdown, and you’re not left with too much to recommend here. It does still have its redeeming moments, but Fallen Kingdom suffers from such an identity crisis in the two stories it wants to tell that it ends up struggling to find its footing in either.

4. Jurassic World (2015)

Jurassic World marked a fresh start for the franchise, over 20 years after the 1993 classic that started it all. Riding a much hyped wave of nostalgia, World made the most of every opportunity to appeal to long-time fans while attempting to lay the foundations for a new trilogy that would capture a new audience. It succeeds for the most part in the fan-service department, with several obvious nods to the original trilogy scattered throughout and the sweeping familiar soundtrack flourishes underpinning many of the film’s bigger moments. Yet despite succeeding as a decent celebration of the franchise, Jurassic World struggles to justify its existence and move the story forward in meaningful ways.

The plot here functions as a carbon copy of the original Jurassic Park – two siblings inexplicably become lost in a prehistoric safari, before forming a bond with a charismatic pair of dinosaur experts as they each confront their fears and weaknesses in order to escape. The problem here is that none of these pieces seem to gel together when the story plays out on screen. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) are serviceable leads, however each of them struggle to muster enough charisma to carry the film and their chemistry is almost non-existent. Claire’s nephews, Zack (Nick Robinson) and Gray (Ty Simpkins), have a contentious and troubled relationship that simply ceases to be a problem when the going gets tough, and each character very much ends the film where they began. Just about every other side character fails to leave a lasting impression, save for a woefully underused Vincent D’Onofrio as a slimy proponent for dinosaurs in the military. A fun time for a shot of concentrated nostalgia but one that fails to recapture the magic of the 1993 original.

3. Jurassic Park III (2001)

The forgotten Jurassic film, Joe Johnston’s third instalment in the franchise (and first post-Spielberg) is largely successful in recycling elements of the first two films to create a fun if forgettable sequel that never stops delivering in terms of sheer thrills per minute. Tricked into aiding the quirky Paul Kirby (William H. Macy) and his loud ex-wife Amanda (Téa Leoni) search for their missing son Eric (Trevor Morgan) on Isla Sorna, Dr. Alan Grant (Neill) is none too pleased to once again be face to face with the creatures that caused him hell so many years ago.

Unlike Spielberg’s films, Johnston isn’t shy about his dinosaurs and doesn’t waste any time showing them off, preferring to constantly assault the viewer with chase scenes and close calls in a bid to make them as fatigued as the central characters. It’s a different approach that works more than it doesn’t but bizarre plot choices – the infamous “Alan” and the repetition of the lucky pack and dino poop ideas among them – and a failure to really develop anyone hamper an otherwise good time. The film also marked the first time the series made the cardinal sin of ousting the T-Rex as king of the jungle, introducing a Spinosaurus that, whilst featuring some terrifying practical effects, never clicked with fans. Still, try going more than a day after watching without inadvertently humming the “Kirby Paint and Tile Plus” jingle. Look out John Williams, you’ve got competition.

2. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Often unfairly given a bad rap compared to its iconic predecessor, The Lost World is a fantastic sequel in its own right; one which expands the series’ scope and sets up some of the best set-pieces in the entire franchise. When John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) reveals to Ian Malcolm (Goldblum) the existence of a second dinosaur filled island and drops the bombshell that Malcolm’s own girlfriend, Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) has been sent to survey the site, he jumps to the rescue, with a young Vince Vaughan in tow, no less. Once there the group must contend with a rival team sent to strip the island of the dinosaurs, alongside the usual carnivores, in a desperate bid for survival.

You could argue that the sudden existence of a second island is a cheap excuse for a sequel and that The Lost World is simply more of the same, but to do so would be to ignore how hard Spielberg tries to differentiate his sequel from the first film, shifting the action to San Diego for a fun monster movie-inspired sequence and furthering the commentary on animal rights and preservation. Goldblum cements his Ian Malcolm as the true star of the franchise, with his trademark snarky wit stepped up here along with a newfound paternal instinct for daughter Kelly (Vanessa Chester). He has something to lose this time around, and that makes for a much more interesting lead. The Lost World is Spielberg expanding on one of his greatest films with an adventure that shows him furthering his talents for tension and expertly crafted action; another gritty, in-the-weeds adventure that is a far cry from the sterilised banality and exhausting world ending stakes of the Jurassic World films.

1. Jurassic Park (1993)

It doesn’t matter how big or vicious subsequent films made the genetically modified dinosaurs, nothing can top the original that proved a less-is-more approached was the perfect way to capture the wonder and terror of dinosaurs brought back to life. The 1993 original introduced the world to Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill’s iconic scientists as they explore the recently developed Jurassic Park; created by the wealthy John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) who spared no expense in his quest to revive dinosaurs from their extinction.

Spielberg takes his time introducing even the concept of a dinosaur, let alone the teeth-filled carnage that follows, allowing the audience to form a connection with the group who venture out into the park before things go terribly wrong. It’s apparent to the audience that Spielberg is just as giddily excited to bring these creatures to life as we the audience are to see them, treating them with a reverence and wonder that bely the horrifying experiences set to befall our heroes.

And from the moment that T-Rex escapes its enclosure he is on a mission to deliver nothing but non-stop thrills as this unfortunate group is thrown into a desperate struggle for survival against nature’s most effective killing machines. Jurassic Park isn’t only a great stride forward for cinematic technology or a ferociously effective thriller; it’s also a pivotal event in the childhoods of so many movie-goers, a spectacle from a time when CGI was in its infancy and the thought of seeing a fully realised, realistic dinosaur on screen was pure fantasy. Leave it to none other than Steven Spielberg to make that fantasy a reality.

Tags Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Colin Trevorrow, Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, Jurassic World, Jurassic World Dominion, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Steven Spielberg, The Lost World, The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Movie Reviews

Jurassic World Dominion

Post author By Mark
Post date June 14, 2022

With the park now destroyed and dinosaurs let loose to live amongst civilization, the world attempts to move on in uneasy peace, with Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) – usually at the centre of all the dino-drama – now attempting to live a quiet life off the grid with their adopted genetic anomaly of a daughter Maisie (Isabella Sermon). Meanwhile, paleobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) reunites with old flame Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to investigate a recently unleashed plague of locusts devastating the food chain, leading them to the mysterious Biosyn; a genetics company with more than a few secrets. When Maisie is kidnapped, Owen and Claire lead a desperate rescue attempt, pointing them on a collision course with Biosyn and two generations of Jurassic franchise stars.

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, DeWanda Wise & Isabella Sermon

Watch it now in cinemas

Dominion, the sixth entry and culmination of this three decade, dino-centric franchise is about bugs. Yes you heard that right: bugs. If that sounds stupid and strange then turn away now: it only gets worse from here. The premise that Fallen Kingdom so clunkily set up – that of a world where dinosaurs have been turned loose and walk amongst us – was one that fans have long been clamouring for and returning director Colin Trevorrow fumbles it from the get-go, with an introductory montage (filmed as a discount Vice special) showing off majority of the footage of these animals in populated areas in one go. From here we’re subjected to almost 45 excruciating minutes of needless set-up about genetically enhanced locusts that can wreak havoc on the ecosystem and angsty teenage tantrums from a girl who isn’t even sure she should be alive.

It’s clear that Trevorrow had a lot of ideas, wasn’t sure about which ones he wanted to prioritise and ended up throwing them all on-screen as a result. And that result is a dragging, muddy mess that completely squanders any goodwill afforded it through the return of Dern, Neil and Goldblum or from the simple pleasure of seeing dinosaur carnage on the big screen again – no movie about monsters eating people should be 2 and a half hours long, period. To fill that time he machinates about everything from preservation and mankind’s impact on the environment to human rights, instead of just giving the audience what they want: dinosaurs. Sure, Fallen Kingdom was heavy handed in its approach to preservation but J.A. Bayona was confident in his direction and brought some interesting ideas to the table, outside of Chris Pratt’s godawful body comedy and screeching supporting characters. Here whatever statement Trevorrow is trying to make is buried under a mountain of filler and fluff.

That lacklustre approach to the film’s message applies just as badly to its story. The rapid shift in character for Owen and Claire from ass-kicking dinosaur freedom fighters to doting homebody parents to Maisie – a girl they literally stumbled across in the last film – is totally jarring, with Trevorrow pushing aside the pair’s complicated on-again, off-again dynamic from the last two films in favour of a boring cross-country chase after Maisie. Then there’s the nostalgia-bait of the original film’s iconic trio, whose presence sadly barely registers as anything other than a last ditch attempt to win fans back amidst a sea of disappointment. There are some fun moments and callbacks to the original films and the three simply ooze chemistry, but it’s too little, too late in a film that insists on trying to force some kind of emotional connection between Owen and his once a pet, always a threat raptor Blue.

As for the dinosaurs themselves? They’ve never felt like more of an afterthought, with only a handful of interestingly directed sequences providing some genuine tension amongst cheap jump scares and quick flashes of half-baked practical effects. Rarely does Dominion deliver anything close to tangible dread at the idea of a 65 million year-old predator stalking mankind, preferring to litter the screen with a variety of new species. While its fun to see these new creatures get their day in the sun, they barely register as a threat before Trevorrow moves onto the next, with the biggest of them all – the Giganotosaurus – barely registering as anything more than a minor plot inconvenience than the king of the predators that it was.

Even if it wasn’t the proclaimed final film in the series, Jurassic World Dominion is so bad that it makes audiences wish the franchise went extinct long ago instead of bastardising the Spielberg classic like this. No amount of fan-service or callbacks can serve as a substitute for a compelling story and the one Trevorrow delivers here is as shaky as the science behind bringing dinosaurs back from the dead. Who knew that in the age of CGI spectacle we’d get a Jurassic World film devoid of dinosaurs? Maybe Trevorrow and co were too concerned with whether they could, that they didn’t stop think about whether they should.

3/10

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Tags BD Wong, Bryce Dallas Howard, Campbell Scott, Chris Pratt, Colin Trevorrow, DeWanda Wise, Isabella Sermon, Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic World, Jurassic World Dominion, Justice Smith, Laura Dern, Mamoudou Athie, Omar Sy, Sam Neill

Movie Reviews

The Tomorrow War

Post author By Mark
Post date July 6, 2021

Every streaming service nowadays seems to be gravitating towards big budget entertainment in the quest for dominance in the streaming wars. Whilst these types of films are usually reserved for the big screen, the recent pandemic changed everything, prompting studios to offload their films to streaming in the hopes of recouping their losses. The latest blockbuster offering comes from Amazon in the form of the Chris Pratt-led The Tomorrow War; a sci-fi action film in the vein of Edge of Tomorrow which has clearly been made with the goal of being seen on the biggest screen possible. The loss of that big screen sheen is felt considerably when viewed on a home TV but there is still a considerable amount of big, dumb fun to be had here, even if The Tomorrow War isn’t the most original or memorable addition to the genre.

The world is forever changed when a strange portal opens, revealing soldiers from 30 years in the future who are waging a desperate war for survival against an alien species dubbed the Whitespikes. In a global scramble, the governments of the world unite to initiate a worldwide draft, conscripting ordinary civilians along with military who are able to withstand the time travel process, to join the fray and save the planet from eventual extinction. When ordinary science teacher Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) is drafted, leaving behind wife Emmy (Betty Gilpin) and young daughter Muri (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), he discovers he has a more personal role to play in the fight for humanity than anyone could have known. Joined by the now adult Muri (Yvonne Strahovski) Dan races against the clock to uncover a weapon to defeat the Whitespikes before they can overtake the last secure military base on the planet and destroy the device which allows for the past to supply soldiers to the battle.

Sounds big and dumb right? That’s because it is. Are the complex time travel plot-holes glossed over and forgotten in favour of furthering the plot? You bet. Come in and start nitpicking the litany of nonsense and you’ll be disappointed. The name of the game here is spectacle and The Tomorrow War absolutely delivers in that sense, constantly topping each act with a healthy dose of explosions and wacky plotting as if Michael Bay had directed Independence Day, only with less American flags and product placement.

The quieter moments don’t work quite as well as they should, with the exception of the central relationship between Pratt and his daughter, which writer Zach Dean takes full advantage of, using the two versions of Muri as a way for Dan to do some self-reflection on how he treats his family in the present timeline. It’s clunky and not all that subtle storytelling but the tearjerker moments between Muri and Dan hit where they need to, offering a glimpse at a more personal side to Pratt’s otherwise infallible action hero.

Make no mistake – Pratt is the sole reason The Tomorrow War holds together as well as it does. His extremely likeable presence and general everyman demeanour helps to anchor even the most outlandish action sequences. Dan Forester is no Peter Quill from Guardians of the Galaxy but Pratt retains that charm and a smidge of the smart-assery that made that character so endearing. Forester isn’t anything outside the usual mold of characters Pratt has played but there is a reason that he is as bankable a star as he is and this type of relatable action hero is the foundation of that brand.

Outside of Pratt are a handful of solid enough performances, the most notable including an absolutely gigantic J.K. Simmons (who looks as if he’s ingested copious amounts of super-serum in order to finally catch that menace Spider-Man) and the criminally slept on powerhouse Sam Richardson. Richardson has consistently delivered stand-out supporting performances in comedies like VEEP and Good Boys and it is great to finally see him showcasing those skills in a big-budget film like this, even if his usual zaniness is somewhat muted. Apart from the odd joke from Pratt here and there Richardson is tasked with shouldering almost all of the films comedy and delivers more often than not, playing a scientist so supremely out of his depth in the field of war that he yells “shit” every time he fires a bullet.

The Tomorrow War is exactly the type of goofy, overblown fun that would be perfect viewing for the big screen, with action and sound that demands the most high-end systems to immerse yourself in the story. The loss of that environment does diminish the experience significantly but this is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously and isn’t aiming to push boundaries in the story or character departments, never pretending to be anything other than big, flashy popcorn munching entertainment. Pratt still proves himself more than capable of carrying these big tentpole films with his charm and the supporting cast around him all pull their weight enough to ensure boredom never sets in, with a new joke or flashy set-piece never far out of reach. The next Edge of Tomorrow? No. A silly, fun time sitting on the couch stuffing your face with snacks? You could do a lot worse.

The Tomorrow War stars Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge, Ryan Kiera Armstrong & J.K. Simmons – Streaming on Amazon Prime now.

6/10

Tags Amazon, Betty Gilpin, Chris Pratt, Edwin Hodge, J.K. Simmons, Jasmine Mathews, Keith Powers, Sam Richardson, The Tomorrow War, Yvonne Strahovski

Movie Reviews

Onward

Post author By Mark
Post date April 10, 2020

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.

Tags Chris Pratt, Disney, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Onward, Pixar, Tom Holland