Onward (2020)


Fantasy is a tricky genre to pull off. Luckily, in the realm of animation, fantasy can run wild. Which brings us to our latest animated feature from Pixar “Onward”. Combining the fantasy world with that of the modern world, this film does its job well enough to tell out a fleshed out story of two brothers wanting to use magic to bring their father back to life. While it may not have that same creative oomph that a lot of Pixar films are known for, “Onward” does manage to deliver some very impressive art with the world that it's given. “Onward” is a neat blend of ideas, and concentrates on what it means to be a brother.

The story is set in a world where fantasy creatures and modern technology exist. One elf named Ian (Tom Holland) just wants to live life like every normal teenager. Ian's brother, Barley (Chris Pratt) on the other hand, enjoys role playing dice games, and is fascinated by the past. One day, Ian and Barley receive a gift from their late father: a magical staff with a gemstone and a spell that could bring back their father for exactly 24 hours. Now, the two brothers must go on a quest to retrieve another gemstone to bring their father back to life.

“Onward” has a lot of good things going for it.

For instance, the animation is very creative and well designed in a way that makes this world believable. From the character design to the backgrounds, everything looks great. Plus, the design of how the world came to be in its current state is pretty fascinating as well.

In terms of the acting, Holland and Pratt really have good chemistry with each other. On top of this, we also have Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer in good supporting roles that really deliver. The rest of the voice cast also does an great job with what their given.

And then there's the music, with two composers for this feature, “Onward” also excels in crafting a nice soundtrack. Although, it would have been nice to hear a bit more fantasy scores or songs to keep within the mood of the movie.

Finally, the story partakes itself in a simple quest right out of a quest from Dungeons & Dragons. It's simple, easy to follow and understand. But the themes that the story presents itself are the main focus here. Themes of resentment, loss, and most importantly, family are being presented here. “Onward” does manage to tackle all of these themes extraordinarily well.

The only gripes that I had with the story is that are that there are certain moments that become a little predictable, or some plot elements that don't make sense. For instance, there is so much of this world is fully set up, there's not quite enough time to be dedicated to world building here. A world is great as long as we explore it, but here, it is not explored in great effect.

Overall, “Onward” is a pretty unique experience that is sure to please the masses and bring forth a keen interest in the world of fantasy. And hey, at least this movie is a million times better than “Brave”.

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