When Ian (Tom Holland) turns sixteen, his mum (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) gives him a gift left to him and his older brother Barley (Chris Pratt) by their late father. When the magic spell their dad left them goes awry, the two brothers have to go on a quest to finish the spell so they can bring him back to spend a day with him.
The world the characters inhabit is one where magical, mythical creatures have forgotten about magic, and instead have evolved to be like us, using cars and electricity and the latest gadgets. Ian and his family are elves (though to be honest I wasn’t sure what they were supposed to be until a character referred to them as elves) and there’s centaurs, ogres, pixies, unicorns and everything else you could imagine. A Manticore (voiced by Octavia Spencer) is very funny and a spin off all about her would be welcomed.
The character dynamics are good, especially the relationship between Ian and Barley. People who have a close sibling relationship, especially with an older brother, are likely to appreciate it a lot. However, when there’s conflict between them, it’s resolved very quickly, and it doesn’t leave enough time for the things they say to one another to really sink in or have much of a consequence.
However, while this pseudo-magical world is interesting, it’s not fully utilised for the first half of the film. It’s a great setting and a great what-if scenario but it’s never explored to its full potential. While naturally characters and their relationships should take priority, the world they inhabit should have more of an impact on them than this world does. The animation in Onward is beautiful and the action-packed finale is entertaining, but what got the characters to that point was a bumpy ride.
Onward is sweet and fun but it lacks both the magical spark a story like this really should have, and that spark of Pixar magic Pixar films usually have as well. 3/5.
Sorry you didn’t love this one, but glad to hear it’s still a fun film! I’m Disney trash so I’m sure I’ll end up seeing it at some point, but I must admit it isn’t a film I’ve felt particularly excited by. I’m boring – I love my traditional fairy tales and I’m still waiting for Disney to give me a creepy Rumpelstiltskin film.
Haha! Yeah it’s not bad and is still a good time, but it’s not one I’m desperate to see again or anything.
Oh my gosh a Rumpelstiltskin Disney film could be incredible!
This was such a fair and balanced review. I usually love Pixar films. Is this still something you’d recommend checking out?
Thank you. Yes, I wouldn’t say it’s a waste of time to watch it, but if there’s something you’re more interested in I’d say watch that if you had to choose.
Thanks for the heads up on this one! I was going to try to go see it in theaters, but I think this one should wait for RedBox or something. 🙂
Yeah it’s one that while I don’t mind the fact I’ve seen it in the cinema, in hindsight I’d have been fine waiting for it to come to a streaming service 🙂