Onward (2020)
There was a time where Pixar seemed to be on top of the animation world. Putting out original hit after original hit, Pixar finally reached its peak in 2015 with the release of Inside Out which gained mass critical and mainstream acclaim. Starting later that year with The Great Dinosaur, Pixar started to lose more and more of its prestige with a skyrocket amount of bland and straight-up bad films with only a few sticking out here and there as true classics. Whether this was due to the rise of sequels or increased pressure from Disney, Pixar slowly lost the same impact it once had, but if there ever was going to be a time for the company to return to its previous glory it would be 2020 which sees not just 1 but 2 original films from the studio with the first being Onward. Ian (Tom Holland) is a young elf celebrating his 16th birthday when his mother Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) gives Ian and his brother Barley (Chris Pratt) a magical staff left for them by their late father. The staff comes with a spell that will bring their father back for 24 hours allowing Ian to finally meet his father and Barley a chance to properly say the goodbye he missed when he was younger, but when the spell goes wrong causing only the bottom half of their dad to return it becomes a race against time for Ian and Barley to find a powerful crystal needed to finish the spell before time is up and their father disappears forever.
One of the major selling points of Onward going all the way back to the initial blurb released announcing the film is the world the film takes place in. Feeling like something out of a DND book, Onward takes place in a world filled to the brim with magical creatures, items, and locations adapted into a modern setting which stands out as a fun showcase of classic ideas and tropes mixed with creative and fresh changes. The plot itself also plays as a good DND game which has notable plot elements that feel as if they are going through the expected motions but also carries enough cleverness ad creativity to keep the journey these two brothers go on recognizable but fresh even to the avid DND player. Where this fun magical side to the film was one of the main selling points to it, the aspect of the film drastically underplayed in the trailers is the heart within itself. Where the idea briefly touched on in the trailer of Ian meeting his dad for the first time would have been emotionally rich enough to carry an entire film, Onward has so much beyond that to say specifically around the idea of growing up in an environment with a sick parent who passed away. From desires to meet your parent to the pain and struggle of saying goodbye for the last time, it is this heart and emotional maturity that propel Onward from being a fun Pixar movie to one of the all-time greats. Onward brings words to a conversation that both kids and adults might need to have and if it is a story that resonates with you in nearly any way, it is bound to be one of the most emotional films of the year.
Not only is that emotion brought to life by mature and bold choices in the plot but also by the ensemble voice cast brought together. Where the pairing of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt seemed a bit odd on paper their performances turned out to be one of the biggest highlights of the entire film. They are distinct yet have a chemistry with each other that brings the deep connection they have as brothers to life. They are bombastic and fun but also raw and emotional easily becoming one of the best pairs of voice performances in recent memory. After returning to the big screen with Downhill earlier this year, Julia Louis-Dreyfus also continues to impress with her performance in this film. Having to balance being a loving everyday mom while also being badass is not an easy performance to manage but Louis-Dreyfus finds the perfect balance.
Not only is that emotion brought to life by mature and bold choices in the plot but also by the ensemble voice cast brought together. Where the pairing of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt seemed a bit odd on paper their performances turned out to be one of the biggest highlights of the entire film. They are distinct yet have a chemistry with each other that brings the deep connection they have as brothers to life. They are bombastic and fun but also raw and emotional easily becoming one of the best pairs of voice performances in recent memory. After returning to the big screen with Downhill earlier this year, Julia Louis-Dreyfus also continues to impress with her performance in this film. Having to balance being a loving everyday mom while also being badass is not an easy performance to manage but Louis-Dreyfus finds the perfect balance.
Of course being a Pixar film, Onward also looks incredible when it comes to the visuals. The natural quality of the animation that Pixar has crafted is still mindblowing. It feels so natural now for their animation to include tiny but naturalistic touches like dust particles and nearly perfect shadowing that really helps bring the world to life and would have been seen as an unattainable goal not that many years ago. The film also has quite a bit of fun with the design of this world and multiple elements of it. A fantasy world squeezed into the mold of our modern society opens so many doors for creativity and Onward has multiple set-pieces and character designs that clearly capitalize on this freedom.
Where it might be easy to forget just how special Pixar can be, films like Onward should immediately restore that hope and real faith the collective audience has in the studio. Onward is one of the most emotionally touching and powerful films of the year providing a story that masterfully blends the fun fantasy adventure and real story that is going to connect with so many. Onward puts words to a conversation and emotions that so many kids face unprepared without support. In that way, Onward is not just a great film but an important film. It is a quest everyone should go on, just make sure you are ready to cry.
Where it might be easy to forget just how special Pixar can be, films like Onward should immediately restore that hope and real faith the collective audience has in the studio. Onward is one of the most emotionally touching and powerful films of the year providing a story that masterfully blends the fun fantasy adventure and real story that is going to connect with so many. Onward puts words to a conversation and emotions that so many kids face unprepared without support. In that way, Onward is not just a great film but an important film. It is a quest everyone should go on, just make sure you are ready to cry.