Onward Movie Review

Onward (2020)

Rent Onward on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Dan Scanlon & Keith Bunin & Jason Headley (story by), Keith Bunin & Dan Scanlon (screenplay by)
Directed by: Dan Scanlon
Starring: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Lena Waithe, Ali Wong, Tracey Ullman, Wilmer Valderrama, John Ratzenberger
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
Set in a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on a quest to discover if there is still magic out there.

Verdict
While I don't think this will resonate like some of Pixar's hits, the craft of story telling is still very strong. The movie is impressive, as heartfelt as any of Pixar's movies if not more. The basic story is a typical awkward teen must overcome, which has been done many times. While Pixar manages to create something that eventually feels fresh. The core concept isn't as unique as their other movies. The emotional impact at the end overcomes that, but for most of the movie this isn't very inventive.
Watch it.

Review
Going in, this movie felt like Pixar trying out a teen movie. The first half of this is very typical with the awkward teen needing a push to gain confidence. It's a little common for a Pixar movie, but I like the world. It's medieval meets modern day, and I wish we got to see more of the setting. It's a great idea that's not fully explored.  The school looks like a castle, business names are riffs on medieval lore. It's a nice way to juxtapose an epic quest and a realistic story. Ian is an elf in a modern fantasy world that contains all sorts of creatures from folklore.

Magicians faded out because of modern invention. Magic became unnecessary. There's certainly a parallel to the real world and how a lot of the 'magic' is lost with a focus on what's realistic and logical. The world has lost its wonder.

Ian and Barley.

Ian and his brother Barley are on a quest. They are the odd couple, opposite in all ways. Barley pushes Ian to be more adventurous while Ian is cautious. Barley loves role-playing games, and uses that knowledge to advance their quest. He constantly reminds Ian that his game, Quests of Yore, is based on historical fact. I'm sure there are a lot of table top RPG jokes in the movie, but I wouldn't know them, other than their quest begins at a tavern.

 

While the movie has a predictable arc, the conclusion is emotional. Pixar always manages to capture the emotion in moments. While there are a few twists to the formula, the end result is that Ian is a better adjusted kid than at the beginning. I really like how Ian's quest wraps up. It isn't the quintessential happy ending Ian envisioned, but it really works for the narrative. There's a happily ever after scene that I don't think is needed, but for a kids movie it's probably a valid addition.
Of course the animation is amazing as always.

The movie is completely entertaining, but it's not as inventive as Inside Out or Coco. It's closer to The Good Dinosaur which is still a great movie. Pixar has set the bar so high that it's easy to expect them to redefine a genre with every movie. Onward doesn't do that, but it is a stand out example.