Take 5 Reviews
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Now Playing
    • The Blind Eye
    • Five Stars
    • The Rubbish Bin
  • Specials
    • Realm of MCU >
      • Multiverse Saga
      • Infinity Saga
    • Indy's Temple
    • Hallway of Horrors >
      • Scream 2023 >
        • Scream Reviews
        • Scream Trailers
        • Scream Accolades
        • Scream Timeline
        • Scream Factoids
        • Scream Morgue
  • Info
    • Box Office Top 10
    • Trailers 2023 >
      • Jan-Mar 23
      • Apr-Jun 23
      • Jul-Sep 23
      • Oct-Dec 23
    • Review Index
    • Page Index

Onward

4/22/2021

0 Comments

 
<<
Pixar Point
>>
Picture
Here in Ontario, Canada​, the pandemic really started for us around March, 2020. For many, 'Onward' was the last movie they barely managed to see in theatres, but for many more like myself, this was one of the first titles of the year to embrace the idea of simultaneous theatrical and home release (for a price, of course). So, once again, Pixar acted as a pioneer for a whole new concept. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this might have been the first movie to catch on, with a theatrical date of March 6 and a home release of March 20. 'Trolls: World Tour' has the first absolute for both releases, on April 10.

On with the plot in question, things take place in a fantasy world where magic used to exist, and be used by many, but relatively hard for anyone to master. Eventually, technology comes along, ironically making things much easier for people. The first example we see is the light bulb as opposed to having to conjure a light spell. Technology takes over, and these fantasy societies end up adapting to a present-day real-world scenario. I actually love that this movie suggests that magic might often be useless with the way things are now. Technology provides convenience, and that's pretty heavily illustrated in the beginning.

Our main focus is on two brothers, Ian (Tom Holland) who is celebrating his 16th birthday, and his older brother, Barley (Chris Pratt), who is obsessed with RPG games that are based on the accurate history of their world. So think of 'Dungeons & Dragons' as though it was based on accurate medieval history. Together, they live with their mother, Laurel (Julia  Louis-Dreyfus), who was widowed after the boys' father, Wilden (Kyle Bornheimer) passed away before Ian was born. On Ian's birthday, he comes of the appropriate age for his mother to give the boys a very special gift left to the boys by their Dad - a real wizard staff, and a spell that will allow them to bring their father back to life for a full day.

After a few failed attempts from Barley, Ian learns later that night that he actually has the magic within him to make the spell work. However, unable to keep the spell under control, Ian botches it. The only thing that managed to appear as the boys' father is a set of legs. In the process, Ian shatters the rare "phoenix gem" (which comes with the staff, and is necessary for such an advanced spell). This sets Ian and Barley on a road trip to find another phoenix gem, using Barley's knowledge of their history to help guide them. But they have to do it within 24 hours, or else they won't be able to complete the spell and see their father. For Ian, it's a big deal because he never got a chance to meet him, and as for barley, he only really carries a few memories of him.

As far as Pixar movies go, I wouldn't consider the the best, but it's still totally solid. However, I might also suggest that this was largely aimed at a certain audience. I'd say that if you've ever been into RPG games, things might mean a bit more to you when watching it. On the other hand, it is also about two very different brothers on a mission to see their Dad one last time. Having an older brother and experiencing the same kind of loss, this does hit me on a personal level as well. I wouldn't say it totally hits me in the feels, but it's not without a few moments here and there that remind me of the relationship I have with my brother. I mean that in all the best ways - like if I was ever scared to do something (as Ian tends to be), my brother might be found on the side lines, encouraging me (much like Barley does here and there throughout the film). They give each other a hard time, but there's definitely love there.

The film was Oscar-nominated under the Best Animated Feature category, but lost to 'Soul', meaning Pixar won anyway. The same thing happened at the Golden Globes, but that certainly doesn't mean that this isn't any good. I remember when it first came out and people didn't seem altogether sure what to think about it. For me, I basically thought Pixar had done it again with a lot of the ideas they had here. But perhaps its that it didn't feel like it spoke to the masses as opposed to geek culture with all of its mythical references. Still though, there's a little spark to this movie that I like. It parallels 'Ratatouille' or 'Cars' in that sense. It's a good time, but it doesn't quite reach me on every level.


​4/5

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Writers and Directors

    All
    Adrian Molina
    Alec Sokolow
    Amy Poehler
    Andrew Stanton
    Angus MacLane
    Ash Brannon
    Ben Queen
    Bill Hader
    Bob Peterson
    Bob Shaw
    Brad Bird
    Bradford Lewis
    Brenda Chapman
    Brian Fee
    Chris Webb
    Dan Fogelman
    Daniel Gerson
    Dan Scanlon
    David Reynolds
    David Silverman
    Domee Shi
    Don McEnery
    Doug Chamberlin
    Emily Cook
    Enrico Casarosa
    Erik Benson
    Eyal Podell
    Irene Mecchi
    Jan Pinkava
    Jason Headley
    Jason Katz
    Jeff Pidgeon
    Jesse Andrews
    Jill Culton
    Jim Capobianco
    Jim Reardon
    Joel Cohen
    Joe Ranft
    John Lasseter
    Jonathon E. Stewart
    Jorgen Klubien
    Josh Cooley
    Joss Whedon
    Julia Cho
    Keith Bunin
    Kelsey Mann
    Kemp Powers
    Kiel Murray
    Lee Unkrich
    Mark Andrews
    Martin Hynes
    Matthew Aldrich
    Meg LeFauve
    Michael Arndt
    Mike Jones
    Mike Rich
    Pete Docter
    Peter Hedges
    Peter Sohn
    Phil Lorin
    Ralph Eggleston
    Rashida Jones
    Rita Hsiao
    Robert L. Baird
    Ronnie Del Carmen
    Sarah Streicher
    Screenplay: Dan Scanlon
    Simon Rich
    Simon Stephenson
    Stephany Folsom
    Steve Purcell
    Tom McCarthy
    Valerie LaPointe
    Victoria Strouse
    Will McCormack

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • Now Playing
    • The Blind Eye
    • Five Stars
    • The Rubbish Bin
  • Specials
    • Realm of MCU >
      • Multiverse Saga
      • Infinity Saga
    • Indy's Temple
    • Hallway of Horrors >
      • Scream 2023 >
        • Scream Reviews
        • Scream Trailers
        • Scream Accolades
        • Scream Timeline
        • Scream Factoids
        • Scream Morgue
  • Info
    • Box Office Top 10
    • Trailers 2023 >
      • Jan-Mar 23
      • Apr-Jun 23
      • Jul-Sep 23
      • Oct-Dec 23
    • Review Index
    • Page Index