Pixar takes you back to a time of originality with ‘Onward’

After a lack of original content for some time, Pixar Animation Studios comes roaring back with their newest film, “Onward.” The film tells the story of a pair of elf brothers who inhabit a mythical world that has lost much of its magic, being consumed by technology and modern day advances. When the two discover a way to potentially bring their long lost father back from the dead for a whole day with a magic spell, it becomes a quest to rediscover the magic that has been gone for so long.

“Onward” makes for a blast of a mythical romp. The film finds a nice balance to present both the fantastical and grounded elements to its world. While it could have been strengthened by a stronger satirical edge in presenting its grounded elements, the film nevertheless has fun with what it has to offer and finds creative ways to incorporate its wide array of ogres, elves, sprites and monsters into the familiar setting. As the plot progresses, the more fantastical aspects of the narrative take hold and introduce themselves to the plot organically, with plenty of excitement and engagement coming through as a result.

As with most Pixar productions, these elements all lead up to quite an emotional punch by the end. Without getting into spoilers, what the film ends up having to say is sure to resonant with many who have grown up in a specific kind of family household. The way this ending is handled is done with a great level of restraint, mature pacing and excellent visual storytelling that one may not expected from a movie about elves driving around in a unicorn van.

The characters who get you through this journey are also plenty of fun and deliver the heart of this story. Both Ian and Barley, voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt respectively, made for entertaining protagonist who were easy to attach to. Ian, in particular, could have very easily been an irritating character, but thanks to Holland’s natural charm, Ian becomes an endearing and easy to love hero. Pratt’s Barley works off him perfectly, contrasting from the twangy and nerdy Ian with a lovably boisterous performance that’s impossible to not get latched onto. The variety of side characters are also a lot of fun to see, with Octavia Spencer’s Manticore being an especially entertaining addition to the cast.

As one would expect, the film’s visuals and production values are nothing short of fantastic. The art direction contains exaggerated characters that inhabit realistic and modernized environments, reflecting the film’s internal conflicts in how the characters’s attempts to rediscover the magic in their world is thwarted by their limiting environment. The designs and animation itself are all expertly presented, containing a nice balance of grounded subtle work and fun, exaggerated expressions that lend themselves wonderfully to the medium.

What keeps the film from being quite as perfect as some of the studio’s best works comes with some of its pacing and storytelling choices. While the narrative is lots of fun and entertaining overall, the film does contain some minor B plots that feel somewhat jammed in to the main story. Despite being fun, they lack much in the way of meaningful characterization and at times are easy to forget as a result. The true emotional core of the film, while well handled at the end, could have been better implemented and sprinkled throughout the story to keep up the emotional momentum.

At the end, “Onward” still makes for a lot of fun that is sure to be a good time for fans of Pixar. While not one of the studio’s greatest, there is still plenty of the heart, great storytelling and exquisite animation that has made the studio a household name. For those who want to see a hopefully good start of the year for animation, then hop in your van and check out “Onward.”