Much like the lovable elven character at its core, Pixar’s ONWARD finds the legendary animation studio going on a grand quest. Their first foray into original territory since 2017, they venture into an imaginative new world in hopes of once again uniquely tapping into deeply human emotions and profound themes, all while making audiences laugh hysterically and ugly cry in the process. But across this latest journey – one that’s often funny and heartfelt and with a wealth of treasures at its feet – so rarely are truly precious gems unearthed that would make this the epic quest it has the potential to be.
Set in a magical world filled with mythical creatures but where there’s little magic left after the discovery of electricity and the advent of Facebook (Elfbook? MageBook? TrollBook?), we’re introduced to Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland), a lonely young elf who, sadly, didn’t get to meet his father before he passed. What family he has left includes his mother, Laurel, (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and his adventure-seeking, lore scholar brother, Barley (Chris Pratt), whose obsession with Dungeons & Dragons/Magic: The Gathering-style games can actually be considered doing homework. After being given a wizard staff on his birthday, and with it a spell to bring back his dad for one day — which gets messed up and leaves them with only the bottom half of their poor dad — Ian and Barley set out on a quest to gain a magic gem to fully bring him back to life.
Audiences may be quick to notice that after SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, this is the second major movie aimed at little ones in the last month to have the road trip angle, but luckily ONWARD has a bit more going on thanks to some of that reliable ol’ Pixar ingenuity. Much like another Disney animated movie, ZOOTOPIA, the world we’re set in here is not unlike our own, but in place of your boring, average humans, you have mythical creatures and beasts, like a centaur as a policeman or a lizard woman as a sketchy pawnbroker. Even their dirty trash raccoons are better than ours, with deranged unicorns digging for treats in the garbage. Across their road trip, their half-order-of-father in tow, Ian and Barley come face to face with several aspects of this big world that have lost their splendor – like the mighty Manticore, whose tavern of quests has been turned into a Chuck E’ Cheese-style joint, and pixie bikers who have forgotten how to fly, so they ride very loud motorbikes – each one taking about a dozen pixies to operate.
These moments, being perfectly colorful and clever, have a fun time putting a mythological slant on the modern world. In the case of The Manticore (now going by just “Corey”, voiced by Octavia Spencer), she was once a feared beast and warrior who slew countless foes, but is now reduced to passing out kid’s menus and fixing karaoke machines for trollish (literally) bachelorettes. Spencer gets to unleash some of her comedic chops, at once manic and stressed as Corey, all before – with a little prodding by Ian – unleashing her fiery rage on patrons and reclaiming her warrior spirit. Her performance is so perfectly animated and unhinged, and it’s a shame she doesn’t get to go on the main quest, even though it’s not the last we see of her.
The running theme of this scene, as with many of the following and as Ian learns to hone his Mage skills, is the rediscovery of magic, and how that can bring out the best sides of, well, anyone. As powerful as a message that is to explore – especially in the hands of Pixar, this setting, and meshed with greater themes of grief and loss – the end result is sadly, far less extraordinary and impactful as it could be. These moments of magical rediscovery feel done more for the purpose of action and comedy than anything else, with Barley informing Ian of new spells just in the knick of time to get them out of any jam they need to. These make way for big sight gags and action set pieces, which to director Dan Scanlon and the animation team’s credit, make for some of the best Pixar action outside of THE INCREDIBLES. But as exciting and often funny as the adventure can be, the movie, ironically, lacks the special kind of magic to make it truly resonate.
That even goes for two of the most reliable qualities of a Pixar movie — the animation and sense of humor. For the latter, you can expect to laugh as you scope out myth-based puns here, and there's plenty of manic, goofy humor from Barley and Corey. But oddly, this is one Pixar movie where the big laughs are far between, and it could've benefitted from some more creative pieces and characters the world has to offer. On the animation front, the detail put into creating the characters and their environments is immaculate. Even though a chunk of the adventure takes place at night, with little scenery to admire, the way colors shine against the blackness of streets and trees lends a surprising amount of realism. But the real magic comes during the day scenes when breathtaking landscapes show just how vast a reach the animation has.
And that’s what lands ONWARD in the bottom tier of Pixar’s canon. For the treasure chest of potential this story and world is sitting on, so few times does it actually open up the box and pluck out something truly special. So much time is spent simply playing in this big sandbox of mythology-based gags, that a lot of the true depth and heart is lost in the chase. Take for instance the half-father bit. From the moment he’s conjured (half-conjured), he’s used as a WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S gag, with them even dressing him up and getting into all sorts of shenanigans. Never mind he is the entire purpose of the boys’ trip, his presence of huge emotional significance for Ian. Jason Headley and Keith Bunin’s script doesn’t quite know how to push the concept beyond obvious jokes.
The same goes for the B-plot of Laurel teaming with Manticore (told you she would be back!) to find her boys. As the caring mother with a warrior’s heart, their storyline makes for a nice change of pace, especially if it gives us more scene-stealing Spencer. But, again, here is a character who could’ve been given so much more development beyond tracking down her boys, and even Corey has a whole, relatable arc that goes ignored. Louis-Dreyfuss is a marvelous talent, and paired with Spencer we could’ve had something special, but aside from their involvement with the climax, there’s little reason to feel involved with their scenes.
As for the main duo, Holland and Pratt prove just as charming in their voice roles as they can be in live-action films, and they make for a perfect pair here. Even if their adventure isn’t as epic as it could be, so much fun and sweetness are earned from their interactions. Pratt’s Barley is enthusiastic and full of theatrical gusto, which masks a deep sense of regret over a moment before his father’s passing. Bouncing off his braggadocio is Holland’s sheepish Ian, lonely and a bit more open about feelings than Barley. They’re both funny and worth rooting for in their roles, and you can feel the brotherly love growing with each scene. There is tension between them, with Barley’s embarrassing behavior and gut reactions pushing Ian to his limit, but not much is done with that area of their dynamic until the end. So much of their time together is about discovering new magic and getting in and out of jams, that whatever conflict is there is quickly ironed out and they go about their quest. Like much in the movie, the pieces are there for some truly resounding moments, but they're not put together as well or as often as they need to be.
But the things I seem to care about probably won’t matter to parents and their kids, and surely many will be touched by the exploration of family, brotherhood and dealing with lost loved ones. All the ingredients of a great Pixar movie are there, with some solid laughs, action and some tear-inducing resolutions come the end. The voice performances and sense of colorful fun are what keep the movie magic alive, and I will admit the final emotional moment is so strong and tear-jerking it’s enough to make up for a lot of what the main journey lacked. But there is no denying this isn’t one of Pixar’s best efforts. For all the wonder at its disposal, so much of it is too ordinary to stand above not only the studio’s best efforts but even some of the other animated movies on the market, so much so that only during a few magical moments does it truly take flight. Maybe a few more trash unicorns would’ve helped.