“Onward” is the latest movie from Disney and Pixar that is centered on a society comprised of mythological creatures like ogres, elves, satyrs, mermaids and gnomes.
In the past, life in the “Onward” universe was like a Dungeons and Dragons game. People went on quests to find sacred treasure, risked their lives and every group of adventurers had at least one magician. The movie explains that magic was used extensively to help people but it is hard to master. However, once this world’s version of the Industrial Revolution happened, magic fell out of style. What is left is a modern world centered around technology.
The movie follows two elves, Ian Lightfoot (voiced by Tom Holland) and his older brother Barely Lightfoot (voiced by Chris Pratt). Ian is a high schooler lacking self-confidence, and Barley is a roleplaying game fanatic and who longs for everyone to embrace the past. While Ian has self-esteem issues, Barley is ridiculed by the community for his fascination with the past.
When Ian turns 16 and he wishes he could have met his father before he passed away. On his birthday his mother gives Ian and Barely a gift his father left for them for when both of them were 16. The gift: a magical staff, a rare gem and a spell that will bring his father back for 24 hours.
He tries to do the spell, but it doesn’t go right. He ends up bringing back only the lower half of his dad. With the help of his older brother, they set out on a quest to complete the spell before it wears off. When they set off on the quest, it feels like a role-playing game complete with spells, maps, puzzles and enemies. They encounter danger and challenges at every turn, which brings them closer together as a family.
The best parts of this movie are scenes with Chris Pratt’s character, Barley. He does a phenomenal job voicing the character, by combining elements of his character Andy from “Parks and Rec” while being serious when needed. He also acts as a guide for Ian, showing that his knowledge of role-playing games does come in handy.
The rest of the movie is OK at best. While it is interesting to see the lengths Ian goes to see his father again and how he handles the challenges placed before him, none of it was mind-blowing.
The movie grazed over the subject of the father’s death, so I didn’t get emotionally connected. Aside from Barley, none of the other characters stood out to me. Ian, despite being the main character, was fairly dull and relied on the “awkward teenager” trope, which got repetitive after a while.
This movie isn’t bad, but it’s not one of those Pixar movies that will be remembered like “Toy Story”, “Monsters Inc.” or “Up”
This movie gets three out of five stars.
Ryan Hill can be reached at [email protected].