Onward – Review

Onward

Directed by: Dan Scanlon

Runtime: 82 minutes

Onward, starring Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, tells the heartwarming story of two elven brothers in a fantasy land. While this premise may seem simple, in typical Pixar fashion, this film maturely approaches issues of loss, growing up and complicated family relationships. I loved getting to know both brothers and the fantasy world they inhabited and found that, by the conclusion of the film, I didn’t want their journey to end.

The real heart of the film comes from the two brothers, Ian and Barley. Ian (Holland) is a shy, awkward teenager trying to find his own identity with no older male role model. Barley (Pratt), the elder brother, is a fantasy-obsessed screw-up, enjoying his “longest gap year ever”. No matter which sibling you might identify with in this pair, I suspect you can find a way to relate to both characters as they try to keep their family intact (somewhat literally). The film explores this through a road trip undertaken to complete a spell to briefly bring back their father. Onward does an excellent job exploring the brotherly relationship, and develops its characters through their experiences without feeling contrived. Ian finds his confidence through his magic and support from Barley which makes for some beautiful moments between them. Using the prospect of reuniting with their recently deceased father as their motivator, the brothers seem to be bound only by their love for their dad. As the film progresses, however, it becomes clear that their brotherly bond holds equal importance in the wake of their father’s loss.

As a fantasy fan, I couldn’t help but geek out over the world the creators built. The concept of a corrupted and progressive fantasy world makes perfect sense in our modern times, but they don’t push it too far with an over-reliance on comedic animal characters or with the repetition of jokes. With Barley as the magic expert, they spend some time explaining the art of magic without making the film feel like constant exposition. The use of unicorns as corrupted and foul vermin of the city is also a funny touch, showing the decay progress can have on natural wildlife. Similarly, the explanation of how magic was lost in the world also gives a clear image of what this society has become. The rediscovery of this magic is interesting, though it could have been explored in greater depth in the final moments of the film. There are a few small moments where characters suddenly rediscover their magical abilities, some of which sadly feel a little tacked on purely for the sake of the plot and their implications aren’t really explored further.

However, the film has a clever way of making the dramatic payoff of the climax really powerful. While the film doesn’t end as I expected, there is an abundance of clear set up in the first act of the film that is paid off in unexpected but fitting ways in the conclusion. The final confrontation itself has an unpredictable turn that makes the film’s primary message about dealing with loss and finding your role model in others a lot more meaningful.

Onward is a sweet film that creates a beautiful fantasy world grounded in real-life drama. With the likeable characters such as Ian and Barley, Onward handles intense emotional issues that children may face and manages to present these issues in intelligent ways, without feeling the need to talk down to its audience.