Onward review: Disney Pixar does it again with a heartfelt animated movie

When you think of Disney Pixar movies, you’ll think of Toy Story, Monsters Inc. and Inside Out. Does Onward live up to the high expectations set?

When you hear that there’s a new Disney Pixar movie out, you’ll hold it up against some of the greatest animated movies we’ve had over the last 20 years. Toy Story (yes, even Toy Story 2), Monsters Inc. and Inside Out all come to mind immediately. Did Onward stand a chance?

Of course it did! One thing you know when you get a Disney Pixar movie is that it comes from the heart. The stories seem like they’re going to be the same at the beginning, but they always take different twists towards the end. Onward is the exact same. I’m not going to share what that twist is, but don’t expect it to be what most animated movies will offer.

In fact, the twist is something that one of my children wasn’t happy about. And I think you’ll understand it when you see it if you think of it from a child’s point of view. It certainly opened up a dialogue about what happened in the movie and what some of the flashbacks and the journey meant.

The animation you would expect

So, for this Onward review, I’ll focus on the animation, the acting, and the world-building. Let’s start with the animation. It’s everything you would expect from the Disney Pixar brand.

There are bright colors, beautiful caves and wilderness developed, and the quality that you’ve come to expect. There aren’t any glitches or bits of animation that take you out of the moment. However, there are a few Easter eggs if you look carefully throughout the movie; again, what you expect from the Disney Pixar brand, right?

Something that I appreciated is how a pair of legs had soul to them. You can sense the feelings of the elf brothers’ father just from the way his legs were positioned or the way they shuffled along. When he was happy, those emotions showed through the spring in his step. Something that Disney Pixar has always managed to do is bring heart to something that wouldn’t usually be able to show emotion.

And yes, you can expect some of the adult humor thrown in there, too. There’s a moment where the dad is leaning out of the window of the truck and it looks like he’s doing some rude gestures to some pixies. While children were laughing just at the scene overall, there were plenty of parents chuckling along at what they were thinking of!

Personalities draw you in

While you know Tom Holland and Chris Pratt are voicing the main characters, you don’t keep thinking about Spider-Man and Star Lord. Sure, there are times that you wonder what it would be like with them on the screen, but the animation and the actors’ voicework pull you into this new world.

The only voice my husband and I did a double-take on was the college friend of Ian Lightfoot’s dad. I hadn’t realized Wilmer Valderrama was in the movie and immediately whispered to my husband, “that’s Torres.” He responded with, “I didn’t know Fez would be in it.” Take a guess at which TV shows we both watch to know exactly who we were talking about.

There’s no doubt that Ian and Barley are brothers. They squabble like them but they will always look out for each other. And yet, they are so vastly different to each other. They need to find a way to come together to focus on the same outcome they have.

One moment in the movie that I appreciated the most was Barley asking his brother just to trust him. Up to this point, Ian had decided the “smart” way was the best way. However, Barley was the one with the love of history (there’s a deep history in this world) and knowledge of spells. Despite him not being a wizard, he doesn’t once hate that his brother has the abilities. However, he does hate being pushed aside and not trusted.

Immense world-building that makes you need more

Everything starts with this world of magical creatures performing magic. Of course, having the ability to cast spells is one thing, but it’s much harder to gain control of the magic. That has led to many in the past to create items that will make life easier.

We always think in our own world that having magical powers would make life so much easier. As a Charmed fan, I often thought of what life would be like if I had Prue’s ability of telekinesis or Piper’s ability to freeze time. Haven’t you?

And yet, Onward shows us that the grass isn’t always greener. Magic was too hard so people created electricity, gas stoves, and even cell phones. The mythical creatures are living in a world that’s very much like our own and they’re starting to forget about magic.

The Lightfoot brothers take us on a journey of history and magic. They send us through various worlds while working through this story of trust, respect, and love.

The world-building wasn’t quite as big as it would have been in movies like The Lord of the Rings or in TV shows like Game of Thrones, but that’s not a bad thing. It was enough to create a sense of magic and exploration for young children. The amount of world-building was perfect for the main audience of the movie but does make me need more. I’d be more than happy to see a sequel movie!

One thing I did appreciate was the way the side characters learned more about themselves. With the history of their magic being forgotten, they started to remember what life was like in the past. It opens up to so many possibilities if Onward 2 did happen.

Overall, this is just what you’d expect from a Disney Pixar movie. It was full of heart, beautiful worlds, and excellent characters. However, don’t expect the standard end. In a way, it’s a little bittersweet. And that’s all I’ll say for those who will take their children who may have a few teary-eyed questions at the end.

This is certainly a movie for kids, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. I always say that if a movie like this has my children sat quiet from start to finish and they come out of the theaters raving about it then it’s a great movie. There was certainly some adult humor thrown in there, but not as much as I’ve found in past movies. However, it didn’t need it to make this entertaining from start to finish.

Onward is one for our DVD shelf the minute it’s released.

If you’re still not sure if it’s for you, just check out the Rotten Tomato score. It’s currently at 86% and Certified Fresh from critics and at 96% from audiences. It’s a win.

What did you think of Onward? What are you looking forward to seeing from Disney Pixar in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Onward is out in theaters now.