Onward Review (3/11/2020)

The thing about comparisons is that they're inevitable. No artistic work exists in a vacuum, and a piece of media will always be judged in relation to other works of its kind, be it against those in the same medium, those in the same genre, or those by the same creators. At the same time, however, one must be wary of over comparison, as most works of art and media are meant to be considered individually, rather than a part of a greater whole. American animation studio Pixar's newest film, Onward, is one that is inevitably harmed by comparisons to their previous heights, but it still a quality work when judged by its own merits.

Onward is a somewhat peculiar film in Pixar's ouvre. It pales in comparison to their earlier triumphs like Toy Story or Finding Nemo (or even newer hits like Inside Out or Coco), but at the same time it's definitely not a miss either - far more memorable than something like Cars or Monsters University. Director Dan Scanlon, whose only previous feature was the aforementioned Monsters U, carves himself out a more unique and interesting voice with Onward, as it tackles some unique themes and has quite a lot more to say than his previous work.

The story takes place in a world where magic and fantasy once existed, but has since faded away and become nothing more than a strange mirror to our own world. In this world, two elf brothers, played by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, are raised by a single mother. They never really knew their father, but when the younger turns 16, they are presented with a magic staff their father possessed, along with a spell capable of bringing him back for 24 hours. When the spell goes wrong, however, they must race to find a way to set it right so that they can finally gain closure in regards to the father they never had.

This sets the stage for some of Pixar's best character work in years. Simply put, it's an absolute joy to watch these two brothers as they go about their journey and grow together. Their chemistry is wonderful, and the arcs they respectively grow through are refreshingly nuanced and satisfying in the increasingly dumbed-down market of Western mainstream animation (thanks Illumination). It all leads to a really quite mature ending that is not what you might be expecting, but also very fitting to each of the character's respective arcs. It never gets too dark or too heavy, however, always remembering that it's a film for all ages, and it pulls off this difficult balancing act quite well.

While Onward isn't quite the best presented Pixar film (it's already been blown away in aesthetic compared to the beautifully vibrant vistas of real life portrayed in the trailer of their upcoming film Soul), there's a lot of cool designs and artistic talent on display regardless. I actually really enjoyed the soundtrack for this one, as it pulls from various fantasy inspirations as well as heavy metal culture in a fun yet still kid-friendly way (shout out to the older brother's vest in this film; Pixar's first real metalhead). The voice acting is top notch, especially from its leads.

Where it begins to fall apart a bit is whenever it deviates from the main family drama. The side characters are not nearly as interesting, and a lot of scenes involving them feel a bit too silly without real substance. It lacks the inspired worldbuilding that Pixar displays in their best work, instead opting for an at-times overly tongue-in-cheek parody of our world. Whenver it lets its world get serious, it's much better, but so often it falls short of that. It's here that this film feels the most like Monsters University; all humor, no real substance. The secondary themes are interesting, featuring a commentary on the innate mundanity of modern life, but it feels underexplored compared to the main plot. All of this combines into a film that is at times simply too formulaic for its own good, and one whose quality and emotional impact is significantly hindered because of this.

Overall, despite its flaws, Onward is definitely a satisfying animated helping that both adults and kids can enjoy. If you're a Pixar fan or you have kids that might like this, definitely go and see it. It's a smart and surprisingly mature character drama masquerading as a bright and goofy kid's film, and while sometimes the latter elements run a little too wild, when the former comes into play, it's a real treat. It may not be as good as Toy Story, but it's still a worthwhile watch.