Review of Onward (2020) by Chrismizerak — 07 Mar 2020

This is a strange time to be a Disney fan, isn’t it? Whether you’re into Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, or even Fox for that matter, this past year has put hardcore Disney fans into something of a state of confusion.

A state of confusion best exemplified before the latest Pixar offering titled “Onward” in the form of a short starring “The Simpsons”. The short itself is fine and all that, coming from someone who hardly watches “The Simpsons”.

Nevertheless, it’s a surreal position we’re in to say the least. But more than the weirdness behind their newest studio acquisitions, Disney hasn’t been putting out much genuinely original content in recent years as my rant on their live-action remakes can attest to.

As for Pixar, “Onward” is their first wholly original piece since “Coco” from 2017 in a time when sequels like “Toy Story 4” and “Incredibles 2” are all we can expect. So, any chance that Pixar puts out original content, I am eager to encourage them to continue doing so and revisit their glory days of creativity.

By now, you’re wondering where “Onward” fits into this puzzle, and to put it simply: it’s a step in the right direction. The caveat to this however is that while it’s entertaining to watch in the moment, overtime the film is vulnerable to fade from memory.

A distinction that doesn’t apply with either “Coco” or “Inside Out” which ventured into risky territories yet to be explored in most other kid’s films made today. By contrast, “Onward” definitely plays its safe, but it retains some imagination in certain areas.

Many comparisons between “Onward” and other Disney and/or Pixar offerings have been made, in addition to comments of “Onward” following the footsteps taken by “Shrek” from DreamWorks. When watching “Onward”, I too thought of another film that bares many similarities to the film I was watching.

Anyone remember “Role Models” from 2008 with Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott? Now while it obviously doesn’t share the same tone or plot to “Onward”, parts of this did at least remind me of that.

The spirit behind the subplot in “Role Models” devoted to the medieval live-action role-playing game that the characters participate in that film can be found in notable snippets in “Onward”. The brother voiced by Pratt uses all of his knowledge of this world’s equivalent of a “Dungeons and Dragons”-esque boarding game for the journey he and his younger brother go forth on.

Both films involve our leads learning to better get past their struggles or weaknesses. If it wasn’t made clear enough, the foundation of which “Onward” sits takes its inspiration and ideas from many various existing sources to concoct its own creation.

In other words, it’s not the most completely original work Pixar has created by a mile, especially in comparison to “Up” and the other films I’ve listed off earlier. For a film such as “Onward” to succeed, it needs to rely on the chemistry between our leads and the random encounters they come across during their quest.

On that front, “Onward” fulfills its primary goal. Pratt and Holland do a good job at working off of each other and taking advantage of their character’s primary traits. Pratt gives Holland lessons on how to properly cast spells and dishes out tips on effective techniques and perks to cast various spells, from believing an invisible bridge is really there to growing or shrinking a gasoline holder.

“Onward” just manages to become worthy of a recommendation primarily because of Pratt and Holland’s chemistry. As Pixar’s newest work, “Onward” is certainly watchable if not essential. Like last month’s “Birds of Prey”, it’s going to be enjoyable experiencing it even if it doesn’t last in your consciousness.

The derivative nature of its plot and world are made up by a couple inventive touches. The animation, music, and other technical qualities are still operating at Pixar standards. If “Onward” is a step in the right direction, then hopefully “Soul” (slated for release in June) can keep Pixar’s baton moving.