Onward Review: Pixar's Newest Masterpiece

Onward sees the reunion of MCU stars Chris Pratt and Tom Holland as two elf brothers, Barley and Ian, as they embark on a journey to discover the existence of magic.

Pixar's new animated urban-fantasy marks its first original film since 2017's Coco and 2015's The Good Dinosaur. It was produced by the team behind another successful (and lovable) animated film "Monsters University." It was released on February 29 and earned a whopping $650,000 from single showtime. 

Pixar is widely known for producing some of the best computer-animated family films. It produced hit classics such as Toy Story(1995) and Finding Nemo(2003). It also released heartfelt masterpieces such as Wall-E(2008) and Inside Out(2015).  

The studio has seen a downtrend in recent years, mostly due to their reliance on sequels such as the Toy Story series and Finding Dory. 

So how brilliant is Onward? Did it live up to the hype? 

The Plot

Onward takes viewers on an adventure along with elf brothers Barley and Ian who live in a town called New Mushroomton. 

Ian (who is played by Tom Holland) receives a visitation spell that had the power to bring his dad back to life for a day. 

Ian, who's never seen his father alive, recites the incantation... only to conjure up his dad's lower half. Yikes! 

After the failed spell, he recruits his brother Barley (played by Chris Pratt) and his father's legs to embark on a journey to retrieve a gem and complete the spell before sundown.

The Grief

Onward hits viewers with a startling amount of loss and grief in its first few minutes. The film is set in a world where magical creatures once roamed the land, only to disappear after the Industrial Revolution arrived. 

Elves now lived in rigid toadstools. The once-majestic unicorns were turned into feral, trash-digging, people-hissing raccoons. 

The initial minutes also showed Ian's spell gone wrong and the loss of opportunity that came with it. 

It's safe to say Pixar was setting us up for a massive rollercoaster ride at this point. 

The Characters

MCU better watch out. Pixar made the best decision in picking Pratt and Holland---they were terrific voice actors. 

Holland made use of his dorky Peter Parker to make Ian such a relatable character. Pratt took inspiration from Jack Black's rockstar energy to perfectly embody Barley's loser townie vibe.

Other characters such as the manticore Corey (Octavia Spencer) and the mom Laurel (Kulia Louis-Dreyfus) contributed to the film's emotions and overall story. 

The Tearjerker

A Pixar movie would never be complete without leaving viewers in an emotional trainwreck. That's exactly what this film delivers.

Apart from the incredible voice acting, Pixar's animation presented so many emotions through the characters' body language and facial expressions that they seemed almost lifelike. 

The comic lines landed with such vibrance and confidence you would not be able to hold your laughter in. The pair of trousers AKA papa's legs conveyed a remarkable amount of personality throughout the film as well.

Onward's gradual progression allowed viewers to fall in love with the brothers as they rediscovered sibling love, parental issues, and fraternal bonds. 

The film sets up viewers on a very high point of joy and happiness and eventually has us all drowning in our own puddle of tears by the end. 

The Final Verdict

Onward remains true to Pixar's mission to tug at viewers' heartstrings. It was also a refreshing experience due to the studio's venture in father-son relationships. 

Onward's narrative and departure are by far Pixar's best in years. For those who want a comparison of Onward and Coco, it couldn't be compared. Onward is a beautiful movie in its own right, as is Coco. 

One thing is for sure, this film should definitely belong in your "Movies To Watch" list, and pretty high up, might I add. You should probably prepare your kids before you watch this...

And just between the both of us, you should prepare yourself as well. You'll need it. 

Onward is out in theaters nationwide.