Onward and upwards from Pixar
Onward
(G, 102mins) Directed by Dan Scanlon Reviewed by James Croot
★★★★
Long ago, the world was full of magic. But it wasn’t easy to master, so its inhabitants found simpler ways of doing things and the magic began to fade away.
However, the remnants of the past are everywhere in New Mushroomton. Unicorns roam the streets rifling through rubbish bins and families, pixies have formed biker gangs constantly looking for trouble, and families like the Lightfoots have dragons for pets.
But for the teenage Ian (Tom Holland), life has always lacked a little sparkle. His father died before he was born and, while he loves his older brother Barley (Chris Pratt) and mother Laurel (Julia LouisDreyfus), there’s a gap he and they can’t quite fill, no matter how many times he plays the one cassette recording he has of his dad.
Little does Ian know though, that his father left him one more gift – a present revealed on his 16th birthday. At first, the staff and scroll seem like odd mementoes, but then Barley recognises the wording as a visitation spell.
Excited that they might be able to bring their father back, albeit for just one day, the boys deliver the incantation at great haste. Something though goes awry. Halfway through, the staff’s crystal shatters, leaving them with only the bottom-half of their pop and just 24 hours to prevent it from being a heartbreaking missed opportunity. While Ian can’t see a solution, the fantasy game-loving Barley is convinced he knows where a replacement gem can be found, but it will require the twoand-a-half men to go on a dangerous quest.
Director Dan Scanlon’s bromantic road movie showcases what Pixar does best. Magnificent world-building where even the tiniest detail can add depth and humour (here there’s everything from Mountain Doom soda to a brilliant parody of a typical children’s family restaurant menu), memorable characters who it’s exceedingly easy to care for, and an underlying allegory for an element of the human condition that will induce a tear or two of recognition in most audience members at some point along the journey. While the Weekend at
Bernie’s-esque physical humour and Barley’s gnarly School of Rocklike music obsession won’t appeal to everyone, the cultural throwback elements are offset by some clever twists and turns and a fabulous Thelma and Louise-style sub-plot for Laurel and Octavia Spencer’s manticore Corey.
Visually, Onward isa beautifully rendered riot of colour and crazy creatures, while the fabulous vocal ensemble also includes Tracey Ullman, Tuca &
Bertie’s Ali Wong and Pixar’s lucky talisman John Ratzenberger.
Onward was the last movie I saw in a cinema before the lockdown and it’s a slight shame Kiwi audiences are highly unlikely to get the opportunity to see it in all its big-screen glory. It’s a gorgeous movie that rewards those scanning its full frame. Plus, it even came with its own short, the charming
Maggie Simpson story Playdate With Destiny.
But, while it might not reach the heights of classics such as Inside
Out, Wall-E or Toy Story 3, Onward might just be the perfect little piece of Pixar magic we need in our lives right now.