Onward fails to be a standout Pixar film
Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Cars and The Incredible are just some of Pixar’s top-grossing movies. Now Disney hopes Onward will join the ranks of their great movies.
Synopsis
Set in a suburban fantasy world, Disney Pixar’s “Onward” introduces two teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot voiced by Tom Hollands and Chris Pratt who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.
This movie smashes together two of my all-time favorite movies, The Goonies and Weekend at Bernie’s. That may not be a good thing since Pixar has always been about originality, which this movie lacks. Many scenes are so reminiscent of Weekend at Bernie’s that I wasn’t sure if this was just an animated fairy tale version. If you are a fan of Dungeons and Dragons, then you will absolutely love it since it is heavily referenced throughout the movie.
This was not the typical Pixar movie that is usually delivered to us. The trademark design and charm seemed to have faded away and we are going to see Disney Pixar going in a different direction with their movies, especially now with Bob Iger just announcing that he is stepping down as CEO. Tom Holland who voices the younger of the brother duo Ian Lightfoot does a good job but will always be and sound like Spider-Man to me but Chris Pratt as the older, charismatic and more adventurous brother Barley Lightfoot steals the spotlight. At the end of the day, Onward is a fun animated movie but won’t go down as one of Disney Pixar’s memorable films.
Verdict
I give Onward a 7.5/10 . I really hope this is not the formula they try to replicate with future Disney Pixar movies.
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Watch this movie on Disney+.
Sean Tajipour
Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.