Review: Pixar's Onward

This critical moment in history feels as if the world has been painted black. The main version of toilet paper you can find is off brand and one-ply; No one is leaving their houses, something the introverts of the world have been training years for; and the sales percentages for pants have decreased, while shirts and sweatshirts have been flying off the shelves. Truly the worst of times. Yet, even in these moments of chaos humanity shines a glimmer of light. Artistry around the world is beaming and booming with creativity and the internet has made it accessible.

Disney Plus’s new addition to their evocative and nostalgic catalog comes in the form of classic “Pixar Magic.” Onward tells the tale of two brothers' quest to find a magic gem that will allow them to see their father one last time. The story shares a plethora of resonating themes with its audience such as the loss of loved ones, tradition vs. technology, and Parent-Child relationships. The film’s extension to the real world is deep and impactful with its ability to talk about difficult topics to a younger audience. At its heart it remains a genuine hero’s journey adventure movie created for all ages.

The movie’s structure follows a simple hero’s journey format, it’s Disney. The hero’s journey, also known as the hero’s quest, is a structure commonly used in the children’s fiction genre because it allows for a relatable hero to convey the story's message as a lesson learned towards its audience. This formula has been Disney’s scaffolding for years and it works. If you don’t believe me, look at all the records they are setting at the box-office. A common issue of a proven formula like the hero’s quest is predictability. Contemporary screenwriters tend to shy away from this conventional structure due to its lack of creativity. Having a solid structure that breaks the grain of the hero’s journey is possible. Experimental writing tends to lack formulaic ingredients but makes up for it with immense character detail. Dan Harmon, the creator of the Harmon circle - a descendant of the hero’s journey, explains to Medium that, “the goal is not to use The Hero’s Journey as a formula. That results in formulaic scripts. Rather, to use these ideas as tools to dig into your story and find its soul, then its structure. The plot should arise from the characters.” Disney showcases this concept in their latest masterclass, Onward, a story revolving around a broken sixteen-year-old wallflower who goes on a journey to try to fix what he thought was missing from his life. Though at times the movie feels formulaic it still revolves around the characters and allows its audience to relate to the story and themes.

The concepts talked about in this story are deep and mature topics delivered in a way that allows children to comprehend the weight of the material with a note of levity. The major theme in play is Parent-Child relationships specifically single parent households and the lack of a father figure. In the final act of the movie the older brother, Barley, talks about the loss of a final opportunity to say goodbye changing his life and personality forever. It’s a small mention, but a Disney movie actually talked about how grief and death can change us for the better or worse, and that it's up to us to decide who we become. Do we cower away waiting for life to come to us, or do we take the opportunity while still having it to grab life and breath it in? The film continues this dramatic question with a motif speaking on tradition versus technology. In this universe created by pixar the world used to be filled with wonder and magic, but society phased it out due to the difficulty of magic and the booming interest in technology that would make their lives easier. The society is an exact parallel to the main character Ian, who shies away from the difficult choices in life because hiding in the background is much easier, but a life of meaning, a life of significance is worth the hardship and the journey.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It's an adventure from beginning to end and with different artistic chocolates that left me crying the entire film. The beginning of the movie hits a lot of different sympathetic notes that relate well to the audience. While moving at a fast pace it also takes time to slow down and focus on pure character building moments that truly resonate and allow the characters of this movie to soar. The first half of the second act has pacing issues and drags a bit, but picks back up and brings the audience back into the story by thickening the plot. The third act of the film is delightful and tear jerking at the same time. All the writers of this film understood the importance of failure as a device and it shows. The characters fail the whole movie and it made me root for them even more. Every character has their own moments to shine and elevate the story further. This ensemble brought the story to life and communicated it with superb fervor. The creators of this film should be proud of the work of art they have introduced to the world and I hope their message is received