Onward (2020) (Review)


As Pixar enter a period of wholly original ideas, with four of their previous five releases being continuations of some of their most beloved properties, it too ushers in a riskier year for parent company Walt Disney, who are mostly without the safety net of IP and surefire franchise hits after a record-breaking 2019. Onward, the first of two new-to-screen Pixar flicks this year, will be Disney's first real test of 2020; do they have an Inside Out or The Good Dinosaur on their hands, and is it worth moving towards the cineplex for this one?

With the fantastical world of New Mushroomton slowly losing its sense of magic after many technical advances, two brothers - Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt) - go on an adventure in the hope of reuniting with their late father for one last time. Reuniting Avengers castmates Holland and Pratt, this time in voice form, alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer, Onward is the second Pixar feature to be directed by Dan Scanlon, who previously helmed 2013's Monsters University.

Closer in kin, style and story to a Dreamworks Animation than a Pixar flick, Onward doesn't quite sit right in Pixar's filmography, possessing neither the narrative satisfaction or enriching thematic experience we usually anticipate from the animation giants. A conceptual complexity versus a thematic simplicity tussle across the first hour of the film, never quite finding its feet until the final third, a conclusion which admittedly leaves us on a reliably emotional note, but one that feels notably more manufactured.

It makes sense for the Monsters University helmer to tackle this tale populated with magical elves and other mythical creatures, bringing this world to life with wonderfully-detailed animation - the crisp clarity of Ian's handwriting! - and colourful visuals. It's a shame the film neglects to fully explore the magic of the town with full creative prowess but there's enough spectacle to uphold the formulaic narrative.

Scanlon's on double duty here, co-writing Onward's screenplay alongside Jason Headley and Keith Bunin. There's no denying that the film's mythical adventure is consistently enjoyable, zipping through its 103-minute runtime rather speedily, and parting on a high note is always a bonus. It is never a chore to watch, and will almost certainly keep the younger audiences entertained - it is almost certainly high expectations that hold us back for the rest of us, this effort not nearly as slick or sophisticated as previous features, which enrapture old and young audiences alike. Themes of brotherhood and family are indeed well-realised but, again, it's not especially inspired work.

Holland and Pratt both provide the film with personality and charm, conjuring a brotherly rapport crucial in selling the family dynamic at the film's core - but it is the winning combination of Louis-Dreyfus and Spencer that steals the show. You frequently find yourself eager to return to their subplot, home to some of the strongest humour across the runtime, with Spencer's Manticore an enlivening comedic presence throughout, and the character we are most likely to remember months from now.

Onward is fine, a relatively enjoyable animation from a studio we have come to expect better from; more so than this being a bad instalment in their filmography, it's a forgettable one, with signs of a struggle to recapture the spirit of their earlier works after a slew of sequels and a more evident reliance on their filmmaking formula beginning to manifest. With their foreseeable schedule occupied by originals, time will soon tell, but they have Inside Out director Pete Docter's Soul in June lined up next - a safe, quality pair of hands. In short, Onward is nowhere near the studio's high points - but even lower-tier Pixar is still pretty good Pixar.


7/10

Summary: For what it's worth, Disney Pixar's Onward is a consistently enjoyable but rather uninspired animation from a studio we have come to expect much more from.