Directed by: Dan Scanlon

Rated: PG

Runtime: 1:42

Review by: Livi Edmonson

From the studio, Disney’s Pixar, that never seems to stop giving audiences entertaining, groundbreaking films, comes an all-new adventure that is nothing short of successful as a coming-of-age, animated film: “Onward.” 

The film follows two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voiced by two Disney favorites, Tom Holland and Chris Pratt), who go on a journey to find out if there is still a little magic left in the world that can help them bring back their father for a day. Their dad tragically died before they could ever actually know him. With other all-star voices such as Octavia Spencer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ali Wong, Lena Waithe, and more, “Onward” is one of Pixar’s best, most progressive films and here is why.

To start, the plot and setting of the film are different from every other Pixar film we have seen before: a world of a magical creatures struggling to remember the simpler, more magical time they came from due to the advancements and enhancements of a world we all know too well today. But, somehow the story of the two elf brothers —one extremely anxious, and the other an immature klutz — feels all too relatable to the coming-of-age narrative today. Throughout the film, the two brothers bring out the best and the worst in each other, helping them both to grow along the way and realize how important they are to each other. What results are not only characters that are imperfect, but also characters we can relate to — teens and adults 100%, at least. 

However, the film’s one downfall is that younger kids who are normally the target audience for Disney and Pixar’s films, will not be mature enough or interested enough in the film to understand how it unfolds. If one were to read further into the main character, Ian, it can be implied that he very much struggles with not only social anxiety but also anxiety and depression in general. Not only does he struggle with it, but he also does not necessarily know how to express it or deal with it either, which is wildly relatable for the older kid niche audience today. Whether this was intentional or not, I appreciate and respect Pixar’s decision to subtly bring mental health into the conversation in a fun, adventure animated film. Although, again: younger kids will not understand the significance. 

“Onward” is a film that will make you smile, laugh, and sometimes cry. It is a love story about brotherhood before anything, but ultimately, it tugs at your heartstrings in more ways than one. Unfortunately, the coronavirus will prevent audiences from seeing the film as quickly as they can, but I highly recommend dashing to your theater to see it regardless. In dark times like this, we deserve to see light and “Onward” is that little bit of light we need — despite it going over the heads of younger audience members. I give it an 8 out of 10.