The Aisle Seat: Home Edition series continues. Today, a film that was number one at the box office, but had the unusual misfortune of having a global pandemic strike in the midst of what was looking to be a record setting theatrical run. Thus, it’s now one of the more popular titles currently streaming on the Disney channel and various On Demand services. Here’s your review of Pixar’s ‘Onward’.
Set in a mythological place in which magic has pretty much been replaced with modern technology, there’s a sombre message in ‘Onward’ that will probably resonate more with audiences now that we’ve been given the opportunity to slow down and savor the really valuable stuff. It’s an uncertain time, can’t deny that…which makes the sweet light at the end of the tunnel that ‘Onward’ offers up a most welcome diversion from reality.
Directed by Dan Scanlon (‘Monster’s University’), ‘Onward’ serves up a landscape loaded with elves, fairies, trolls, dragons, unicorns and other assorted critters from just about any fantasy story you can imagine. Teen sibling elves Ian (the voice of Tom Holland, a.k.a. ‘Spider Man’ from the Marvel Universe) and Barley (Chris Pratt) live in this wild world with their widowed Mom, Laurel (Julia-Louis Dreyfus), Ian a shy bookwork, Barley a bold adventurer.
On Ian’s 16th birthday, his mother bestows upon him a mysterious magical wizard staff that his deceased father Wilden wanted him to possess when the time was right. Suddenly, the brothers have the power to bring their father back to life, but after the spell is botched, they end up with only his legs and the magic crystal which makes it all happen severely depleted. So away on a quest they go to find a new crystal, and only 24 hours before their dad disappears forever.
There’s a lot of hocus pocus shenanigans in ‘Onward’, obviously, so if it feels like there’s a little bit of ‘Harry Potter’ recycling going on here……yeah, there is. Doesn’t matter. The team at Pixar always does their homework and puts in the overtime where it matters and, as usual, it’s the heart. ‘Onward’ is playful enough for young viewers to enjoy, but the remarkably touching home stretch might surprise even the more seasoned of audiences. This may not have as much hefty whimsy as a lot of Pixar’s classic material…..and really, let’s face it, it’s a heck of a library they’ve got going on….but for now, it’s more than enough. And even more impactful, the lesson learned is a timely one.
