Once, there was magic in the world. It enchanted people across the lands with exuberant sights of fancy and tales of brave heroes and great sacrifice. And most of that magic came from a studio called Pixar. While their tracked record is still a cut above most, it’s easy to immediately think “It’ll never be as good or inventive as their originals,” at almost anything the studio has released post 2010.
However, there is something to be said for a tale that might recycle its overall plot in favor of cultivating a gooey emotional center. Those big beating hearts at the center of their films are what make most audiences put their butts in seats still to this day. That’s what “Onward” coasts on and what makes it a cut above.
The urban fantasy stylings, while it may be “Bright” by way of Disney, are what visually set the world apart though. Thankfully, while they may not be anything particularly new nowadays, writer/director Dan Scanlon (“Monsters University,” “Mater and the Ghostlight”) makes sure that these elements are more than window dressings.
Lighting is a huge wonder in this film, with neon signs and streetlamps juxtaposing brilliantly against cobblestone and the green haze of enchanted woods. The urban fantasy elements factor into every facet of the plot and make this feel like a tale that could only be told via this vibrant and fairly goofy animated world. It also wears the D&D inspirations on its sleeve, just likes its brotherly heart, and it’s all the better for it.
Tom Holland (“The Lost City of Z,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home”) and Chris Pratt (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “her”) have excellent chemistry together as brothers Ian and Barley and that chemistry and emotional connection makes for the film’s biggest and best quality. There is no single moment wherein the love between these brothers does not seep off the screen. Scanlon doesn’t make their journey easy yet doesn’t fall into typical tropes like “the liar revealed” or “if we only just talked to each other.”
The bumps feel organically navigated, and neither feels too much like a stereotype. Yes, Ian is nervous and shy, yet he isn’t just as shy at home or around family and his desire to break free of his emotional crutches is seen throughout. Likewise, Barley isn’t just a bumbling oaf, as he has his own set of skills and is just as smart as his brother, yet in different ways.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Seinfeld,” “Veep”) and Octavia Spencer (“Hidden Figures,” “Snowpiercer”) don’t get material as emotionally rich but are still very funny. Spencer’s Corey has her journey played mostly for laughs and while there’s clearly the inklings of an emotional breakthrough for Dreyfus’s Laurel, the mother of Barley and Ian, it just doesn’t have the same amount of screen time associated with it. Shoutouts go to Mel Rodriguez (“The Last Man on Earth,” “Overboard (2018)”) as Colt Bronco, one of the best mostly comedic characters Pixar has had in a long while, as well as Kyle Bornheimer (“Marriage Story,” “Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made”) and Tracy Ullman (“The Tracey Ullman Show,” “Small Time Crooks”) as the masters of doing great work with minimal screen time.
The film’s biggest struggles are completely plot based, as it does two things that are pretty annoying and make the plot much more obvious for attentive moviegoers. There’s a particular method in which the plot of the film is effectively telegraphed within the first 20 minutes, and while by the end it manages to be turned on its head, it doesn’t save the fact that it ends up resulting in a much more predictable adventure than what otherwise could have been.
Also, the film’s last 5 minutes seem as if they were added in after the film was already completed, as they serve more as putting all the ducks in a row in too short of a fashion, with some callbacks that feel incredibly weak compared to the ones implemented earlier in the film.
All of these issues are easy to point out after the fact because the thing that distracts the audience from them, the chemistry and love that radiates from the film’s center, only exists while watching the film. It’s the eternal struggle, as these issues are only truly apparent after the film is over, not during it.
None of these issues could mask what is a beautiful and emotional adventure from Pixar. While more formulaic than the studio’s other works, “Onward” knows where to put its time and energy to best make the emotional arcs work as opposed to creating something wholly original. That’s where is succeeds and passes with flying colors.
Only time will tell where exactly “Onward” falls in comparison with the other Pixar works, but as a film on its own, this is an emotionally powerful and gorgeous realized adventure choked full of clichés and charm, making for something big, goofy, warm and inviting. It’s also makes it virtually impossible to leave the theatre without your heart in high spirits. 4/5
No comments:
Post a Comment