Onward

Synopsis: Two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley Lightfoot, go on a journey to discover if there is still a little magic left out there in order to spend one last day with their father, who died when they were too young to remember him.

Movie Review:

“Onward” was directed by Dan Scanlon and in my opinion, this is not the best Pixar film I have seen, but it is a heartfelt, funny and emotional movie that kids and adults can enjoy. What makes Pixar so great is the message its films always try to convey and “Onward” is no different – it will leave the audience with tears in their eyes. Also, the voice cast is amazing. Tom Holland plays the younger brother, Ian Lightfoot who just turned 16 and he never met his father. He goes on a journey with his older brother, Barley voiced by Chris Pratt. I really felt their on-screen chemistry and believable brotherhood that these two shared. Octavia Spencer is by far the best part about this movie. She voiced the Manticore, a funny, goofy-type character who brought most of the humor to the movie. The father and son adventure that the two brothers go on felt like a classic Steven Spielberg story. But the movie is far from perfect. The humor does fall a little flat and there were a few scenes that just seemed awkward than funny. Also, the story is predicable from beginning to end; there are no surprises. And some side characters were annoying and could be cut out of the movie. While these great Pixar films, “Toy Story”, “Wall-E” and “Up” are some of my favorites, “Onward” is a mediocre but entertaining film about a father and son with an emotional ending and a great message. I am giving “Onward” a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Director: Dan Scanlon

Cast: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Octavia Spencer, Julia Louis- Dreyfus, Ali Wong, Lena Waithe, Mel Rodriguez and John Ratzenberger

Runtime: 102 minutes