Summary
Fully wearing its references on its cinematic sleeves, Pixar’s first original film since Coco has a sweet core in the midst of this magical mayhem.
Disney-Pixar’s ONWARD will be remembered for a number of reasons, but the main one was the timing of its release. Like many Hollywood productions due out in the first half of the year, a global pandemic led to a historic fast-track of its digital release.
Up until then, we were looking forward to it being the first of two original releases (alongside Soul) from the studio. Since 2017’s Coco, Pixar’s output has been primarily sequels, including the blockbuster releases for Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4. ONWARD is Pixar’s first foray into fantasy, the multitude of references in their other films not withstanding.
In director Dan Scanlon (Monsters University) and co-writers Jason Headley and Keith Bunin’s world, magic was once the dominant force in a land filled with mystical creatures but technology has replaced it. In the modern day, Elf brothers Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley (Chris Pratt) Lightfoot set off on a quest to find the items they need to magically restore their late father for just one day.
Using the trappings of the fantasy genre, ONWARD still retains the core quest elements of every Pixar film. Here it just makes the choice to call them out from the start, even if it doesn’t stray too far from a path well travelled in the past. Like Toy Story or Finding Nemo before it, the barebones of the story is essentially a buddy comedy in pursuit of a beloved family member.
For the most part, this works as well as it always has for the studio. It’s also pleasing to see some truly weird turns for the script, from an angry Manticore/restauranteur (voiced by Octavia Spencer) to a collective of angry pixie bikers who have forgotten how to fly. It’s a shame that the script doesn’t do a bit more with the world, focusing instead on tributes to other franchises. There’s a climactic scene that is a straight recreation of an iconic moment from Raiders of the Lost Ark, for example, that barely skirts the line between parody and retread.
In ONWARD‘s favour is Pixar’s typically excellent selection of voice talent, not least of which is Disney-Pixar veteran Julia Louis-Dreyfus (A Bug’s Life, Planes). Much has been made of the importance of Lena Waithe’s appearance as an openly gay cop, but this diverse cast also includes Tracey Ullman, Wilmer Valderrama, Mel Rodriguez, and Ali Wong. As with every Pixar film, John Ratzenberger has a small but memorable role.
The animation is gorgeous, with the character leads getting to cut loose on some decidedly non-traditional designs. Mychael and Jeff Danna’s score is an interesting mixed bag, often giving off sound-a-like vibes and only a few shades away from the arena rock stylings of Journey. (I swear there’s one song that’s basically ‘Any Way You Want It.’)
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger always spoke about a willingness to embrace innovations that might intentionally disrupt their own models, and Disney+ has been a step in that direction. From a business point of view, the almost simultaneous (and necessary) digital release of ONWARD in US markets is a signal of where things might go in the future. As a film, it’s a comfortable step to the left into a new genre for a creative outlet that keeps entertaining us.
2020 | US | DIRECTOR: Dan Scanlon | WRITERS: Dan Scanlon, Jason Headley and Keith Bunin | CAST: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer | DISTRIBUTOR: Disney (AUS)| RUNNING TIME: 103 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 21-22 March 2020 (AUS Previews), 6 March 2020 (US), 20 March (US Digital) , 3 April (AUS Digital)
