Onward opens with a narrative that is two-fold. On one side we learn about the world that the movie is set in. A land of magic and fantasy, where over the years the magic has been lost. And with this lost magic lies the other side of the narrative. Is it a self-reflective thought on if Pixar has lost it's own magic?
As it turns out Onward is one of the funniest films to come out of Emeryville and filled with the emotional punch that we have come to expect from Pixar. Even the subtle music over the iconic Pixar logo as Luxo Jr. comes bouncing out indicates that this is the new Pixar coming out the shadows of John Lasseter and the original Pixar team.
From the trailers, we understand that this is a quest movie. And with the very best of Pixar, this as much about the journey inward as it is about the journey outward or in this case Onward. Brothers Ian (voiced by Tom Holland) and Barley (voiced by Chris Pratt) are dealing with the loss of their father. Ian never knew his father while his older brother Barley dealt with the loss in the world of fantasy games. But their father left them a present to open when they both were at least 16 years old. He left them a spell to bring him back for one day. The spell works halfway and now it is a race against time to bring their father fully back.
Thus, begins the epic quest, out on the open road. The journey is fulled with laughs and surprises along the way. How everything pays off won't be spoiled here but the pay off is huge in typical Pixar pull at the heartstring moments while not losing any of the film's character development.
In the end, Onward shows that the world is still full of magic. It is a new era for Pixar and moves the studio forward or in this case, Onward.
