East Ohio Conference

East Ohio Conference

≡
  • About Us
    • Welcome/Vision
    • Bishop's Office
    • Conference Staff
    • Districts/Churches
    • Annual Conference
    • Jurisdictional Conference
    • General Conference
    • General Agencies of The UMC
    • Christian Family Credit Union
    • Methodist Foundation of Ohio
  • Ministries
    • Connectional Ministries
    • Strategic Ministries
    • Missions & Community Engagement
    • Multicultural Ministries
    • Young People's Ministries
    • Higher Education
    • Camps & Retreat Ministries
    • Spiritual Formation
  • Disaster Response
    • Responding to Disasters
    • EOC Disaster Response Plan
    • Disaster Response Coordinators
    • Early Response Teams
  • Clergy
    • Pathways to Ministry
    • Board of Ministry
    • Order of Elders
    • Order of Deacons
    • Fellowship of Local Pastors
    • Retired Pastors
    • Clergy Directory
    • Clergy Well-Being
    • Changing Pastors?
    • Continuing Education
    • Sexual Ethics Policy
  • Laity
    • Pathways to Ministry
    • Board of Laity
    • Lay Leaders
    • Lay Servants
    • United Women in Faith
    • General Agencies of The UMC
  • Finance/Benefits
    • Financial & Administrative Services
    • Online Forms
    • Online Payments
    • Shared Ministry/Stewardship
    • Health Benefits
    • HealthFlex Wellness
    • Clergy Pensions
    • Death & Disability Benefits
  • Communications
    • About the Office
    • #BeUMC Campaign
    • Storyboard Podcast
    • Church Websites 411
    • Social Media 411
    • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
    • E-News
  • News
    • East Ohio News
    • E-News
    • Obituaries
    • Classifieds
  • Resources
    • Conference Journal
    • #BeUMC Campaign
    • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
    • Lighthouse Churches
    • Portico Online Learning
    • Resilient Leadership
    • Teach • Reach • Bless
    • Stand Against Racism
    • EOC Disaffiliation Pathway
    • Stand with Ukraine
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Online Worship Services
    • The Rule of Christ
    • Safe Sanctuaries
    • Message in Movies
    • Archives and History
    • General Agencies of The UMC
    • UMC Find-A-Church
  • Calendar
    • View Calendar
    • Suggest Calendar Event
  • Events Registration

Home | Message in the Movies

MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

Film strip

Onward - In Theaters

halo halo halo halo pitchfork pitchfork Rated PG

Directed by Dan Scanlon
Animated Feature

Some films are easier to understand by watching rather than explaining. Such is the case for Onward, the new animated movie from Pixar, but I will try. In the realm of Onward, at one time the world was filled with magic and incredible creatures, including most of the population. When science and technology came into existence, practical solutions replaced magic. There are still centaurs, dragons, and other beasts, but magic is now reserved for role playing games and video arcades.

When the film begins, Ian Lightfoot (voiced by Tom Holland) is ready to celebrate his 16th birthday and become a man. He and his older brother Barley (Chris Pratt) are being raised by their mother Laura (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) since their father died just before Ian was born. When Laura opens up a scroll that their dad left for Ian’s 16th birthday present, they discover a magic staff that – together with a gemstone and a spell – will bring their father back to life for just 24 hours.

In their excitement casting the spell, the boys mess up a few details. The spell only works halfway, bringing their father alive from the waist on down. Now the brothers need to go on a road trip, driving Barley’s van for a series of quests that will lead them onward towards another gem and the successful completion of the reanimating process.

Holey smokes, that’s a lot of exposition, but I’m just sharing what happens in the first 20 minutes or so of Onward. Once the guys are on the road, they are soon followed by Laura and a Manticore (Octavia Spencer) as well as Laura’s boyfriend Colt Bronco (Mel Rodriguez), a police officer centaur.

It’s in the quests themselves where the film comes up short. Whenever the brothers face a formidable challenge, the solution seems to appear in convenient fashion just in time to keep things moving along.

The film’s strength lies in the brothers’ relationship to each other and the film’s overall message of the power of family. In true Pixar fashion, the film eventually works its way to a large-scale confrontation and a sentimental and emotional conclusion.

There is a lot to like in this film, including some beautiful visual backgrounds. The character design does seem a tad derivative of other sources, including Nintendo games and the Shrek films, but the voice work is very good.

Younger viewers will surely not be able to comprehend the complicated plot, but my 3-year-old grandson told his mom that he thought the “guy with just pants” was funny. You still might want to be sensitive about the issues of loss and grief with older children. As I am prone to reiterate, it’s always good to talk about the message in the movies.

Halo and Pitchfork Rating:

Four halos: Positive messages about family, sibling support and the power of memory are somewhat underserved by a lazy series of “quests”.
Two pitchforks: General childish behavior; some mild scares; dealing with the grief and absence of a parent may be too intense for some children.

Comment:

Do you have comments about this movie or movie review? E-mail your comments. (Your name and UM affiliation must be supplied in order for your comments to be posted.)

 

≡
  • Current Review
  • Past Reviews

 

Bryant

Reviews by
Rev. Bruce Batchelor-Glader

COMMENTS! Do you have comments about this movie or movie review?
E-mail comments. (Comments will be posted to our web site.)

The East Ohio Conference Office:
located in North Canton, OH,
near Akron-Canton Airport.

Address:
8800 Cleveland Ave. NW
North Canton, OH 44720

Phones/Fax:
Local: (330) 499-3972
Toll Free: (800) 831-3972
Fax: (330) 499-3279

Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

 

  • Facebook Instagram Twitter Vimeo Flickr

  • Bishop's Office
  • Districts and Churches
  • Conference Staff
  • POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
  • Safe Sanctuaries
  • Sexual Ethics
  • CCLI & CVLI Licensing
  • Terms of Use Policies
  • RESOURCES:
  • Conference Journal
  • E-News
  • News Archives
  • Archives and History
  • EAST OHIO CONFERENCE
  • 8800 Cleveland Ave. NW
  • North Canton, OH 44720 Map
  • (800) 831-3972
  • www.eocumc.com

East Ohio Conference Logo© EAST OHIO CONFERENCE. All Rights Reserved.