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MESSAGE IN THE MOVIES

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.

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