Onward Review (2020)
There's something about the risks that Pixar's "Onward" takes that I'm really drawn to. I'm not attracted to high fantasy settings unless the characters in it are intriguing this one is just that. The premise is this: when two brothers botch a spell to revive their dead father (he's just ends up as a pair of legs) they set out on an adventure to bring his whole body back before the sun sets and he disappears forever. It comes from a very sad place and it's talked about in a very matter-of-fact way -similarly to how Coco explored death. There's a sense of melancholy and longing in these characters as well as a lot of emotional moments that bring them together, knowing that their family really matters to them and the two brothers really need each other in their lives. There're also a lot of bold visual risks that it takes that I can't get into due to spoilers but there's one shot in particular that felt so unconventional and emotional that it brought me to tears (I cry super easily during animated movies but that's besides the point!). The movie is made up of moments like these and it's usually committed to those decisions. Unfortunately, the major decision to keep one of its characters as a pair of legs for the majority of the movie's runtime falls flat for me personally. As much as I like seeing animated body language, not having a face to look at feels like a big misstep and so a lot of the emotional beats surrounding this character just didn't land for me. I'll continue to give Pixar the usual praise for its animation and design and would like to take the time to highlight their work on their environments. Every location tells a story and looks rich in lore and it's one of those movies that animation nerds would absolutely love to be immersed in and admire frame by frame. The voice acting, particularly with Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, has way more depth than I had anticipated. Pratt in particular gives one of his most vulnerable performance I've ever seen and his character ends up being one of Pixar's deepest characters yet. There's also a very good character arc for Holland's character that makes the whole journey as satisfying as it is. There's also a character played by Octavia Spencer and is a treat to watch as well, though I wished she and some of the other minor character got more screen time to them to explore lingering questions some might have after watching it. Onward does a beautiful job of setting up its characters and the adventure. Although the adventure itself feels very much like a been-there-done-that situation, the emotional pay offs are at an all time high. It takes some big swings and hits most of them. I really love that Pixar is willing to take some risks and I think Onward is definitely worth your time.