Every few months, a new animated movie comes along that threatens to override our family’s working birthday party plans and Halloween costume ideas. As the father of a 5-year-old, I’m no stranger to films with heavy merchandise tie-ins that require watching, often, over and over again – it’s par for the course. I’m not exactly complaining, either. Watching movies with my daughter is a lot of fun, and you don’t meet many youngsters who think Isle of Dogs is the height of cinematic achievement. Still, when a film comes along that transcends mere toy lines and franchise opportunities (and one that I actually look forward to seeing again), I take notice.
Taking place in a world that could be neighbors with Frozen or Shrek (or any number of Disney princess movies, for that matter), Onward smartly subverts its “fairy tale” setting by mixing in elements of suburban tedium, ‘80s power metal, and non-stop Dungeons & Dragons references. It takes the form of an epic quest in search of a lost magical item, but does so in a stylized “real” world populated by fabled beasts (elves, manticores, centaurs, gelatinous cubes, etc.) who’ve given up their adventurous ways for modern convenience. Thankfully, the “return to magic” trope, overused in so much fantasy fiction, is here deployed only as a sidebar to the real story – one of two brothers who want to say goodbye to their father.
On paper, the adventure undertaken by the Lightfoot brothers (Ian and Barley, voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) may seem familiar (especially to anyone familiar with the treasure trove of low-budget fantasy films of the 1980s) but the payoff is anything but. Disney/Pixar has spent decades perfecting the art of pulling heartstrings but rarely does their blatant emotional manipulation stand up to even the mildest scrutiny. Not so with Onward. The payoff is not only worth it, but earned and unexpected. The quest of the Lightfoots may not be relatable in a literal sense, but the emotion it draws up certainly is, and as with any quest, the journey is more important than the destination.
Onward succeeds where many (and I mean many) animated films fail. Convincing kids to convince their parents to buy licensed merchandise is easy. Helping parents relate life lessons and understanding to their kids through honest and decent storytelling is altogether different – and much more appreciated. Onward is a movie that cares enough about its audience not to insult it with vulgarities or to dumb it down to the lowest common denominators. If viewed with an attitude of caring and comfort, it’s a tool to teach kids about loss and appreciation, and to cherish what was but look forward to what’s next. For some families, this may be invaluable in the coming months.
James is a writer, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.