Movie #87 2020: Onward (2020)

Pixar returns in 2020 with not one, but two full-length feature films.

Coming soon is the highly anticipated Soul, which is said to have an Inside Out type of vibe. But until that movie (finally) hits cinemas once quarantines have ended, they gave us this.

Onward was released in theatres – albeit briefly – early in March in the UK. Luckily, I was able to see it!

So what does it have? Great animation? Brilliant storytelling? An all-star cast? Magic? Yep, it has all of those things. But does it come with a coveted dose of movie magic? Ehhhh…

Simply put, I’ve only made the comment above because this is Pixar. Their standard is so high that it’s absurd; it must be really difficult to live up to their own back catalogue. To be honest, if this movie was made by Dreamworks, a lot of critics would probably be calling it a roaring success. However, because it’s Pixar, Onward is held up to such high expectations that it seems to fall slightly short somehow.

There are many, many good things about the movie. One thing is that the cast is incredible, and they all play their parts well. A special shout out goes to Octavia Spencer; her supporting character ended up being absolutely outstanding thanks to her vocal talent.

Although it took a while to get going, this movie got there in the end. Once the main protagonists start their epic journey, I was completely engrossed. I won’t go into what the plot is, but it’s definitely a grower, not a show-er.

For some reason, it doesn’t achieve the humour of some other Pixar movies either, but there is a relatively good pay off at the end. Again, without spoiling it, it is just as profound and touching as you’d expect from a film of this ilk.

Although Onward has a few flaws, I wouldn’t let them put you off watching it. It is still extremely entertaning, visually gorgeous, and a brilliant way to pass some time in isolation.

Sadly, you will have to wait until its digital release to see it…

Onward is unavailable to stream as of yet, but will be accessible shortly on the Sky Store (and hopefully Disney+!)

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