Pixar is going to take you on a quest unlike any other journey that Pixar has taken you on before. The elven brothers, Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt), have dreamed about being able to see their dad, Wilden Lightfoot (Kyle Bornheimer). Wilden, who passed away long before the children could spend time with him, left a wizard staff for the boys when Ian turned 16. Ian and Barley try to bring him back, but accidentally only bring the bottom half of him back to life. With less than 24 hours to bring the rest of him back before he’s gone forever, they must go on a quest to find a phoenix gem to finish the spell. They will seek out The Manticore (Octavia Spencer) to send them on their quest.

This film is one of Pixar’s strongest. Onward is visually captivating. The animation of this film is phenomenal. The details within the animation are stunning. Holland and Pratt’s characters are very similar to their actual selves. The story is very well crafted. The suburban fantasy world is established combining our world’s technology with another realm. The film focuses on taking another realm, but making it relatable by making dragons as pets, unicorns and wild animals, and pixies as biker gangs. It also establishes relatable characters such as the step-father,Colt Bronco (Mel Rodriguez), who tells the cheezy-ist of “dad jokes”. Pixar also relates to the audience emotionally by showing how loss can affect people. The voice acting is absolutely amazing. Pratt and Holland bring this movie to life. The bond between Pratt and Holland allows for the audience to emotionally connect to the characters. Pratt brings a level of comedy to the movie which is very much needed. Spencer’s adaptation of The Manticore is unforgettable. The medieval theme of the score helps immerse the audience into the fantasy world. The original song Carried Me with You by Brandi Carlie is an excellent song to describe the journey Onward will take you on. The storytelling will bring the audience to tears every time they see Onward rivaling the many other Pixar films that are known for their emotion such as Up, Toy Story 3, WallE, and Monster Inc.

Onward is an exceptional film. Onward will keep the audience on the edge of their seats till the very end wondering if the boys will succeed. Onward may take the Lightfoot boys on a physical quest, the audience is taken on an emotional quest. I truly enjoyed this film. Pixar’s Onward meets the expectations for a great Pixar movie. I highly recommend that everyone see this film. This is one emotional roller coaster that you do not want to miss. I rate this film a 5 out of 5 film reels. Onward is now available for streaming on Disney+ and on demand anywhere you virtually stream movies.