Movie · 2020 · Animation, Family, Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy · 1h 42m · PG · English
Curator score: 4.3/10 (802.3K ratings)
Their quest beginneth.
Overview
In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.3/10
IMDb: 7.4/10
Letterboxd: 3.34/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Metacritic: 61
TMDB: 7.6/10
Director
Dan Scanlon
Production
Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar
Cast
Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Kyle Bornheimer, Lena Waithe, Ali Wong, Grey DeLisle, Tracey Ullman, Wilmer Valderrama, John Ratzenberger, George Psarras
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, funny fantasy road movie with strong brotherly emotion and Pixar-level craft, but it’s also a bit uneven and less inspired than the studio’s best work. If you like heartfelt adventure, suburban fantasy, and a tearjerker ending, it lands well; if you want a sharper comedy or a more original quest structure, it may feel familiar.
Best for
families looking for an accessible fantasy adventure
viewers who like emotional sibling stories
Pixar fans who don’t need a top-tier classic
people who enjoy light worldbuilding with a sentimental payoff
Skip if
you want Pixar at its most inventive and polished
you’re looking for a fast, joke-dense comedy
you dislike sentimental family drama
you prefer fantasy with a more epic or mythic scale
Overview
Onward is a sweet, sincere fantasy adventure that trades grand mythology for a very human-sized story about brothers, grief, and growing up. Its suburban setting and “magic in the modern world” premise give it a playful hook, and the movie keeps finding ways to make that idea emotionally resonant rather than just clever.
Worth noting
The film’s biggest strength is the relationship at its center. The brother dynamic gives the quest real momentum, and the ending lands because it has been building toward something simpler and more personal than a standard save-the-world climax. That said, the first act can feel a little generic, and the comedy is more uneven than Pixar’s strongest outings.
Bottom line
Even so, it’s easy to see why it connected with audiences: it’s earnest without being cloying, imaginative without being overwhelming, and it has enough visual invention to keep the journey lively. It’s not essential Pixar, but it’s a very solid family fantasy with a genuine emotional payoff.
Top Letterboxd reviews
maria (3.5★) · 3640 likes
so this tells us that humanity possessed actual fucking magic but we were too lazy to exercise it so we picked consumerism instead? sounds legit
Mitsi F. (2.5★) · 3395 likes
Dungeons and Daddy Issues
Karsten (4★) · 2812 likes
How is NOBODY talking about all the Indiana Jones references??? I mean SO many!!! This was great, even coming out of Pixar. It only feels like a “generic animated kids movie” because of Chris Pratt’s voice acting. Besides that everything about this feels so original. Honestly really sad that the release was so overshadowed by everything going on, especially considering maybe it’s the kind of movie we all need right now? /:
demi adejuyigbe (4★) · 2173 likes
The first third set me up for a grueling time but the film gets better as it goes on! If the dad stuff doesn’t get you crying, the brother stuff absolutely will. That third act is so lovely and fun and has a surprisingly simple but terrific climax with one of my favorite “creatures” in recent memory. It ain’t Pixar’s finest, but even A- Pixar is a pretty good film from anyone else. Don’t go in expecting a wild, wide… more The first third set me up for a grueling time but the film gets better as it goes on! If the dad stuff doesn’t get you crying, the brother stuff absolutely will. That third act is so lovely and fun and has a surprisingly simple but terrific climax with one of my favorite “creatures” in recent memory. It ain’t Pixar’s finest, but even A- Pixar is a pretty good film from anyone else. Don’t go in expecting a wild, wide… more
Sabrina 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (4★) · 1256 likes
most unrealistic part is that the fuckhead centaur cop can get the dummy thicc hot mom, in what universe???