Released in the United States on March 6, 2020, Onward is yet another successful, animated Pixar movie. It’s not surprising — the director, Dan Scanlon, won Animation of the Year in 2013 at the Hollywood Film Awards for Monsters University. He also won Best Feature earlier this year at the Dublin International Film Festival, and was nominated for more awards throughout the years. With Scanlon at the helm of the movie, Onward was brought to life in an incredible way.

The main characters are voiced by Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, and Octavia Spencer. All three are big names in the movie industry, and their involvement generated a lot of views that the movie might not have received otherwise. Fans of all ages flocked to the theaters to support their favorite actors, and the movie blew up.

Onward is an attractive movie even without delving into the plot. It uses a vibrant range of colors and fitting music for each scene. As seen on the cover of the movie, it’s animated and takes place in a fantasy world, both of which will catch the eyes of children. The dialogue isn’t hard to understand, and it isn’t vulgar, which makes Onward appropriate for all ages and a movie that can be enjoyed with family.

The plot is a little stereotypical. The father of two teenage boys, Ian and Barley, passed away from an undisclosed disease before the younger of the two — Ian — could even meet him. The boys set out on a quest to revive their father for a day and spend it with him. Having the chance to meet his dad for the first time was what drove Ian throughout the whole movie, and Barley supported him relentlessly. Similar plots have been seen in other animated films, such as The Son of Bigfoot, in which the father goes missing under mysterious circumstances and his son goes looking for him years later.

Onward is an emotional movie with a bittersweet ending. Despite all the stereotypes and cliches, it pulled everything off perfectly in a whirlwind of colors, music, emotions, and a journey of both self-discovery and finding family.

9/10