320. Onward; movie review
Cert U
107 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild fantasy threat, very mild bad language
* I realised as I was catching up with my reviews that I had not yet posted this review which was written in March.
Well, this is unique - cinema releases which have had their takings reduced by Coronavirus are suddenly available on streaming services.
I managed to catch Onward before the big shutdown but would have only had to wait another couple of weeks before it is available on Disney Plus.
I have to warn potential audiences that it doesn't merit the £15 it will cost.
Onward is not bad - it just isn't very good.
The premise of Dan Scanlon's film is that teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) badly miss their dad and are given an unexpected opportunity to spend one day with him.
Thus, a moment of magic sparks a quest in Barley's beaten up old van past impossible obstacles.
The journey is festooned with magic spells, treasure trails and mind-blowing discoveries both about the world and about themselves.
But despite all of the above, it doesn't spark quite as much as it might.
This is even the case when the boys' mum (Julia Louis-Dreyfus goes in pursuit of her sons with a part-lion, part-bat, part-scorpion restaurant licensee (Octavia Spencer).
Yes, there is magic, there are fantastic creatures but there aren't any laughs and I just didn't feel invested in the characters.
Nowadays, it appears that only Frozen can hold the baton of animation which ticks the box on every front.
Onward tried and engaged but just didn't have the wow factor.
Well, this is unique - cinema releases which have had their takings reduced by Coronavirus are suddenly available on streaming services.
I managed to catch Onward before the big shutdown but would have only had to wait another couple of weeks before it is available on Disney Plus.
I have to warn potential audiences that it doesn't merit the £15 it will cost.
Onward is not bad - it just isn't very good.
The premise of Dan Scanlon's film is that teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) badly miss their dad and are given an unexpected opportunity to spend one day with him.
Thus, a moment of magic sparks a quest in Barley's beaten up old van past impossible obstacles.
The journey is festooned with magic spells, treasure trails and mind-blowing discoveries both about the world and about themselves.
But despite all of the above, it doesn't spark quite as much as it might.
This is even the case when the boys' mum (Julia Louis-Dreyfus goes in pursuit of her sons with a part-lion, part-bat, part-scorpion restaurant licensee (Octavia Spencer).
Yes, there is magic, there are fantastic creatures but there aren't any laughs and I just didn't feel invested in the characters.
Nowadays, it appears that only Frozen can hold the baton of animation which ticks the box on every front.
Onward tried and engaged but just didn't have the wow factor.
Reasons to watch: The big Disney animation of the year
Reasons to avoid: Just isn't very exciting
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6/10
Did you know? Similar to Ian and Barley in Onward, Dan Scanlon also lost his dad at a young age. It was his curiosity about what his father had been like that ultimately served as the starting point for the film’s development.
The final word. Dan Scanlon: “I want the takeaway to be: talk to that person who went above and beyond for you. Say it now while you can.”
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