User reviews

This movie is pretty fast paced. The characters are always trying to get out of some kind of mess they created, so in other words you're never bored. I recommend you watch this film with your siblings. I'm a grown man and this film had me tearing up lol. Another great film by Pixar.

I didn't like the look of this, the animation, the content or the story. I am glad I decided to watch it.

The film is set in a world where magic is replaced by technology because it is easier. Two young men get the opportunity to use magic to spend a single day with their deceased father. It doesn't go according to plan so they go on an adventure.

The story is simple but lean, the jokes are obvious but funny, the characters are stock but fleshed out.

This movie is really enjoyable and tugs at the heart strings.

There is nothing ground-breaking about this movie but it has a very big heart and is very well executed.

Really beautiful and emotional movie. It won me primarily over by its absolutely fantastic and very detailed animations, look and use of colors. Truely magical. It had so much time to develope so many different characters even if its just little extras. I would actually watch a TV series based on the lives of those fantasy characters in the suburbans. A very creative idea to actually tell a very simple and common story. The film convinced me because it just touched the right buttons and activated them with the story structure and the relationship between the two leading characters. There is some great voice work, most noteable Tom Holland and Octavia Spencer but also Chris Pratt meets the right tone. One of the best Pixar movies that came out the last years and one of the most creative and magical ones (more in design than story) for a very long time. It got me close to tears at the end and that means something for a animated film. Kudos to Pixar, they know how to bring magic back t the cinema.

I dont get all, the hate. What an underrated movie. Great animation and a climax that will have yoy in tears. I love it, give it a watch.

I hated this movie because it hit me so hard. Lost my dad a while back and never dealt with all the things from that but this movie kinda drop kicked my feelings into the focus. Hard to watch a film with tears streaming down your face

I never got to watch this movie in theaters but I did watch it on Disney Plus like a year ago. Enjoyable, funny and interesting. Two elf brothers (voiced by two MCU veterans) embark on a quest to bring their late father back. It's even got references to one of the best tabletop RPGs known to humanity. Any D&D lover would love to watch this. It's also perfect for those who barely knew their father and what they can do with the lives they have left. Can our two protagonists find their father? At what cost? And what adventures will they have? See it!

The dead parent trope might be overused for Disney movies but Onward doesn't make the mistakes of those movies. The siblings fight like siblings though out, not just at plot critical moments. Their single mom has a boyfriend who is not an evil stepparent trope, and their mom is actually proactive during the events of the film, but the adventure still belongs to the boys. I've been tired of plots that have parents oblivious to what their kids are doing. I came for the DnD references but I cried for the well-rounded characters.

I like the originality in this movie, nothing special imo, i definitly didn't mind watching the movie. Voice acting was really great though, the movie definitly got some laughs out of me. Go watch it if you have younger children, nothing special for adults and teens though.

A great film about siblings and the incredible bond they can share. I enjoyed every second, don't listen to the haters.

"Onward" is a beautiful film to watch, and so as usual a Pixar film is among the best looking CGI movies you can find. I especially love the look of the twilight scenes. This being said, the story itself is only okay...and the big finale is a bit of a letdown.

In this story, magical folk like sprites, trolls, elves and goblins are real but have somehow lost their magical powers over the centuries...mostly because modern technology replaced many of the spells of yesterday. The plot focuses on two brothers who have an odd task...to bring their dead father back to life for one day. Through this process, they naturally come to learn about themselves and each other.

There are some touching moments in this film. But there also is a strong feeling that the story itself wasn't especially logical or polished. The characters, their motivations and the like all seem a bit confusing and slight....and the ending seemed more action-packed than being true to the characters and story. In fact, many will likely see the ending as a letdown...and the entire reason for the brothers' quest seemed amazingly unimportant and irrelevant. Not a terrible story by any stretch...but certainly not among the studios better films. And, it's a clear case of a film being rushed to market before the story was adequately polished and ready to be filmed.

It's a fantastic movie! It might fall into cliches but that's what the movie is all about. It brings the sense of epic to the viewer and engage with their feelings. It's well balanced, as the movie emphasizes in the adventure aspect of it but without forgetting comic times as well as really touchy moments were you'll for sure be moved. It's a great movies that will introduce you to some aspects of role playing in a way you probably haven't thought before. Great for both kids and adults.

After seeing "Onward", I do hope this movie is no indicator for the quality of Pixar's productions after the departure of John Lasseter. In my opinion, "Onward" is the least inventive and entertaining Pixar movie since "The good dinosaur".

Yet, the basic idea has potential: Once there was magic, but by and by it was replaced by civilization. This civilized world looks a lot like some random US provincial town - except that it is populated by magical, mythical creatures like Elves, Fairies, Centaurs, Dwarfs, Trolls and so on. No humans! This has the potential for a lot of gags, e.g., a Centaur (named "Bronco"!) as police officer - in a car. On the other hand: This is no new idea; similar parodies on Smalltown America has been seen in "Chicken Little", "Planet 51", "Antz" or "Bee movie", to name only a few CGI movies. There is nothing really new and inventive here as, e.g., the land of the Dead in "Coco".

Most obvious would be a comparison with "Shrek", which features also a world of magical, mythical creatures. Yet while "Shrek" has a satirical, cheeky approach to its world and its 'people', "Onward" shows a more sentimental, sometimes even corny approach. The 'magical' times are introduced as some kind of lost, yet golden age - which is strange somehow, since all the ingredients of this magic age are still there.

Another problem of "Onward" are its main characters, the brothers Lightfoot: Elves with blue skin and pointy ears, yet otherwise completely just like some average teenagers of 16 (Ian) and 18 (?, Barley). Great, two more moody teenagers! And there is another stereotype: They are half-orphans, since their father has died even before Ian's birth; since then, Ian seems to long for his lost father. His brother, on the other hand, is shown as a screw-up, role-playing and driving an ancient bus. The most likable person in the family is their hands-on mother.

As in "Coco", "Onward" tackles the contact to the hereafter. But while in "Coco" Mexican traditions and myths are used, in "Onward" it just feels creepy: In the beginning, Ian summons (more or less by accident) his father - but only up to the waistline! Does that mean that the rest of him is still somewhere in the afterworld?

Anyway: Barley and Ian have to hit the road to summon also the rest of their father, since for some reason they have only 24 h for that. This way, we also get a road trip, and while this is probably the most entertaining part of the movie, it is also no new, inventive idea; far from it.

Don't get me wrong: "Onward" is not a bad movie; is has a lot of funny moments, and the visuals are great. But in my view, it is not very memorable.

This movie was so flat. I felt forced to laugh at the slightest bits of "comedy" given throughout, no genuinely funny moments I saw. A cliche "dead father, race against time, almost get it but 'you learn something all along along the way'". Exposition was TOTALLY rushed and gave no backstories or reasons to like these characters or care for them. The Ian character is your typical average teen character with a voice that nearly got on my nerves. Barley (what is this name lol) was okay but not developed as fully or focused on he should have been. Manticore was just Miss Fritter from Cars 3, mother reminiscent of Squishy's mother from Monsters U. No real chance of any character (not even Ian!) to be fully developed for me to grow a connection to them. It was rushed, cliche, and predictable. Ending was an attempt to pull me in, and almost did, but it just wasn't enough.

And no, it was not even close to being like Frozen besides the "only having each other" cliche despite these two having their mother. But would definitely recommend over it.

Doing a fulfilling movie for boys where the price of the quest is emotional wholeness and found love is a rare sight and not an easy task. Pixar succeeded by providing rich brotherly relationship, adventure, magic and finally love. It is much more a common message in movies for girls like Frozen, but I think that the magical combination of all the ingredients achieved by Pixar is important and entertaining at the same time. Wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone :)

Entertainment value: 7 Easy going feel good movie, not many surprises but made us chuckle a little and that is good enough.

Visuals: 8 It's a standard pixar movie, not exceptional.

Soundtrack: 7 Barly had some nice music going in his truck.

Plot: 6 Classic find yourself movie, not impressed but it works for the feel good theme.

World building and depth: 6 Funny take on on a fantasy world. Unicorns were hilarious. The world felt very flat however.

Characters and dialog: 7 Burly was a very likable character, the nerdy big bro. Not that impressed but it worked.

Total: 7

This movie will give you laughs as well as leave you in sobs. Fun, action-packed and emotional, it's a great watch.

Elven brothers Ian and Barley lost their father when they were too young to remember him. But on Ian's 16th birthday, they receive a special gift - something that can help revive their father for one day. But as expected, they mess up the spell and their father is left only with legs.

I do not know why this film is so underrated, considering it's full of that Pixar magic. Fantasy world? Ok, that's pretty common. Suburban fantasy world? You don't see that every day. It's a burst of imagination, really.

Unlike most films that shy away from deep themes and stay on the 'clear path', Onward shows how hard it is to lose someone. If you haven't seen it, watch today!

This really reminded me of Field of Dreams, in a good way. A magical road trip with distinctive characters, culminating in a tear jerking scene with the main character's dead father. It's a great movie for kids and will surely make the dads in the theater tear up as well.

I can't believe it. The best animated movie of the year was not by Disney. And it's not a surprise because most of the movies Disney did in 2019 were sequels and remakes (and Star Wars, and Avengers Endgame, which wasn't as good as Avengers: Infinity Wars). This is one of the most creative movies I've ever watched! Sure, it's cliche, however it's got a good moral, a good story, good character development, its humor isn't just in one character (contrary to Frozen II), and it is visually beautiful. This is the best animated movie of the year, and I really hope Disney makes more movies like this.

Onward for me it feels like more Disney style than Pixar. The opening very "format", story only became interesting when they start their adventure. One thing I feel a bit useless is they address Ian as a lonely person, that he doesn't have a friend in school. That personal setting just doesn't matter in the rest of story, but this is just a miner problem.

Pixar still deliver their fun & touching story to their audience as always.

Greetings again from the darkness. No studio has ever had a 25 year run like Pixar. This is their 22nd feature film over that span and every single one lands somewhere in the range of brilliant/instant classic to watchable/re-watchable. Though this latest may not reach instant classic level, it does stick to the Pixar standard template of highly entertaining while delivering a life lesson. This is the first time in the Pixar director's chair for Dan Scanlon since MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (2013). It's also the first original Pixar since COCO (2017) ... and note, it's rated PG.

The film opens with a "history" lesson detailing how the world was once populated by enchanted creatures like elves, unicorns, wizards, mermaids, fairies and sprites. Science and technology created shortcuts and soon the world's "magic" had disappeared, relegating these creatures to life in the suburbs. We pick up the story on Ian Lightfoot's 16th birthday. Ian is part of an elf family that includes his older brother Barley and their widowed mother Laurel. While Barley is a loud and rambunctious type who is obsessed with the Quest of Yore game and mythology (think Dungeons & Dragons), Ian is a more pensive type who still mourns the late father he never met. Both brothers are surprised when their mother presents a "gift" from their dad - one he left instructions to be held until Ian turned 16. The gift is a magical wizard staff that, with the included precious stone, can bring dad back to life for 24 hours.

Barley's knowledge of the magical spells combined with Ian's lack of self-confidence ends up botching things to the point that only half of dad is brought back - the bottom half. Under a tight deadline and in need of a replacement gem to bring dad back for a much desired final conversation, the brothers take off on an adventure that turns pretty wild. Their quest leads them to cross paths with many of the previously enchanted creatures, including the fabulous Manticore, and mom's boyfriend, Officer Colt Bronco.

We have come to expect 'magic' from Pixar with every movie, and this one doesn't disappoint. It may not be quite as awe-inspiring as some of their best work, but it's still a terrific suburban fantasy adventure filled with comedy and life lessons ... the most crucial of which is: being happy with what you have is more crucial to your inner-peace than getting what you hope for.

As always, the voice acting is top notch. Tom Holland (SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING) delivers the goods as Ian, and Chris Pratt (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) brings the necessary wonder and excitement to brother Barley. Julia Louis-Dreyfus never really gets to shine as their mother, but then this story is focused on the boys. Octavia Spencer has fun as Manticore (we needed more Manticore!), Mel Rodriguez is a hoot as Officer Colt Bronco, and yes of course, John Ratzenberg sneaks in - he's now voiced a character in all 22 Pixar films.

This is the first Pixar film to be totally free of input from ousted President John Lasseter, and it's one of the very few to be released outside of the summer or awards season. The likely reason is that the studio has a second original film being released this June. SOUL will be directed by Pete Docter and is viewed as a companion piece to the already classic INSIDE OUT (2015). Given the time of year, it could be easy to overlook ONWARD, but it nails the Pixar trademark emotional finale ... delivering a sentimental scene likely to stick with you. I have praised Pixar many times over the years as their creative teams really seem to "get it". Regardless of the month, ONWARD will cast a spell.

I really Love Pixar, yet this film is so hard to describe that I haven't it rated yet. Gonna let it sit for a few days before I do that. Certainly Pixar magic, wit and humor are in the film.... yet I can't really figure out how to rate it..... this is a first for me. Reading the other reviews here also helped ..... looks like I am not along.