Onward is a Pixar movie about grief that spends its runtime trying to explain why grief exists. The film, directed by Dan Scanlon, follows Ian Lightfoot (voiced by Tom Holland) and his older brother Barley (Chris Pratt) on a quest to bring their dead father back for just one day. What starts as a simple road trip through a fantasy world built from suburban sprawl and glowing mushroom forests turns into a lesson about the value of memories and the danger of holding onto things that can never be recovered.
The premise is strong. Ian is a teenager who has never met his dad, while Barley is a 30-year-old man who still wears his college t-shirt and refuses to grow up. Their mother has raised them alone, and now she has died too. The brothers find a magic staff that can summon their father for 24 hours, but it requires them to complete a journey together. That journey takes them across the Elfland, a kingdom of talking animals and mystical creatures, and forces them to confront the gap between the boy Ian was and the man he is becoming.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
That line, spoken by Barley to Ian near the end of the film, captures the emotional core of Onward. It is a genuine moment of vulnerability from Pratt, and it lands because the film has spent the entire runtime building toward it. The problem is that everything around it feels padded. The jokes land inconsistently, the pacing drags in the middle, and the fantasy elements, while imaginative, do not quite cohere into a cohesive world.
Trailer, via Pixar.
The Brothers and Their Grief
Ian and Barley are the heart of Onward. Holland plays Ian as a nervous, anxious teenager who is constantly second-guessing himself, while Pratt plays Barley as a goofy, lovable loser who is stuck in his past. Together, they form a classic Pixar sibling dynamic: the responsible one and the irresponsible one. The film leans heavily on their relationship, and when it does, it works.
Their conversations about their parents, their regrets, and their fears are the best writing in the movie. Ian’s frustration with Barley’s refusal to move on is palpable, and Barley’s desperate need to hold onto the memory of their father is equally compelling. The film understands that grief is not a clean process, and it shows both brothers oscillating between anger, sadness, and acceptance.
The supporting cast is solid but less memorable. Julia Sweeney voices their mother Laurel, who appears only in flashbacks and in spirit form. She is warm and loving, but her character is mostly a device for explaining the family’s history. Jacob Batalon voices the elf Officer Specter, who helps the brothers along their journey. He is funny and earnest, but his role is largely that of a sidekick.
The Quest and Its Obstacles
The central quest involves finding a lost magical gem that will power the staff. Along the way, Ian and Barley encounter a variety of obstacles, including a band of elves led by a gruff chieftain voiced by Keith David, a talking sheep named Duthi (Melissa Manchester), and a magical creature called a Marauder. These encounters are meant to test the brothers’ resolve and teach them lessons about trust and teamwork.
Some of these tests work better than others. The Marauder sequence, in particular, is a standout. It is a tense chase scene that uses the film’s visual style to great effect, with the brothers riding a motorcycle through a forest of giant mushrooms. The action is thrilling, and the payoff is earned.
Other sequences drag. A mid-film montage where Ian and Barley ride a bus through a town filled with singing citizens is charming but unnecessary. It breaks the tension and slows down the momentum. The film’s middle section is where it loses focus, meandering through a series of set pieces that feel like filler rather than essential storytelling.
The World of Elfland
The world of Elfland is the film’s biggest achievement. It is a fantasy realm that looks like a cross between a fairy tale and a Pixar original. The architecture is whimsical, with houses shaped like mushrooms and trees that provide shade. The color palette is vibrant, with blues and greens dominating the landscape. It is a beautiful place, and the animation is top-notch.
But the world-building is inconsistent. Some locations feel fully realized, while others feel like sketches. The film introduces a concept called “the Veil,” which separates the human world from the magical realm, but it never explains how it works or why it matters. The rules of this universe are vague, which makes some of the plot points feel arbitrary.
The characters of Elfland are also uneven. The elves are a group of quirky individuals, but they are not given enough screen time to develop beyond their quirks. The sheep Duthi is a highlight, but her role is limited. The film is clearly more interested in Ian and Barley than in the world around them.
The Comedy and Its Limits
Pixar has always balanced its emotional storytelling with humor, and Onward is no exception. There are plenty of jokes, ranging from physical comedy to witty dialogue. However, the humor is hit-or-miss. Some gags land with a thud, while others are clever and unexpected.
The film’s tone is also inconsistent. It shifts from light-hearted to somber without warning, which can be jarring. One minute, Ian and Barley are making jokes about their failures, and the next they are having a heartfelt conversation about their mother. The tonal whiplash is a structural issue, not a stylistic choice.
Pratt is the funniest element of the film. His delivery is impeccable, and he brings a physicality to Barley that makes him feel alive. Holland is less showy, but he is effective at playing Ian’s nervousness. The two actors clearly had fun working together, and that energy translates to the screen.
The Music and the Soundtrack
The music in Onward is forgettable. The score is pleasant but unremarkable, and the songs are catchy but generic. The film’s soundtrack features a mix of pop and folk tunes, but none of them stand out as memorable. They serve their function, but they do not elevate the film.
The voice acting is uniformly good. Holland and Pratt are the stars, but the ensemble is strong. The chemistry between the brothers is the real star of the show.
The Message and Its Clarity
The message of Onward is that memories are the closest we can get to the people we have lost. The film argues that holding onto grief is not healthy, but neither is pretending that the loss does not matter. It is a message that is easy to understand, but it is also simplistic. The film does not explore the complexity of grief; it presents it as a problem with a solution.
The ending of Onward is a bittersweet resolution. The brothers complete their quest, but they do not get the father they wanted. Instead, they learn to appreciate the memories they have. It is a fitting conclusion, but it feels like a letdown after the buildup. The film sets up a high-stakes journey, but it delivers a low-key finale.
The Final Word
Onward is a competent Pixar movie, but it is not a great one. It has moments of brilliance, especially in its character work and its world-building, but it is weighed down by a bloated middle and a thin narrative. The film is sincere, but it is not particularly smart.
The film’s strengths are its performances and its world. Holland and Pratt are excellent, and the world of Elfland is visually stunning. Its weaknesses are its pacing and its message. The film is too long and too obvious.
Onward is a movie that will appeal to families looking for a heartwarming adventure. It is not a film that will challenge or surprise adult viewers. It is a safe, pleasant experience, but it is not a memorable one.
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