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| Scene from Onward (2020) |
Anyone who has been watching Disney films long enough will be familiar with the ticking clock scenario. The most famous example comes in Cinderella, where our protagonist only has until midnight to enjoy life as a princess. For the studio's subsidiary Pixar, they turn the concept on its head with a rather straightforward idea: what if we only had 24 hours to spend with our loved ones? Director Dan Scanlon's Onward explores the subject amid a fantastical 21st-century style quest full of Dungeons & Dragons motifs... and all while only dealing with a pair of brothers Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot's (Chris Pratt) legs. It's a wonderful sight gag that proves the studio's ability to make anything into an endearing supporting character. Luckily the rest still has some magic for those who love seeing unicorns eating out of the trash. It's clever enough to make the ticking clock a memorable experience, even if it never quite feels like more than a silly detour for the studio.
The story begins as a place of magic, many centuries ago. There were wizards everywhere conjuring up spells as dragons flew with awe through the sky alongside unicorns. It's the perfect set-up for a story not unlike "Lord of the Rings," where all of the archetypes coexist. It's like if Dungeons & Dragons wasn't some piece of fiction, but a place to revel in history. Then one day, science enters the picture as if an antagonist to everyone's joy. It starts well enough with a lightbulb, but soon the magic becomes segregated in favor of turning these kingdoms into something not unlike a modern suburb. In the present day is nebbish Ian, about to celebrate his 16th birthday. All he wants is to break free of his social awkwardness, but his brother doesn't make it easy. He's a metalhead, in love with magic imagery and wearing a jean jacket full of devilish band logos. He even talks with that righteous grunt that your stoned-out cousin would. He's the embarrassing extrovert who is barely charming enough to get through the rest of the story without wanting to push out of his poorly built van Gwenivere.
The plot kicks off with a simple enough promise: Ian and Barley can spend one day with their deceased father using a magic staff and a special stone. The issue is that Ian's timidity keeps the spell from working effectively and what's left is the bottom half of their father. There's no way to know what he's thinking if he's even smiling. It's almost tragic in its absurdity to know that they got the part that can't communicate with them, forced to be lead around by a rope on their journey to find a replacement of the special stone. It begins by digging into Barley's love of fantasy, his obsession finally coming in handy. As they drive around, they bond over magic as Ian learns new spells that slowly become useful to varying degrees throughout the plot.
If Onward has anything going for it, there's plenty to love about the world-building. Much like what Zootopia did with animals, Onward exists by replacing fantasy creates within a satirized confines of a suburb culture. At a local gas station, the Lightfoot Brothers run into a series of fairies who ride motorcycles. They're tough and lead them on a gruesome freeway chase that becomes one of the first intense set pieces of the story. From there the story begins to tear away from its modern ("scientific") setting and finds open fields where quests become more abundant. They must cross bridges, rivers, and outrun the cops to find the stone, and it's some of Pixar's more striking imagery throughout the film. In a story that features memorable supporting characters like The Manticore (Octavia Spencer), it's interesting to see the story bleed these two worlds together as if commenting how science tries to pave over magic, but magic will always win. There are entire points ripped directly out of "Lord of the Rings," or even Indiana Jones. It becomes a rip-roaring adventure as the imagery becomes more grandiose, and it's the heart of what makes the film worth watching.
When it comes to central conflict however, it's a bit too familiar to make this into something greater. As much can be drawn out of Barley and Ian's dynamic, they aren't particularly memorable on their own. They grow and evolve logically with the plot, but this dynamic has been seen before. They're more observers of the great world around them, and it does work for the humor sometimes. By the end, it feels obvious how much this is Frozen for boys, with the conflict of a self-sacrificing introverted magic sibling guiding both stories to their emotional conclusion. To Onward's credit, the finale is an unexpected thrill ride that finally embraces its fantasy elements fully, creating a contemporary fight scene that presents emotional catharsis through action and whimsy. It's intense, showing Pixar juggling emotions in a way that they do best. In some ways, it makes up for the otherwise droll periods leading up to this.
By the end, the ticking clock scenario isn't one with a satisfying conclusion for everyone. It's more of an excuse to have sibling bonding time, which is a story just as touching. The only issue is that not enough happens that is exciting or new, even in a story with a pair of sentient legs running around. It will entertain the young children out there who enjoy this blend of fantasy and modernism, but for the rest, it's just another conventional story. It does enough right to be considered good, but at this point, Pixar's magic is hard to isolate from everything else they've done. They have told stories like this, but with more nuance and tighter structures. The characters have better moments overall, even if this is wacky enough to fill up an afternoon. Still, in a quest to find a magical world, there probably should've been more inspired whimsy to carry the audience along.
Onward doesn't quite reach the heights of Pixar at its best, but it works as a minor film looking to explore how fantasy can unite brothers in terms of shared interests. It gives the audience just enough action to be thrilled, presenting inspired concepts that populate this world with a reliable visual pallet. It will entertain those who have an annoying brother, who feels like he never quite fit in. There's enough to the dynamics to make them a charming addition to the Pixar canon, even if they're far from the most memorable protagonists that this studio has ever produced. It gives enough reason to believe in magic but doesn't do enough with it to suggest why it ever should come back and make the world believe in its awe once again.
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