Film: Onward

GENRE: Animation, Adventure

RATING: PG for thematic elements
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 42 minutes

STARRING: Tom Holland (Spider-Man:Homecoming, Spies in Disguise)

Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy); Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld)

DIRECTOR: Dan Scanlon (Monsters University)

WRITERS: Scanlon (Monsters University), Jason Headley (newcomer),
Keith Bunin (Horns, In Treatment)

PLOT: Through magic, two elf brothers embark on a quest.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I went in with lower expectations for this Pixar.  

STORY STUFF: It took me a little bit of time to get invested in the story and the characters. Once the quest started, I was totally along for the ride. There’s some great characters, funny lines and well-done action pieces (one is a bit of a rip-off of Indiana Jones though). I might not have found the dialogue as clever as previous Pixar films but the story is solid. Pixar is amazing at story-telling. On the emotional front, there were definite tears. Like, end of Toy Story 3 tears.  I can blame it on the fact that I’m getting older and mushier, but I’ll chalk it up to great writing instead.

ACTING STUFF: Great voice acting all around. I enjoyed the natural chemistry between Pratt and Holland. I had a hard time placing the voice of step dad, Colt Bronco, but seeing Mel Rodriguez’s (Last Man on Earth) name in the end credits made perfect sense. He’s perfect for the role.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Pixar animation is top notch. What else can I say?   

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like Pixar and a good cry

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Maybe Black Widow if it’s not postponed.