Pixar’s ‘Onward’: The next children’s classic

Following the formula to pull on heartstrings with an extraordinary quest, a devoted big brother and a teen trying to find his way, “Onward” is incredibly moving.

“Onward” takes place in a fantasy world, but is centered around common, realistic problems. The story follows two elf brothers, Ian and Barley, on a mission to find any remaining magic in their world. Their eager quest is fueled by a heart-felt story of loss. The two brothers defy all the odds against them while discovering their individual attributes and hidden talents.

The shy younger brother exceeds his own doubts on his route to becoming the town hero. The older brother comes off as a screw-up before it is revealed that he played a major role in shaping his younger brother. Both raised by a devoted mother who stops at no-end to protect her boys from anything, even a horrific curse.

“Onward” starts off slow with no action, but after the first quarter takes a deep dive into their fantasy realm keeping the audience on the edge of their seats until the final scene. The script reminds viewers about the true value of family with a hint of humor and a deep underlying message scene after scene.

The star-studded cast includes Tim Holland II, Chris Pratt, Octavia Spencer as well as Julia Louis-Dreyfus, ensuring great ratings due to the profound script and harmony of the distinguishing voices.

Holland, who previously starred in “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” voices the younger brother Ian Lightfoot and Pratt from “Avengers: Endgame” voices older brother, Barley Lightfoot. Holland and Pratt make a dynamic duo as the voices of the main characters and give a sense of real-life feuding siblings.

Rotten Tomatoes’ critics rate the movie 87 out of 100 and their audience gives it a 4.61 out of 5 stars. One parallel among reviews is that the cast overflows with chemistry and the script gives a clear message throughout the endearing adventure. The final scene drew tears from my eyes, earning this new classic a 5 out of 5 in my book. From a suburban fantasy world to a highly cursed road and back, “Onward” is overloaded with emotion that will touch viewers to their core.