Pixar's Onward Review Roundup

Onward can be considered as the first major animated movie release of 2020. Being apart of our most anticipated list and a Pixar movie, hopes are high for this one.  Starring Avengers: End Game alum Chris Pratt (Star-Lord) and Tom Holland (Spider-Man), the story will centre around elf brothers on a journey to discover if magic is still real in a modern world that has lost its magical pizzazz. But, does it live up to the high standard the studio is known for (remember they just won another Oscar this past month)? Or are we better off waiting for Soul in the summer? Here's what 5 major critics had to say: 

VARIETY
'By the end of “Onward,” you’ll have chuckled and maybe choked up, and enjoyed a conventional ride. Which kind of places the film among the bottom third of the Pixar canon. Even the title is naggingly anonymous. Couldn’t they have called it “Spellbinder,” or “Over the Hills and Far Away,” or something? But “Onward” may, in its way, be a title that neatly sums up Pixar after 25 years, as the studio itself rolls forward with — or, in this case, without — a grand vision.'

For the full review please visit here

IGN  (7/10)
'Filmmaker Dan Scanlon has crafted an adventure that gleefully flies high with its fantasy elements, yet never loses touch with its grounded family tale. In that regard, it feels like '80s Amblin, but without being a stodgy homage. It's got charm from its playful production design to its exuberant voice cast to some deeply silly visual gags. (My favorite is one involving a galloping steed in the form of a busted up van.) Plus, it has a sensational pace that keeps the adventure rollicking and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats through a parade of audacious action sequences that include high-speed chases, bonkers battles, and a dungeon crawl through an array of booby traps. All told, it's a terrifically entertaining tale filled with humor, heart, and allusions that are sure to delight fantasy fans.'

For the full review please visit here

THE ATLANTIC
'After a few side-quests, Onward settles on charting the development of its mismatched siblings. Both brothers are trying to figure out what it means to be an adult while wandering around with a father who has literally lost his head, and the climax revolves around the bond they’ve built in their shared adventure. Scanlon apparently anchored the story in his own life—he lost his father at a young age and played a lot of D&D—and that emotional investment pays off beautifully. I hope Onward is a huge success at the box office, but more than that, I hope Pixar turns away from sequel projects and creates more original works like this one.'
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For the full review please visit here

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
'D&D nerds might get a kick out of the dreaded appearance of the Gelatinous Cube, a block of ooze that engulfs everything in its path, but the dangers that surface throughout the brothers' quest seldom remain a threat long enough to create suspense — despite the hard work of Mychael and Jeff Danna's thundering orchestral score. The most impressive adversary is a fearsome creature spontaneously assembled out of the wreckage of a guardian curse in the story's climactic battle, though the simpler, rough-hewn menace of something like the Rock Monster in Galaxy Quest, conceived along similar lines, was a lot more fun.'

​For the full review please visit here

THE WRAP
'In the final analysis, a let-down from Pixar still outshines another animation studio’s finest work, and if the people sitting around me at the screening I attended are any indication, the strength of the ending is enough to win over a good chunk of the audience. I couldn’t help wanting a little more magic from this movie set in a world where magic itself has fallen out of favor.'

For the full review please visit here

Overall, the reviews seem more on the mix side of things. Also, we must mention the film currently sits at a good Rotten Tomatoes score of 82% from 51 reviews. However, who do get the overall vibe that the movie will have its good moments but doesn't necessarily move the needle. 

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