“Onward” Review: A Fun Fantasy, But Doesn't Live Up to All Pixar Standards

Barley (Chris Pratt) and Ian (Tom Holland)

Crying at the movies isn’t all that uncommon. If something’s sad, and it causes emotions to surface, it’s worth it just to get it all out. But there are some movies that you don’t expect to evoke melancholy, that impress you with their ability to bring tears to your eyes.

The latest to do this for me was Pixar’s latest, Onward, set in a world where fantastical and magical creatures evolved into a modern society in place of humanity. Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) is a young elf who is trying to figure out who he is on his sixteenth birthday. His brother Barley (Chris Pratt) tries to make it a special day for Ian, but only served to embarrass Ian with his boisterous and unabashed love of the enchanting ways of the past, where wizards handled problems through magical means. That was centuries ago, though, and modern technology has taken over the world, creating potential for an interesting bit of social commentary.