Animated fantasy. Each of Pixar Studios’ films lands with a heavy burden of expectation. After four Toy Story outings and many other modern classics such as Finding Nemo (2003) and Wall-E (2008), we expect, well, a modern classic.
Onward might not be an instant classic, but like the best Disney and Pixar offerings, it has heart, and lots of it.
The story begins generations ago, in a time of mythical creatures who drifted away from their magical ways when electricity was discovered, eventually settling in cities and suburbs much like our own.
In the present day, the mundane lives of teenage elves Ian Lightfoot (voiced by Tom Holland) and his older brother, Barley (Chris Pratt), are given a jolt when on Ian’s 16th birthday their mother, Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), gives…