The Stream: Typical Pixar magic but with an uninspired plot.

The Big Screen: A few good laugh out loud moments and a nice coming of age message

The Final Bill: A solid Pixar movie that doesn’t inspire imagination.

-S2S: Movie Review

Production Co: Walt Disney Productions, Pixar Animation
Director: Dan Scanlon
Writers: Dan Scanlon (screenplay by), Jason Headley (screenplay by) | 1 more credit »
Stars: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus |Octavia Spencer | 
Genre: Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1 hr 33 minutes
Notable Trailers: Connected, Spongebob Movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru, In the Heights, Artemis Fowl, Soul
*There is a Simpson’s short movie prior to the film- pretty good.

Welcome backeth to the mystical movie review siteth of the new decade, Stream To Big Screen! This quest will lead us down the path of peril to end up at our ultimate goal, a review of Onward. Onward was a movie about two brothers on a one of a kind journey to find a gem that will help them complete a spell that will give them 24 hours with their deceased father. There were pitfalls and pixies along the dangerous way. Are you, brave soul, up to the challenge?

Ok, enough of the dungeons and dragons talk. Onward is a movie presented by the pairing of Disney and Pixar. Typically, the Disney/Pixar duo makes magic on the cinematic screen. Thus, Onward had a high bar to overcome. Viewers will expect the likes of an Up, Toy Story franchise, or even, Coco; but Onward cannot compare. I say that to say, the lower the expectations of this movie the better it will be going into it. Onward, led by Tom Holland, as Ian Lightfoot, and Chris Pratt, as Barley Lightfoot, is just a solid but typical pre-teen odyssey movie. Now, the two mentioned previously do a pretty good job of carrying the movie, Pratt more than Holland. Barley is exactly how I’d picture Pratt as a young adult. Holland, on the other hand, was less inspiring, more of just a voice than a believable character. That may have been the writing or it might be Holland’s deliver. Unfortunately, Pixar and the writers didn’t take any risks in the writing or storylines of this movie. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good brotherly love excursion but the envelope wan’t pushed enough.

Aside from that, the cast as whole did a pretty good job. Shout to Octavia Spencer for stealing the movie! What the movie did well is a little comedy and the overall animation. First, we all have come to love Pixar’s animation, that’s an obvious; however, it was the depiction of disabled creatures, clothing, movement of characters, and re-imagination of modern life that really was enjoyable. Oh, yeah, and the movie did have my neighbor and I bust out laughing at two parts (no really kid laughter though).

Sadly, Onward is not my favorite Pixar movie. The things that make this movie succeed does not outweigh the basic, uninspired plot. The disappointment may be due to the expectations based on Pixar’s past successes, but it didn’t translate here. Onward is a strong bowl of popcorn during a family movie night (I would understand a matinee for the kids but parents won’t get their monies worth).