Onward, directed & written by Dan Scanlon, who also directed & wrote Monsters University, was an entertaining fairytale, embracing the importance of familyhood. Onward had an original concept coming in, but the direction from Scanlon didn't flow the greatest, having a few forceful filler scenes. Though the story didn't flow the best with a few imbalances, Scanlon managed to hit a few emotional notes that hit home, to get you more invested in the adventure & characters.
With a very talented voice over cast of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt & Octavia Spencer, I expected something a little more hard hitting. They all had their own enjoyable personalities, but the characterization could've been a little better. Tom Holland's character was real easy to invest in. Right off the bat, you feel his pain, and see the hardships he deals with. I personally connected with his character due to his aspirations involving his father. As far as Chris Pratt, I didn't really care his character all that much. I liked that he is a polar opposite of Holland's character, and that creates the strong bond, but he's pretty annoying throughout the first hour of the film. His final act character development is what saved him from being just flat out stupid, and nothing more than a plot device. The realistic expectations each brother had, displaying a genuine brotherly bond was the best part about their characters.
The screenplay by Dan Scanlon, Keith Bunin & Jason Headley had a few decent laughs, but they also had a few forceful jokes that didn't quite hit. Even though the script captured some real life events, it didn't pack the weight it could have, leaving the script a little thin.
The cinematography and animation was of course, gorgeouse, utilizing some great bright, and dark colors to enhance the tone throughout the film.
Overall, with all this pandemic going around, Onward didn't get to reach it's full potential in theaters, but I would say it's a solid watch on Disney+, especially if you have a brother.
With a very talented voice over cast of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt & Octavia Spencer, I expected something a little more hard hitting. They all had their own enjoyable personalities, but the characterization could've been a little better. Tom Holland's character was real easy to invest in. Right off the bat, you feel his pain, and see the hardships he deals with. I personally connected with his character due to his aspirations involving his father. As far as Chris Pratt, I didn't really care his character all that much. I liked that he is a polar opposite of Holland's character, and that creates the strong bond, but he's pretty annoying throughout the first hour of the film. His final act character development is what saved him from being just flat out stupid, and nothing more than a plot device. The realistic expectations each brother had, displaying a genuine brotherly bond was the best part about their characters.
The screenplay by Dan Scanlon, Keith Bunin & Jason Headley had a few decent laughs, but they also had a few forceful jokes that didn't quite hit. Even though the script captured some real life events, it didn't pack the weight it could have, leaving the script a little thin.
The cinematography and animation was of course, gorgeouse, utilizing some great bright, and dark colors to enhance the tone throughout the film.
Overall, with all this pandemic going around, Onward didn't get to reach it's full potential in theaters, but I would say it's a solid watch on Disney+, especially if you have a brother.