Disney Pixar’s “Onward” is a magical, original, heartwarming movie

Onward Movie Poster — Blyss Gypsy Photography by Sasha Renee

Last Sunday, we saw an advance screening of Disney Pixar “Onward” at IMAX headquarters in Playa Vista. I’m so happy we were invited to this screening (as members of the media) because it was SO GOOD!

Magical, yet relatable

“Onward” takes place in a mythical suburban town, but the characters are totally relatable. Like today, the use of technology has made things easier, but also made everyone lazier.

A modern family

The quest, as advertised, is to complete the spell to reunite with dad. What we also see is a strong single mother who raised two boys with very different personalities.

Adults will enjoy it too

I found myself laughing (and crying) a lot in this movie. “Onward” has all the feels that are characteristic of Pixar movies. There were a lot of references and jokes that were written for parents.

A great cast and characters

The voice actors were extremely well-cast. I also really loved the characters. I honestly don’t know which ones I loved most, because they all had such great characteristics. Brothers Ian and Barley (voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt, respectively) have such a great dynamic. Julia Louis Dreyfus gives wonderful personality to Laurel Lightfoot (the mom). Octavia Spencer, who plays The Manicore, had me in stitches. Other voices you may recognize belong to Ali Wong, Tracey Ullman, and John Ratzenberger.

Wonderful, original story

Dan Scanlon wrote and directed “Onward.” He lost his father at a young age, so this personal story is loosely based on the relationship between him and his brother. I was touched by this movie and really enjoyed the “suburban fantasy” genre, which is new to Pixar. I felt like I was on the quest with the characters, and was on the edge of my seat as to what was going to happen next. It was refreshing to watch “Onward,” and I hope to see more original material such as this in the future.

Thank you, IMAX, for inviting us to the special advance screening of “Onward.”