'Onward' review: This Pixar offering is worth its weight in gold

Director: Dan Scanlon

Cast: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt and Octavia Spencer

Rating: 4.5/5

Pixar's latest offering Onward, which hits screens today (March 6), is an engaging and heartwarming film that takes fans on a delightful journey while hitting the bullseye. The film revolves around the exploits of two elves, who undertake an adventure to bring their father back to life for a day. The basic storyline is quite simple yet meaningful and this proves once again that the studio has an eye for good content. Luckily, the writers do justice to this gem of an idea and ensure that the final product is pure gold. The screenplay relies on 'showing' as opposed to 'telling' and this adds depth to the reel action.

The emotionally-charged opening sequences hit the right notes and lay the groundwork for the action to follow. The first half features several pulsating, and lively scenes that entertain and thrill movie-goers in equal proportions.

The 'manicore' track is whacky and scary in equal proportions, which makes it the biggest attraction of the pre-interval block. Similarly, the 'Colt Bronco' scene right before the intermission manages to tickle the funny with its over the top feel. Things reach the proverbial next level in the emotional second half with the bromance between the elves taking center stage. Moreover, it features several mini-twists and swerves that add a new dimension to one of the main characters.

The writers must also be praised for giving ample importance to the female protagonists and not projecting them as mere caricatures

Onward also boasts of a refreshing climax that steers clear of the cliches associated with 'children's movies' and takes the casual viewers by surprise.

The voice cast includes several big names and most of them have done justice to their roles. Tom Holland, who voices the younger brother, manages to capture the innocence of the character quite well. Similarly, Chris Pratt nails it as the often misunderstood big brother and impresses one and all with his voice modulation.

Octavia Spencer does a swell job of highlighting the inner rage of her character especially in the 'What Have I Done?' sequence. The other cast members too do justice to their respective roles.

As expected, the animation is 'lit' as most of the characters appear to be quite real and this makes it easier for fans to suspend their disbelief.

The editing too is one of the big pluses as Onward flows like a river and never drags. The sound design is reasonably good and heightens the impact of some of the sequences. The other technical departments have been handled fairly well.

To cut a long story short, Onward is a big win for Pixar that highlights the beauty of relationships.