But, onward to Onward.
Pixar, man... always right in the feels. And in the feels in a way I kind of didn't expect.
I wasn't at all surprised to discover that Pixar worked with Wizards of the Coast on this movie, and "borrowed" references to the gelatinous cube (and supposedly the beholder, but I have no memory of there being a beholder in the movie). Because this movie draws on Dungeons and Dragons a LOT.
From fantasy creatures, to quests, to an in universe "historical role playing game" that sounds like a simplified verison of DnD, it's all there. I'll be honest, to a distracting degree on occasion.
On top of that, it's a hero's journey story. They even specifically go to a tavern to start their quest.
And as I say at every new Pixar release, everybody say it with me now, this is a gorgeous movie. A combination a modern city (with fantasy trappings... the castle crenellations on the tops of the skyscrapers was probably my favourite touch) and some gorgeous natural wilderness. There wasn't really enough wildlife to be honest... thinking about it now, that seems a little weird. Or maybe it was all in the background and I just didn't notice.
I do have to give a shoutout to the sound designer who put a horse neigh sound under the sound of the van engine every time it started up. Because the van is the noble steed in this story.
I'm going to avoid specific spoilers, but this might still be too spoilery for some people, be warned.
While the end of this movie got me right in the feels, it was also partially emotionally unsatisfying. For me anyway. I get how it was emotionally effecting for the main character, and I got emotional based on that. But it was also reliant on a lot of information we didn't have for the duration of the movie. So it feels like it comes out of nowhere.
I just found myself wanting the ending the movie had spent the entire run time setting up and then took away from me at the last minute. Sure, that might also have felt unsatisfying for different reasons. But it felt like a bit of a bait and switch. It might have also been more satisfying if the movie didn't go out of it's way to say "look, we're putting this literal wall between these characters so that he can't do this thing"... for no real reason. If you want that, extend the final fight, have him miss his opportunity that way, don't just put up arbitrary obstructions.
What I did like though, was the role of the mother in this movie. It would have been very easy to fall into the usual Disney formula where the kids go off and have a big adventure, and we don't see the mother until the very end. Adding her in as an active storyline with a throughline certainly helped.
I could have done without the mother's boyfriend storyline. Sure, keep the character, but it was mostly a pointless plot point. It honestly doesn't go anywhere, and it makes me think less of the mother. I kind of wish that they'd finished the movie with the mother and the manticore having hooked up (ie put in a lesbian character who is integral to the plot and has more than like two lines). Because they did that thing they do yet again. A blink and you'll miss it gay reference. And I know now that the character only referred to her "girlfriend" because the actress involved asked to change it from husband, so it's not even like the filmmakers did anything. But just stop already.
Likewise there was some of the general awkward and cringe in the beginning of the movie that I wished they'd skipped (awkward high school boy is awkward and says dumb shit, is embarrassed by his own brain and also brother, cue cringe). Fortunately it didn't last long enough to really be a major problem.
Although making the "curse" at the end of the movie take it's form by ripping apart the high school, while excessively on the nose, is also a great story decision. Because as everyone knows, high school is a monster that must be defeated in single combat.
I'll also say that there were some very obvious "Chekhov's gun" tropes. Mention something at least twice and obviously it's going to show up before the end of the movie. And somewhat random settings that show up at the start of the movie out of nowhere will probably reoccur before the end.
Having said all of that, it's one I will definitely rewatch and try and pick up all the references I missed the first time through.
yani's rating: 4 feral unicorns out of 5
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