A Pixar film follows a shy elf teen and his restless brother on a 24-hour quest to reunite with their deceased father, navigating a world of magical creatures and emotional growth.
Pixar's new film explores grief
A new Pixar film, Onward, follows Ian, a blue elf with curly hair and long pointed ears who is also an ordinary teenager, shy and embarrassed by his restless older brother, Barley. The story is set in a world similar to our own, filled with fantastic creatures like centaurs and manticores.A world of animals and magic
Directed by Dan Scanlon, who also directed Monsters University, the film features a universe similar to Zootopia, where an entire society of animals plays. The depiction of a very human universe is detailed, including a hilarious group of tiny motorcyclists and a group of male micro-fairies in black leather jackets.Themes of growth and change
The film explores the theme of growing forward and accepting change, a central theme in previous Pixar films such as the Toy Story series, Inside Out, and Coco. In this new film, a dead person visits the living, with only the legs of Ian and Barley's beloved father returning from the other side: just a playful pair of pants, purple socks, and stumbling feet.A quest for connection
This leads to a 24-hour quest, like a board game, to see Papa in full before he disappears again, forever. The film is described as one of the most delicate and touching films of recent times, focusing on the bond between the two brothers and the strength of love in the face of emptiness.A gentle and thoughtful story
While the film may be a bit smoother and less explosive than other Pixar works such as The Incredibles, everything makes sense, gently and deeply, in this family fable.
