Disney Pixar's Onward Movie Review - My Boys and Their Toys

Disney Pixar’s Onward is a heartwarming film about brotherly love. As a mom of two young boys, this film left me feeling all sorts of emotions. We’re sharing our no spoiler Onward Movie Review below. This family-friendly film is a must-see!

I was invited as media to attend an early screening. All opinions are my own.

About Disney Pixar Onward:

When teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) get an unexpected opportunity to spend one more day with their late dad, they embark on an extraordinary quest aboard Barley’s epic van Guinevere. Like any good quest, their journey is filled with magic spells, cryptic maps, impossible obstacles and unimaginable discoveries. But when the boys’ fearless mom Laurel (voice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus) realizes her sons are missing, she teams up with a part-lion, part-bat, part-scorpion, former warrior – aka The Manticore (voice of Octavia Spencer) – and heads off to find them. Perilous curses aside, this one magical day could mean more than any of them ever dreamed. Directed by Dan Scanlon and produced by Kori Rae, Disney and Pixar’s “Onward” opens in U.S. theaters on March 6, 2020.

Onward movie tip: The film is actually inspired by the Director’s personal experiences with his brother.

Onward Movie Review

Have you ever longed to see a loved one who’s passed away just one more time? Disney Pixar’s Onward embraces that sentimental feeling.

The film starts out with two teenage brothers living at home with their mom. The boys couldn’t be more different personality-wise. It’s Ian’s 16th birthday and his mom surprises both of her boys with a special gift from their father who passed away before Ian got a chance to know him. Wrapped in a cloth is a magical staff that has unique powers, along with instructions for the boys to complete a spell to bring their dad back to life for 24 hours.

When older brother Barley tries his hand at the spell, it doesn’t work. Hours later Ian decides to give it a try however the magic is too powerful, hence only the bottom half of their dad returns. The boys set out on a mission, along with their dad who they dress up quite uniquely, to find the stone required to bring the remaining half of their dad back to life.

What I expected the film to be about was the boys one chance to spend the day with their dad, however, through love, determination, trust, and friendship the two brothers learn what it means to be a team – even if they are very different people. It’s an inspiring story for the whole family, but especially brothers and their forever bond. Disney does a wonderful job at tugging at your heartstrings with their films and Onward is no exception.