Thanks to Fandango we were able to attend an advanced screening of Pixar’s newest film, Onward. We had a sitter for our twin babes and took the older 2 boys. Just a bit of a trigger warning to start; This film does center around the topic of losing a parent at a very young age. This little snippet of the film experience will be spoiler free!
With 3 boys and 1 girl, we look forward to the more boy-centered themes and experiences Disney & Pixar offer on fewer occasions. We are a Monsters, Inc loving family and never get our fill of Toy Story! When we heard about Pixar’s new movie featuring 2 brothers Ian & Barley, (voiced by Tom Holland & Chris Pratt), on a magical quest it felt like it was made for us! Our two older boys are 13 months apart and the best of friends, (who also like to settle things with boxing matches in our living room).
This movie plays into the world of fantasy and games like a child’s game of magic & myths mixed with adult humor reminiscint of the movie Role Models. It has great nerd references and powerful magic in showing a depth to believing in yourself. There were plenty of adult centered jokes, and the boys laughed out loud many times in this movie, (while I sobbed, because let’s be real, it’s still your typical Pixar heartstrings kinda storyline). It’s structured around the loss of the boy’s father as toddlers and how they have become the brothers and young men they are today from that tragedy. Our older son (6) very much understands loss and we weren’t sure how he was going to feel after this move. He turned to us at the end and said, “I didn’t just like it, I LOVED that movie!” Job well done Pixar.
As a parent, the best part of this movie was riding along with these brothers as they ventured into life situations that forced them to trust one another and grow. As Ian & Barley experienced this intense journey together attempting to get themselves closer to their father, then end up finding more love and appreciation for eachother as so much more than just siblings. Don’t miss this one, there’s much to gain from its magic.
The Happiest Club on Earth 