When we look back on our early life, what are the memories like? Are they warm and happy or cold and rough? As we get older, we find that there are things we wish we took more time to appreciate when we were younger. So, understand two things, you can find what you were looking for in any relationship; and you can inspire anyone if you just put in the time to do so. What you do has an impact, even when you may not realize it.
Onward is a story of adventure. But even more than that it’s a story of brotherhood. Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley (Chris Pratt) have a large number of differences, but through the struggle of their journey to meet their father they find their own commonalities and grow closer to each other. And while it’s not apparent at first, Ian comes to learn that Barley is the role model he’s been searching for the whole movie. Not because Barley was anything out of the ordinary. He was there, and he put effort into his relationship with Ian, and in that way he’s more vital to Ian’s story than he realizes.
In that same way, Ian impacts Barley by choosing to indulge in his wild fantasies of adventure and questing. He gives Barley someone to be with and shows that he finally has a connection in his own world. Barley is able to come more and more alive by his interactions with Ian and as Ian grows, Barley’s excitement also grows. He’s happy to live through Ian and be a part of his journey.
And by the end of their journey Ian looks back and realizes that Barley has been the father figure he’s been looking for all along. He didn’t need to meet his dad because he found what he was looking for somewhere else. His older brother became the person he needed. And by being there for Ian, Barley likewise was able to grow as well. Their relationship changed and they grew closer as a result.
So, what do we take away from this? What can we learn from the journey of Barley and Ian? We have to look at every relationship from one of those two perspectives. If we are Ian, then we are looking for someone to look up to. We are searching for the person who will take us and make us better. We want someone who will inspire us and make us better. And these people can be anyone, any person who gives you the time of day. Find the people who inspire you and make you better and stay close to them. Let them teach you things you never knew you needed to learn. You will grow more than you realized.
And if we are Barley, remember that there is always someone watching you. Even when you may not realize it, people are learning and growing from your influence. So, you have to choose your words and action, you have to remember that you can always change the way someone lives their life. And when those people grow, be excited for them. Even if that growth is something different than what you expected, remind them that you are proud of their accomplishments, because in some way you helped them learn who they are.
There’s a lot we can learn from a movie like Onward. But at the most basic levels we can learn about how we interact with each other. And we can find that we have far more impact on and take far more way from the world around us. So, let’s do what we can to make that world better, because we never know why we might impact with what we do.
Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:
Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain
Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.
So here is my breakdown for Onward:
Voice Acting: The cast in this one is small but strong. Holland and Pratt feel like genuine siblings and Julia Louis-Dreyfus fits in seamlessly as their mother. In addition, Octavia Spencer’s Manticore is so dynamic that you almost don’t realize it’s her and it really helps sell the character. Even the characters outside of the core cast are fun and get moments to play. A Really stellar cast all around. (9/10)
Storyline: This plot has so much going for it, a mystery to solve, an adventure to go on, obstacles to overcome. It all works together well and the story never stagnates or lulls for too long. Each choice is a moment of growth for one or both of the brothers and the extra bits help keep the story humorous and fun. (9/10)
Worldbuilding: I love the world this movie built. There is so much unique and interesting imagery that permeates the landscape and really allows the characters a playground of possibilities to mess with. And the lore of the world, the unique portrayals of the characters and the mixture of fantasy and modern really shows a lot of potential for the future. This is a world to be explored. (10/10)
Most Memorable Scene: The Climax where Ian shows all he’s learned, and his mom becomes the warrior he needs her to be stood out to me. The drama, the growth, the heart all comes together and makes a really powerful ending. But this one was really hard as there are a lot of fun moments to choose from. (9/10)
Villain: There isn’t really a traditional villain, more a series of obstacles. The biggest villain ends up being the curse surrounding the phoenix gem, which manifests in the form of a dragon made of the rubble surrounding the shrine. It’s got a lot of punch at the end, but the major antagonistic force is the time before the spell wears off. It’s not completely weak, but there could be more. (5/10)
Total Score: 42/50
Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Coco
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Onward
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Monsters, Inc.
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
The Incredibles 2
Toy Story 4
Monsters University
WALL-E
Cars 3
Finding Dory
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars
One more. One final movie to complete this series… for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed these journeys as much as I have. I’m excited to close this out and move on but it’s been a great journey so far. Here’s to next week and as always, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!
Ploominate 