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Onward review thread
- Thread starter Saucycarpdog
- Start date
This was honestly better than I expected. It wasn't top-shelf Pixar or anything but it was a solid road trip / coming of age flick with memorable gags.
It came off tonally similar to A Goofy Movie... albeit with a brother dynamic a la Fullmetal Alchemist instead of a father-son dynamic. Throw in some amusing fantasy creature riffs in the same vein as Shrek and you have an amusing little romp.
I'd give it a solid 6.5/10 score. I really only went out of my way to watch it because of the new Simpsons short (which was charming).
It came off tonally similar to A Goofy Movie... albeit with a brother dynamic a la Fullmetal Alchemist instead of a father-son dynamic. Throw in some amusing fantasy creature riffs in the same vein as Shrek and you have an amusing little romp.
I'd give it a solid 6.5/10 score. I really only went out of my way to watch it because of the new Simpsons short (which was charming).
They did. Also a lot of staff move between departments to help out.
They are still separate divisions but they still help each other out.
Edit:
I love how we judge how good a Pixar movie is by how much it makes us cry.
Trailer looked meh so wasn't too excited.
This is what I really wanted to post about
This is what I really wanted to post about
I hope those who go enjoy it. I ultimately decided to cancel my advanced screening reservation due to immediate local corona virus concerns.
How was The Good Dinosaur a great setting? it was mostly photoreal landscapes with cartoon dinosaurs
I really do not like that movie...
Across all/ most of the reviews it seems one thing is clear: if anyone had been putting this out but Pixar, it'd be in Rotten territory.
Quick reminder: The Good Dinosaur stands fresh at 76%, while the immeasurably better Frozen 2 stands at 77% positive reviews.
Quick reminder: The Good Dinosaur stands fresh at 76%, while the immeasurably better Frozen 2 stands at 77% positive reviews.
Nah. Films like Abominable from Dreamworks also have high RT scores while being very passable kids flicks.
i was about to say that i didnt really think frozen 2 was a good movie but then i remembered how low of a bar the good dinosaur is.
I really just don't care for Pixar's output anymore. Aside from Coco and Inside Out, I haven't really dug anything since Toy Story 3 in 2010. The magic is gone.
My specific problem is that, at least from the trailers, the whole vibe of "fantasy tropes but modern" is kinda played out. Pixar's strength is in its unique pitch so it's off brand to have a concept so reheated.
Disney has been consistently good recently, but like, their movies follow a common template too much and they seem too focused on selling merchandise sometimes. The new Disney Renaissance does not compare to 90s Disney Renaissance.
Pixar, on the other hand, puts out some pretty damn great movies, every once in a while. You can tell for a while that they want to break free from the G/PG constraints and make at least a PG-13 movie for once, but Disney would never let them do that. In between those great movies, they make some forgettable ones though. Onward seems to be mid-tier Pixar from what I'm reading.
Pixar, on the other hand, puts out some pretty damn great movies, every once in a while. You can tell for a while that they want to break free from the G/PG constraints and make at least a PG-13 movie for once, but Disney would never let them do that. In between those great movies, they make some forgettable ones though. Onward seems to be mid-tier Pixar from what I'm reading.
Give Soul a chance later this year. Pete Docter as director is generally regarded as top-tier Pixar.
Yeah, I also thought this was like a B-tier Dreamworks production until I saw it was made by Pixar.
I didn't think it was fantastic, but it's way way better than the trailers would leave you to believe. It's not just some hokey reheated version of Shrek. It has legitimate heart and emotion, and they do not at all lean into pop culture references. Even the even silly nerd/fantasy references are kinda visual Easter Eggs more than anything else (the name of the popular soda got a couple big smiles out of me).
I think the big tearjerker moment really hits well. All throughout the movie we kinda expect that the guys will not be able to resurrect their dad with much time left, and will be forced into making a heartbreaking decision. But there's kind of a twist on it that's really emotional, satisfying, and unexpected.
I'm kinda surprised at how male-focused the film is. I don't think that's a negative, but it very much feels like a film for dads & sons, or brothers. With the way Disney tends to work, I am surprised that they didn't try harder to appeal to the female demographic. That said, there are still some good female characters in the film and probably my favorite character in the whole movie was female (the Manticore!). They just aren't really the stars of the show.
I think the big tearjerker moment really hits well. All throughout the movie we kinda expect that the guys will not be able to resurrect their dad with much time left, and will be forced into making a heartbreaking decision. But there's kind of a twist on it that's really emotional, satisfying, and unexpected.
I'm kinda surprised at how male-focused the film is. I don't think that's a negative, but it very much feels like a film for dads & sons, or brothers. With the way Disney tends to work, I am surprised that they didn't try harder to appeal to the female demographic. That said, there are still some good female characters in the film and probably my favorite character in the whole movie was female (the Manticore!). They just aren't really the stars of the show.
Onward get consistently better and better as it goes on. The trailers really only feature footage and story beats from the first 30-45 minutes of the film. I would say that is a huge mistake, but at the same time I hate to encourage or give approval to trailers that spoil later sections of the movie. It would have been far easier to sell and market Onward if they had put in jokes and action sequences from later in the movie, but it would have made the experience of watching it a lot less fun.
The weird thing is it's the same way I felt about Monsters University. A good film film with an incredible third act that contains a heartfelt and mature message.
I enjoyed it more than Monster University and as with all Pixar movies it's much better than the trailers. I thought it would be a bit male centric, but the emotions felt true and my wife enjoyed it much more than expected too.
I guess once people got over the disappointment of "this is how Pixar does fantasy", which is part of the story. It's not hard to get into the movie. It's not overcrowded with fantasy elements, everything is there to serve the central relationship. On the whole, I think Pixar might rely a bit too much on road trips, but I thought this was well done.
Edit: we might have missed the first bit of the movie, Ian was already being picked up from school by Barley when we got in our seats.
All I kept thinking when I watched the trailer(s) in the cinema — and on two separate occasions — is why wasn't Jack Black chosen to voice the older brother instead of Chris Pratt?
At least Jack Black has the musical chops ('School of Rock' and 'Tenacious D') and has a wealth of experience in the voiceover department for animated films ('Kung Fu Panda' and 'Goosebumps').
Funnily enough, I really enjoyed 'The Incredibles 2' at the cinema, yet felt underwhelmed and unanimated about the film on its second viewing at home, whereas I can happily watch the first film over and over again!
I would (now) rate 'The Incredibles 2' a little bit closer to 'it's okay...' than 'it's incredible!'.
Those first three Pixar films you mentioned are genuinely superb though.
At least Jack Black has the musical chops ('School of Rock' and 'Tenacious D') and has a wealth of experience in the voiceover department for animated films ('Kung Fu Panda' and 'Goosebumps').
Funnily enough, I really enjoyed 'The Incredibles 2' at the cinema, yet felt underwhelmed and unanimated about the film on its second viewing at home, whereas I can happily watch the first film over and over again!
I would (now) rate 'The Incredibles 2' a little bit closer to 'it's okay...' than 'it's incredible!'.
Those first three Pixar films you mentioned are genuinely superb though.
So I had the opportunity to see an advanced screening of the movie, and let me tell you, it's way better than the trailers make it out to be. A bunch of these Era hot takes of the movie already feel outdated.
They do a lot of creative things with the premise of mixing magic with metropolism and I would argue that this movie has the best Pixar mother to date. Chris Pratt's character is so much more than a Jack Black archetype and Tom Holland's character does a fantastic job of displaying anxiety.
If anybody's on the fence of watching this movie, I say check it out. This movie is no Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Inside Out or Coco but it's definitely an enjoyable Pixar movie.
They do a lot of creative things with the premise of mixing magic with metropolism and I would argue that this movie has the best Pixar mother to date. Chris Pratt's character is so much more than a Jack Black archetype and Tom Holland's character does a fantastic job of displaying anxiety.
If anybody's on the fence of watching this movie, I say check it out. This movie is no Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Inside Out or Coco but it's definitely an enjoyable Pixar movie.
Probably because Pratt is hot right now and Jack Black isn't. But yeah, the character even kind of seems modeled after the kind of characters Jack Black has played in the past.
i'll watch it this afternoon if i have time (having dinner with my family so depends when i can get out)
if not then wednesday
if not then wednesday
I have the same thought watching trailers but damn! the movie is great, heartful and beautiful. Pixar still earns my tears after all these years.
The setting was 'The Wild West but everyone is a dinosaur.' The fact you didn't realise it is part of why it's such a bad film.
No I definitely remember the t-rex ranch nonsense. Most of the movie did not feel much like a western.
The only bad movies from Pixar is Cars (& 2) and The Good Dinosaur. Everthing else was pretty great to amazing.
Most of the opening 8 or so minutes that you missed were mainly to hammer home how socially awkward Ian is, that it was his birthday and to plant a connecting thread for Barley that comes back at the end of the movie. There was a fun recurring background gag where Ian attempts to and fails to eat breakfast on 3 separate occasions. That said, you really didn't miss much from that opening segment that was covered later.
Shame you missed out on the Simpsons short that preceded the film, though.
I didn't feel the casting was off in this case. No musical numbers to speak of and Jack Black's a little more larger-than-life than Pratt and might have taken some of the shine off Ian as the central protagonist. I thought Pratt did fine here... even if his character was essentially a modern spin on Gusto Gummi.
The movie seems to get good reviews. But im more concerned about the actor chris pratt. Chris pratt is heavily rumoured to be homophobic and trump supporter, and im kinda concerned about it. In this kind of showbiz when you are heavily rumoured on something, that is more likely to be true
I just dont want to give my money to someone i dont consider as an ally. If you know what i mean
I just dont want to give my money to someone i dont consider as an ally. If you know what i mean
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Can you create a new thread instead of taking a crap in this one?
Chris Pratt is trash.
What's with people forgetting Coco when criticizing Pixar's recent output? That movie is really brilliant.
I think finding dory, the incredibles 2, the good dinosaur and toy story 4 have been weak.
What's with people forgetting Coco when criticizing Pixar's recent output? That movie is really brilliant.
I think finding dory, the incredibles 2, the good dinosaur and toy story 4 have been weak.
I dont see the reason to create a new thread for something this trivial. So, the answer is no. I just need a confirmation, not a discussion. If there were an OT for this movie, i would make sure to post it there. But currently it doesnt have
Unless of course moderators themselves encourage us to create a new thread for not that big of a matter. But then isnt that also a violation to their own policy?
That is refreshing to hear.
Is the focus on brotherhood riddled with tired tropes? Or with the brothers being older we will have more of a realistic take on non-toxic manhood/brotherhood that's not in any way abusive but warm appreciation and deeper understanding of love?
First 30 minutes of Wall-E is god tier. The stuff on the space station though....not so much.
Arguably Coco is their best movie. It's my personal favorite I think.
Also Up is like the poster child of a movie being loved and held high only because of a really amazing intro sequence. The rest of the movie was tedious and forgettable af.
The scene where Carl reaches the place he and his wife always wanted to go is better than the intro.
