“There’s a Mighty Warrior Inside of You”

Onward was released March 6th, 2020 but due to the Covid-19 many couldn’t see it in theaters. As theaters were locking doors, Disney did us the courtesy of putting Onward on Disney+, April 3rd. 

There was lots of excitement with the film for the two stars being many viewers favorites, Tom Holland and Chris Pratt. The film is great to watch and listen to as Spider-Man and Starlord goof around as the voices of the protagonists.

The story of Onward pulls from a personal place of the wish and possibility to spend one more day with a lost parent. As any typical Disney story goes, a parent passed away and the main protagonist(s) just wants to see them again and misses them deeply; Onward is no different.

Director and co-writer Dan Scanlon, was inspired by the death of his own father when he was just around a year old and his brother, few years older, who had only little to no memory of him. With this plot, the story goes into the lives of two blue elven brothers by the names of Ian and Barley Lightfoot set in a suburban, once magic ridden, town of New Mushroomton. Long ago that land was full of unicorns, fairies and other mythical fantasy creatures. 

Both elves get a chance to go into a daring adventure when their mom reveals a secret to them, one she was meant to hold onto until Ian’s 16th birthday. Their father left them an ancient staff with a rare gem to place atop it. Those items, along with a parchment with a spell, would bring their father back to them for 24 hours—just before the next sunrise- but they could only perform the spell once and they had to get it exactly right. To avoid spoilers, the boys were not totally successful, and their only hope to see their father again involves finding the extremely rare gem, the Phoenix Stone. 

The Lightfoot brothers set off on a quest for the stone with only a book from a board game, Quests of Yore, and a wooden staff. As we follow the episodic shots, the film pulls the heartstrings of the audience with touching moments of brotherhood and memories of their father. Viewers meet a powerful Manticore, a gang of pixies, and ravens as the boys reach Raven point where the stone is said to lie.

I cannot say much of what happens next but I highly suggest watching the film. I believe this movie is one of the best Disney has put out recently, especially because it’s not a remake of a princess story. There is originality in the story line which makes it stand out from the majority of Disney’s newer films. If you have Disney+, gather the family around and watch the high-energy, action movie you all partake in social-distancing under quarantine.

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