Pixar's Onward, Why you might not want to bring younger kids

Onward is the fantastical tale of two elf brothers, on a quest, to see if magic still exists in the world.  It is a sweet movie, with likable characters, but you might want to think twice before taking young children.  Pixar's Onward opens on March 6, 2020 everywhere.  This post contains commission based links, and by reading beyond this point you are agreeing to my use of them, and my privacy policy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8DKg_fsacM&feature=youtu.be


You will really enjoy it.  The hubs and I even snuck out for a date night for this one, and were not disappointed.  I was very glad that I saw it before the kids did, as I can be more prepared to answer the questions we are sure to get.

Onward earned its PG rating for a reason, the movie is about parent loss.  

While the trailer leads you to believe that it is all fun and lighthearted, with raccoon-like unicorns, and toad stool houses, there is real sense of sadness that permeates the film.  The brothers (Ian and Barley Lightfoot), are on a quest to spend 24 hours with their deceased father.

There are some hilarious moments. When the birthday gift of a magic staff goes awry, the brothers are only able to conjure the bottom half of their father.  They spend the rest of the movie trying to find a magical gem that will reunite the top half with the bottom half.

Trigger warning, illness and death.

The end of the movie was fantastic, but sad.  I would hesitate to say that it is a happy ending.  At the end, they boys only have 24 hours to share their lives with their dad.  That in itself is tragic. Any child/family that has experienced a loss, especially a loss due to illness, may want to skip this one.  I won't be bringing my six year old, and I really don't think its accessible for the under 8 crowd.

Intense moments abound, but not in a bad way.  

I would say the intensity is on par with some of the more recent Disney movies, but my six year old might be scared by some of the fantastic beasts.  I think, for her, it would cause nightmares. That doesn't even include the death of the father.  You know your kids best, and I asked a lot of kids that night who were fine with the content.

The cast was awesome!

Christ Pratt was the voice of the bungling, enthusiastic brother Barley, and Tom Holland (Spider-Man) was Ian.  Julia Louis Dreyfus voiced the mom, and they were all spot on.  Chris Pratt is so utterly heartrending and hilarious as Barley, I just could not get enough.  His love for his van Guinevere was the highlight of the film for me.

I would say that it is best for late elementary school aged kids, or tweens.

My ten year old would be fine.  Any child who is ready to have a discussion about parent loss, and take it in stride would be ok.  That probably goes for the super young children who won't understand the concepts anyway.  

Do you have any questions about Onward?  Plans to see it?

Pixar's Onward Pinnable Image

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