With theaters being closed with the recent pandemic, a lot of movies are not earning the box office numbers they expected. Most movies are pushing their releases until everything is back to normal. Some are having digital releases available for people to purchase and watch from the comfort of their home.

I initially saw Onward in theaters right before they closed, but it is currently available for digital purchase and will have an early release on Disney+ on April 3rd. Since most people will be waiting to watch Onward in April, I figured I can give my spoiler-free review of the movie now.

Characters: Like any classic Pixar movie, we start with family coping with a death. In this case, it’s a mom with two sons. The oldest son, Barley, is a huge geek. He is loud and loves role-playing games. He’s confident, but often screws up. Ian is the youngest and true protagonist of the film. Ian looks up to the dad he never met, but lacks the confidence to follow through on goals. I’m going to say it now. The mom was my favorite side character. She is also dealing with the loss of her husband, trying to be there for her boys in the most BA way possible, and dating a new man…horse…manhorse. The centaur boyfriend is also a great supporting character. He is a tough cop, but he tries to be a fun, sensitive boyfriend/father figure to the Lightfoot family. Corey is hilarious. She’s a killer monster who lost her identity until she teams up with Laurel (Mom) to help the boys. Final character worth mentioning is the dad. Wilden somehow portrays the classic dad stereotype without having a top half the whole movie.

Backstory: There used to be magic in the world, but it was challenging to learn. Technology came along, people got lazy, and magic was forgotten.

Plot: Open with Ian’s 16th birthday. He’s having trouble fitting in and conquering his fears. The mom gives them the present from their dad containing a wizard staff and phoenix stone. Ian has a natural ability with magic, but only brings back half of the dad’s body. Barley uses his history “Quests of Yore” knowledge to search for another phoenix stone. The boys leave on a quest with their dad to find the phoenix stone within 24 hours so they can spend time with him. Adventure ensues. Barley starts training Ian on spells he can use. Siblings bond. Siblings fight. Spoilers ensue. Tear jerker ending.

Obviously, the movie is FULL of nerd Easter eggs and I loved every single one of them. I will say this is a good movie for non-nerds as well. Again like most Pixar movies, it has a strong family message that makes everyone ugly cry. Kids will enjoy the magic and the creatures. Shout out to gelatinous cube. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going to be remembered as one of the classic movies to look back on, but it is definitely worth a watch.