5 Reasons we Loved Onward + Parent Review & Discussion Questions!

5 Reasons we Loved Onward! Plus an Onward Parent Review with Discussion Questions! Written by the Queen, Princess and Elf 3/2/2020
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Know Before You Watch:

Movie: Onward
Rating: PG
Age Suggestion:  8+ (Appears fast paced but also has long emotional scenes that might not keep the interest of younger kids.)
Running Time: 1 hr. and 45 min.
Release Date: March 6th, 2020
Stars: 4 out of 5
Themes: Wishes, Magic, Family, Comedy, Siblings, Responsibility, Love
Warnings: Parental loss, Slightly scary & realistic animated imagery, Difficult family dynamics (Including some stereotypical step parent issues), Tear jerking moments.

Quick Summary:

Two brothers are left a magic wand and spell that is supposed to enable their father to return for a day but it only partially works. This sends the brothers on an adventure with a part of their dad to try and bring the rest of him back, before their time with him is up.  Through the adventure they discover that the magic has been with them all along.

5 Reasons we Loved This Movie! 
(Keep reading for the Onward parent review)
*Minor Spoilers Ahead*

1) It reminds you to appreciate the people in your life. The community around the brothers loved them and did more for them than they ever realized. They also had to learn to work together and appreciate their differences. It was a really beautiful reminder to be grateful for the people around us.

2) Magic isn’t always what it appears to be. The brothers find magic in a lot of little, ordinary ways and in some really extraordinary ways. When we stop and look for it, there’s magic all around us.

3) This adventure encourages the viewers to discover the true power within themselves! You are awesome just the way you are and more capable than you think. (But we all need a little encouragement and reminders of that sometimes!)

4) You might not get the dream that you wanted, but when you let go you might get something better! Sometimes we don’t get what we want and things aren’t like we dreamed they would be, but that doesn’t mean that your current experience can’t be incredible! Be flexible enough to let your dreams change and to find the beauty in the journey.

5) Family does not have to look one specific way. The people who come through for us, who we choose to love and support- that’s a pretty great family. A nice reminder that you get to choose your family and community as you get older. Also that we can learn to appreciate them.

Discussion Questions: 

1) What was the most magical part of the trip to you?

2) If you could go on an epic quest with anyone, who would it be?

3) What type of music would you have on your roadtrip? What monsters would you want to face?

4) How can you help your friends or siblings remember that they are awesome just the way they are?

Onward Parent Review: 
*Spoilers Beyond This Point*

-Characters & Acting: 
The characters were so believable and relatable that there were a couple of times that I forgot they were animated. Tom Holland and Chris Pratt bring humor and enough annoying sibling rivalry to make you identify with their characters. Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the mom tied the story together nicely around the brothers and their quest, and stays with them until the end.

-Script & Story: 
This was a beautiful and well made movie. We really enjoyed it! While it was emotionally heavy and also hysterical- it just did not carry the same genius weight that other Disney Pixar movies have had. That being said, it all flowed so very well! It was so well balanced and I never felt pulled out the film by weird plot twists or random forced character development. It was a great story!

We were really impressed with how they were able to have so much of a character’s emotion and humor just displayed through a pair of pants. Plus the chemistry between Chris Pratt and Tom Holland was amazing and hilarious! We also really appreciated that they didn’t rely on easy humor and that the comedy had some good depth to it.

While there were some stereotypical moments- the story is family affirming and supports both parent relationships, step-parent relationships and sibling relationships.  It is written and edited well enough that the story continues to flow and doesn’t get hung up in any one part.

-Film Quality: 
The animation is absolutely on par with the newer Disney Pixar movies. It’s visually stunning! It really did not feel like an animated movie in a lot of places. We felt like we were going on a road trip with them! They also had a really great soundtrack that kept you in that “we’re going on an epic road trip” mentality!

-Overall Thoughts:
This is a fun family watch! Again- we think that younger viewers will be bored by the longer scenes and heavier emotional moments- the ones where you’ll be reaching for your tissues! Elementary aged kids will live the adventure and comedy, while teens and adults will love the story and lessons.

What to check out next:

-If you enjoyed this review, you might like our posts on Sonic, Lessons from Frozen 2, The Call of the Wild, or Family Friendly Fantasy shows on Netflix.

-Check out the Alamo Drafthouse for your next movie and enjoy some great food along with an awesome movie.

– You might also be interested in our $2 PDF on Teachers Pay Teachers and Etsy on 10 ways to encourage kindness with your elementary and high school kids with a printable calendar.

What was your favorite part of this movie?!

Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this Onward Parent Review uses affiliate links, we only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other reviews with discussion questions here. Our posts about faith here. And our posts about family stuff here.