The first time I watched Onward’s trailer, I honestly told myself “I’m definitely not watching that on the big screen”. The story of Onward revolves around two teenage elves Ian (voiced by Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (voiced by Chris Pratt) who go on a quest to find out if magic still exists.
The odd thing about the trailer is when they show that their deceased dad is brought back to life, but only with his legs recovered. Although I was enticed by the mermaids, unicorns, pixies, centaurs and other mythical creatures, it seemed a little random to me and it put me off.
Fortunately, my family is filled with huge Disney fans, so I decided to watch the movie with them anyway. I was surprised to find myself laughing, sad crying, and happy crying — emotions I didn’t think I’d feel. The plot twist was unexpected and made me cry buckets, and it is now on top of my list of must-watch family movies.
3 Life Lessons You’ll Learn From Disney Pixar’s ‘Onward’
3. You don’t need to take risks to have an adventure.
Most people refuse to step out of their comfort zones due to the fear of uncertainty – just like the lead, Ian Lightfoot. He tends to overthink a lot, and ends up not accomplishing anything on his “list” because of it. Soon he realizes that he doesn’t actually have to risk anything big or make a grand gesture to tick anything off of his list. He just let things go with the flow and ended up having an adventure of a lifetime. Planning ahead does not necessarily mean things will become successful. Sometimes, we just need to loosen up a bit and take a breather.
2. Do not judge people by what you see on the outside.
It’s natural for siblings to fight. Barley is the older brother, but Ian thinks he’s more mature than him. Although Ian did not tell Barley about how he truly feels at first, it is evident in his actions that he does not fully trust him. This almost caused a rift between them. There are times when we only show people what we want them to see – a facade to hide our true personality, if you will. Just because a person acts silly or loves to goof around, though, does not mean he’s irresponsible when it comes to serious matters. We need to stop stereotyping and labeling people according to what we see. We should give them a chance to prove themselves and support them in every way that we can to help them attain their goals.
1. You have to move on sometime.
Losing a loved one is difficult. Most of the time, Ian felt confused about who he is or what he would become. He felt like there was a huge part of him missing because his dad passed away when he was born and he never met him. Ian would wear his dad’s clothes and even try to act like him at times. He spends a lot of time dwelling on the past that he doesn’t realize how much he’s been missing out on. Over time, he felt that no matter who he is or what he will become in the future, his dad would always love him and be proud of him. Healing is a long process, but we have to move on eventually. We just need to surround ourselves with people who can understand our grievances and give us the space that we need to recover.
Thanks to our advance screening in Venice Grand Canal Mall, I was able to change my perspective about the film.
As cliché as it sounds, we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I almost put off a good film just because the trailer didn’t appeal to me. It’s quite different from the Disney Pixar films we grew up watching, but I assure you it’s just as good, if not better.
Make sure to head to the nearest theaters near you since it is now showing nationwide in the Philippines. Bring the whole family, too. My baby cousins and even their mommies enjoyed it immensely. And don’t forget to bring a handkerchief, too.
Thank you to those who joined our screening:
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