Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Onward 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 4, 2020

As the Pixar canon grows, its stories remain virtually the same, offering meaningful, heartfelt content within a larger frame of both side-splitting humor and industry defining and boundary pushing digital creations. Onward, directed by Dan Scanlon (Monsters University), is the latest from the studio to find its voice within its heart (and Scanlon's own soul and life experiences), building a sincere tale of self-discovery within the prism of a lost past and missed opportunities. The film is as tender as it is funny, as touching as it is fantastically put together, one that might not stand as the studio's finest but that certainly stands as one of the most quintessentially "Pixar" films within the studio's filmography.

A world of wizards, magic, creatures, and quests evolves through the centuries into a more technologically advanced society, not so dissimilar from this. Replacing magic spells are modern conveniences such as light bulbs and cell phones. But as the world has evolved and magic devolved, remnants from the past remain. Unicorns, minotaurs, elves, and fire-breathing dragons continue to populate the world, as does the magical lifeblood that once defined it all. It's just that nobody reaches for it anymore. That dream of the past lives on in Barley Lightfoot (voiced by Chris Pratt), a teenager obsessed with tabletop games and dreams of the world that was. His younger brother Ian (voiced by Tom Holland) desperately wants to know his father who died before he was born and when Barley was still too young to remember more than a few fleeting memories. One day, their mother Laurel (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) presents them a gift from their father: a wizard’s staff and the powerful and rare Phoenix Gem which Barley instantly recognizes. With instructions on how to perform a “visitation spell,” Ian summons his father but only his lower half materializes. To complete the spell, the brothers are going to have to find a second Phoenix Gem to finish the process, but they only have 24 hours to do so. And so begins a great adventure to connect with a past the brothers never knew in a magical present they hope will rewrite their future, and, maybe, redefine their relationship with one another.

The film's superficialities are in fine working order. Humor flows freely, whether in the banter between brothers, the Weekend at Bernie's-inspired tagalong in the form of their half-formed father, or in the extensive cast of characters they meet along their journey. The dialogue is witty, the performances are sharp, and it's all supported by that cutting-edge digital animation that brings life to the world and essence to the story even beyond the voice work, which is exemplary. Pixar never fails to flex its muscles with every film, technologically and dramatically, but it's that latter component that tends to stand head-and-shoulders above the rest, almost always besting the technical marvels and timely gags that earn the most immediate awe but don't get to the heart of what the movie is about.

Indeed, in Onward, there's a fundamental human essence in play even as the movie is populated by a myriad of nonhuman characters: elves, minotaurs, cyclopses, dragons, and so forth. It's a movie not about magical incantations but rather fundamental connections between family. It's a story about finding and understanding what it means to love within the prism of missed opportunities. It's a film that challenges perspectives and preconceived notions about life, love, and loss. It challenges audiences to see the spirit beyond the physical, and as the story reaches its heartfelt, tearful conclusion, its simplicity in defining the complex emotional resonances that drive it make the entire experience worthwhile. Onward is a moving tribute not to loss but rather to the often unheralded and sometimes imperceptible gains that fill the gaps left behind in lives both fundamentally altered by death and never impacted by life.

Onward 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

As was the case with Onward's Blu-ray, there's practically nothing here to detract from a perfectly scored review. Disney's 2160p/HDR UHD presentation is exceptional. The native 4K resolution provides not just ample breathing room for the digital constructs but brings a new level of sharpness and definition to the picture that the Blu-ray cannot match. While the 1080p image is broadly sharp and intimately detailed, the UHD manages to push the film to another level, increasing sharpness by a good margin and bringing greater clarity even to secondary and background elements, such as the frays and patches that define Barley's sleeveless denim vest. Certainly environments thrive with the adds to total sharpness while character models, particularly in close-up (but even at distance and in low light), just leap off the screen. There's a level of fine skin detail, for example, that the UHD reveals with ease and is practically absent on the Blu-ray. It's a wonderful image, texturally, and it's a wonderful image in terms of its color grading, too. HDR sees the image thrive, adding brilliance and depth to both critical tones and supportive elements alike. Blue skies appear appreciably more dense, as do the elven skin tones and the aforementioned denim jacket. Natural greens enjoy superior color rendition here, too, and the entire spectrum, really, finds that eye-catching balance between added intensity and firmer depth. Black levels are fabulous and bright lights -- magical spells in particular -- leap off the screen with practically unparalleled intensity. There are no source or compression issues of note, either. This one's a looker and a keeper.

Onward 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For its UHD release, Onward earns a Dolby Atmos soundtrack (the Blu-ray includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 presentation). The track is generally strong with the volume upwardly adjusted several decibels beyond calibrated reference norms. The Atmos track seems to offer a little more in terms of low end engagement and response compared to the DTS track, but it's still substandard, leaving dense action scenes sounding a bit flatter than is ideal. Fortunately, the track does take full advantage of all of the other channels at its disposal. Music engages with superb width and plenty of balanced surround integration. Action effects traverse the stage with faultless feel for movement. The overhead channels mostly carry supportive rather than obviously loud and discrete elements, but the added spacial awareness certainly enhances key elements and mild-to-moderate atmospherics, such as falling rain and thunder around the 67-minute mark. Dialogue is clear and firmly positioned in the front-center channel. It is always well prioritized even through more chaotic sound elements when the track reaches its peaks. With the volume turned up, the track spreads wide and engages with fluidity and grace. It's a pleasure, even with a stymied low end.

Onward 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Onward's UHD houses no extras but two bundled Blu-ray discs offer everything below. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase.

Disc One (Feature Film):

• Quest for Story (1080p, 9:21): The film's story, characters, and themes explored with roots in Dan Scanlon's own history with an older bother and a deceased father.
• Citizens of New Mushroomton (1080p, 10:08): Building a "modern fantasy world" and the characters that inhabit it, including main character design, characteristics, and voice work.
• Audio Commentary: Director Dan Scanlon and Producer Kori Rae construct the film in a track that explores the film from multiple perspectives: origins, themes, characters, technical details, and more.

Disc Two (Bonus):

• Heart's Fire (1080p, 7:35): Combining a character-driven drama with magic, exploring character construction, digital workflow, and more.
• Dragon High (1080p, 6:31): Making the film's climactic action sequence.
• Wizard Rock (1080p, 6:31): Scoring the film.
• Fantasy Is Our Destiny (1080p, 2:29): A quick look at the cast and crew's love for the Fantasy genre.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 29:27 total runtime): Included is an Introduction followed by Unstoppable, Training, Mismanaged, Partnership, Trees Warning, and Sirens.
• Trailers & Promo (1080p): Included are Magic Gems (2:54), World - Global Teaser in English (1:53), Believe - United States Trailer (2:33), Japan Payoff Trailer (2:05), Legs - Global Trailer in Ukrainian (2:32), and Memories - Global Trailer in Spanish (1:51).

Onward 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Onward doesn't necessarily break out of the Pixar mold, but that's perfectly fine. The movie captures an essence of humanity even removed from human characters. It's fun, funny, adventuresome, and sincere, building on the essential foundations that have lifted up so many of the studio's finest films. Disney's UHD is a treat, too, delivering reference quality video, studio-typical audio, and a myriad of bonuses. Highly recommended.