Pixar is most well known for being able to create movies that are emotional and tearjerking, and its newest release Onward is no exception. Another one of Pixar's most emotional films is Inside Out. What did the two films do better than each other? Onward, Pixar's latest original release, has only been out for a few weeks and it's received positive reviews. The film is full of laugh out loud moments, and scenes that will leave audiences in tears.
It's a heartfelt addition to Pixar's already brilliant plethora of movies, which is why it's so difficult to compare them all. One of Pixar's best films is 2015's Inside Out. Here are 5 things Onward does better than Inside Out, and 5 things Inside Out does better than Onward.
Onward: Focusing on Family Relationships
Onward's greatest strength is its focus on family relationships, especially sibling relationships. It's a fairly common and simple concept but obviously, it makes a very emotional storyline come into play. The plot focuses on elf brothers Ian and Barley, as they go on a quest to bring back their Dad for a day.
It's perfect Pixar material for anyone who resonates with family struggles and the realization of how important family is no matter what you've been through. Ian and Barley don't have the closest relationship throughout the film but the quest to bring their Dad back is what brings them together.
Inside Out: Focusing on How We Deal With Emotions
Inside Out is about what goes on inside a person's head, and how our emotions can really affect us. Pixar movies have drifted towards having more serious underlying focuses for their films in recent years, like Coco, and Inside Out is a perfect example of that.
The main focus of the movie is on Riley and how her emotions do affect her in good and bad ways. They go through a lot throughout the movie which is why Riley goes through a rough time. Compared to Onward, Inside Out has a much more complex plot that works really well.
Onward: More Relatable
There is a character or storyline relatable to anyone in Onward, whether you have a complex relationship with your sibling, or have had to deal with loss or just figuring out who you are, there is definitely something in Onward that anybody can resonate with, which is what makes it so fun and so powerful.
Compared to Inside Out, there is a lot more there for everyone. When you take away all of the magical elements of Onward, it leaves a film that is basically about the importance of family and not missing out on things while you still have them.
Inside Out: Has Stronger Side Characters
Inside Out has some of the best main and side characters of any Pixar movie. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust are all great characters, but the standout of the film is Riley's imaginary friend Bing Bong. He has his own catchy theme song, and his death/disappearance in the film is one of the saddest moments of Disney/Pixar film history.
Bing Bong is part of what makes Inside Out such an emotional rollercoaster of a movie. The film doesn't need loads of extra characters, and this is simply because all of their characters are perfect together.
Onward: LGBT Representation
Of course, representation is becoming more important, and Disney/Pixar are slowly starting to bring in LGBT characters into their films, with Onward being the first. Onward features a female police officer who, while talking to Ian and Barley mentions briefly in one scene that she has a girlfriend.
Even though it's only a small amount of screentime and most people would probably miss the moment if they weren't intentionally looking out for it, it's a good sign that we could be seeing more representation in the future animated films, hopefully even main protagonists.
Inside Out: More Imaginative
Even though the movie does have a traditional adventure story like Up, Brave or Onward, Inside Out has a really original concept and plot when it comes to world-building. Of course, Pixar's way of making us all more emotional is by making a movie about our emotions from the perspective of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust and how they control us.
Kids would probably believe that they have separate islands in their minds for family, friends, and hobbies. It's also just a really wholesome way of helping us to imagine what goes on inside our heads.
Onward: Has A Larger Moral Message
While the main concept of Onward might be quite simple, it's actually got a lot of layers to it and a couple of different messages in the grand scheme of things. To be fair, all Pixar movies have a message to them, which is why they're so memorable, and why we cry so much when we watch them.
Onward ticks a lot of these boxes, like Ian struggling to fit in at school, and Barley struggling with his reputation for screwing things up. It sends a message as a whole that while technology is great and all, there are things that are better, like magic.
Inside Out: Visually Stunning
Most of Pixar's recent releases have been visually impressive, but Inside Out is a stunning animated film. All of the characters are gorgeously designed, and the worlds are so well thought through. The memory balls an amazing way of capturing memories, and it makes it even more tragic when Bing Bong and Joy are stuck with all the forgotten memories and risk being forgotten forever.
Joy's character design is beautiful because she really is glowing, and Pixar's attention to detail is impressive when it comes to locations like the abstract memory tunnel and shelves of long term memory balls.
Onward: Show's The Perks and Issues With Technology Today
The most striking thing about Onward is its mixture between worlds of magic and things we do in everyday life that have now changed because of the progression of technology.
The whole concept is that the world used to be filled with magic, but technology makes everything easier which means that magic died out along time ago. It reflects a lot of what life is like now, where everything is so focused on technology that we forget about things that are meant to be important to us. It's a story that really reflects the current issues our society is having at the moment.
Inside Out: Really Funny
Even though it also a sad movie, Inside Out is extremely funny. From great one-liners to recurring jokes like the Triple Mint Gum advert that pops up just when you think you've gotten it out of your head, the film is full of genuinely funny moments that contrast with the really really sad moments. Some of the funniest moments are when Bing Bong first appears, or when Joy and Sadness genuinely don't get along at the start of the movie, or whenever Anger has a meltdown and Fear has to watch a nightmare.