Pixar's newest instalment, Onward, is a breathtakingly beautiful film that brings everything you would expect from a Pixar movie. It has vibrant colors, stunning animation, a heartwarming story filled with laughter and sadness, and some fantastic characters.
However, that doesn't mean that the film is perfect. In fact, it's far from it, with various different parts of the film leaving the audience asking questions about the plot or the characters. Not everything makes perfect sense in the movie, which is expected, but it does leave a lot of question marks over certain moments. Some questions that fans had were only small details, while others were bigger plot points from the film itself. So, within this list, we will look at 10 things that make no sense about Onward.
Why Is There No Magic?
Sure, at the start Pixar tries to explain that the magic has slowly faded away simply because it has become easier for people to use the modern technology that we have in the human world. However, are we really supposed to believe that everyone just forgot about magic and stopped using it completely?
While there might be some people doing magic that we don't see at any point, everything we are shown points towards magic being completely gone. It's strange that nobody would be doing magic in any sense at all since there is plenty of positives to using it.
Not Explaining Wilden's Death
While it is briefly explained that Wilden got very sick, it isn't actually revealed how he dies. While this might be a heavy topic for a Pixar movie, the company has shown no issues in touching on subjects like that in the past, and a montage scene similar to Up could have worked just fine.
This would have just added some more emotion to the entire movie and would have helped make sense of the family situation and what everyone had to go through at the time of his death. It's only a small detail, but it would have added plenty.
Why Doesn't Wilden Look For Ian?
One of the big things that makes no sense comes right at the end of the movie. Ian makes a heartbreaking sacrifice to slay the dragon, which allows his brother Barley to see his father one final time, and they share a conversation together that Ian sneaks a peek at through some rubble.
While that was very touching, it does beg the question of why Wilden doesn't go look for his other son. Sure, there isn't much time and he might not have got to him, but surely he would have wanted to meet the son he's never seen, therefore at least attempted to get to him.
Why Is There No Video Footage?
Early on in the movie when Ian is missing his father, he plays a tape recording of his father's voice and makes up a conversation with him. He's clearly listened to the tape repeatedly, with this being his only real connection to what his father was like.
However, why is there no video footage of him? While we don't know how quickly things advanced, at the point in the film we join it there are mobile phones and therefore videotaping equipment. So why didn't they have any videos of his father so Ian could see more about him?
Why Does Colt Bronco Try To Stop Them?
Colt Bronco is the lead police officer of the area that is shown in the film, and he also happens to be dating Ian and Barley's mother. He ends up finding the boys during their quest, and they quickly explain the situation to him about their father and what they're doing.
However, instead of understanding or trying to even help them, he actually ends up chasing them down and calling more cops. They all chase after the Lightfoot boys and almost stop them from making it which makes no sense since he is trying to win them over to accept him in their family.
How Do They End Up Back At School?
Ian and Barley make the correct decision to take the road of peril during their quest to get the stone, however, it eventually just leads them all the way back to Ian's school. However, that really doesn't make any sense since they travel miles in the complete opposite direction.
While they do end up underground and on a boat, they don't seem to travel anywhere near as many hours to get all the way back to where they were in the beginning. There isn't enough time for it to truly make sense, no matter what magic you spin on it.
Was Wilden A Wizard?
Wilden provides his boys with a wizards staff and a rare gem that has the ability to bring him back to life for just one day, as well as a note on how to do the spell. So, does that make him a wizard? He wants to believe magic still exists, but his own wife is unsure of if he was actually doing magic.
It isn't really explained whether or not Wilden could actually perform the magic or not. It also makes no sense that he just expected his children to be able to produce magic, he doesn't know if they have that power or not, but simply presumes it.
Expert Driver
Who knew it only took a matter of minutes to learn how to drive? Sure, the film is set in a fantasy world and you have to let go of some elements of reality, but the way Ian picks up driving like it's nothing makes no sense at all. It isn't like he is just driving around the block either.
He merges onto an incredibly busy freeway and ends up being involved in a car chase from the Pixie Dusters, yet he has no real difficulties in being able to do it. Sure he is nervous, but Ian just drives as if he has been doing it his whole life, which makes no sense at all.
How Do Corey & Laurel Find The Dragon?
At the end of the movie, Ian and Barley end up lifting a curse which leads to a huge dragon being created, which can only be defeated by using Corey's sword. Of course, they just happen to arrive right on time with the sword to attack the dragon and help in the fight at the very last second.
However, it doesn't make much sense. Corey and Laurel are heading in the total opposite direction to the school, much like the boys do originally. So, how do they know exactly where they will be at the right moment? It makes even less sense when you consider that Corey hasn't flown in years, so she isn't exactly able to dot around quickly to look out for them.
Ian's A Quick Learner
At the start of the movie, it is explained that magic goes away because it is difficult and using technology is easier. However, if Ian is anything to go by, magic is incredibly easy. While he has a few difficulties at the start, he ends up learning how to do every spell with relative ease.
By the end of the film, he has the skills to take on a dragon and he just picks it up really easily. Surely learning to do all these spells should take longer than just the 24 hours that Ian has to work with?