Onward and Beyond-A Celebration of Disney Quest Films
Disney once again has shown it’s true, magical colors by doing us all a kindness and releasing the brand new Pixar film, Onward on Disney+. With only a limited time in theatres, I heard mixed reviews of this film, but was still excited to see what my favorite brand in the world had pulled out of their hat this time. Suffice it to say, I was not disappointed. Fret not, this article is entirely SPOILER FREE, (but if you haven’t seen it yet, what are ya waiting for?) and will only contain the pixie dust and such of the newly released film, as well as what I love so much about other Disney, and even my favorite Marvel, movie of all time – quest stories, wherein the characters discover so much more than what they originally intended to uncover. So grab your popcorn and milk duds, there’s a Disney movie for every adventurer in the galaxy!
Without giving too much away, I’ll start by telling you what I love so much about this film that is just so Pixar in every way. For starters, the reason it is called Onward is amazing, as is one of the main characters, fun loving slacker Barley Lightfoot. While I must admit I don’t think the character would have been brought to life by anyone other than the incomparable voice of Star Lord (Chris Pratt), this film that starts out as a quest to bring back a long passed father results in one of the most powerful sibling bonding stories I have ever seen. From the brothers’ trusty stagecoach Guinevere, to the fact that the entire movie is basically a D&D game, you’ll want to watch this movie and immediately give your sibling, or friends that are like family the biggest virtual embrace ever!
There was never a more fierce warrior on a more noble quest than one of my favorite Disney heroines of all time – Fa Mulan! On a mission to ensure her ex-military father is spared his life after being drafted in the war against the Huns, Mulan steals his armor and cuts her hair in order to disguise her gender and take his place on the battlefield. Afraid of what would come of her if she were found out, her family decides to wait and pray in lieu of going after Mulan. During the course of the film, Mulan not only proves herself as a daughter and granddaughter, she realizes that, to be one of the strongest and fiercest warriors in all of China, she only had to trust in herself! She indeed is able to spare her father and upon returning to her village, also has learned who she truly is – a powerful warrior with the heart of a hero.
This is probably my favorite quest of self discovery stories of all time. The Pumpkin King Jack Skellington has what can be called an existential crisis. His whole life (a career, for that matter) is consumed with ghoulies and ghosties and his worth is based on eliciting fear in children and adults alike. And he is darn good at it! But the Pumpkin King wants so much more, or at least something different out of life, so he decides to kidnap the Sandy Claws and morph the town of Halloween into Christmas. Christmas gone wrong that is. From accidentally abducting the Easter Bunny, to putting his main squeeze, Sally Ragdoll in imminent danger with the villainous Oogie Boogie, Jack discovers what has been true all along – you don’t need to change who you are to be an asset to those you love. You just need to have the courage to trust that you are who you are for a reason.
Admittedly, I talk about Wreck-it Ralph a lot in my writing, but I can’t help it – this story covers everything under the sun! And if this isn’t a self serving quest turned warm fuzzy selfless discovery then I don’t know what is! The story opens with Ralph as a misunderstood ‘bad guy’ who just wants to be someone he’s not – a good guy, or at least someone who gets invited to eat cake with all the cool people. Alas that is not meant to be and something much more wonderful happens; Ralph makes a sweet and sassy BFF (Vanellope Von Schweetz) and through a series of platonic heartbreak, emotional rollercoasters, along with self and altruistic unfinding, Ralph and Vanellope get more than they could have ever imagined. A chance to stay true to themselves and a friendship for the ages!
I still remember the first time I saw this movie in theatres. I was not much of a Marvel fan at the time, and was not expecting to be overly impressed. But it had Chris Pratt in it so I thought I’d give it a whirl, and nobody plays the damaged hero quite like Pratt. Star-Lord and his ragtag group of renegades – including the most adorable GMO trash panda, Rocket – set out on separate journeys that are essentially a means to an end. This emotional story is wrought with Daddy issues, painful backstories, and the confusion and warm fuzzies that is new love. Individually, Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot and Drax have the sole mission of surviving and continuing life as it was known to them before, painful yet familiar. As it turns out, their special skills combined with the loyalty they have to one another and the strength they have as one working unit quite literally save the galaxy.
Tales of quest have been around for centuries. Whether it is a knight in shining armor and his noble steed rescuing a princess from a fire-breathing dragon guarded castle, or an essential mission to achieve one task and one alone, the expedition is rarely what it appears to be. And when it comes to a Disney, Pixar or Marvel film, get ready for twists, turns, and all the feels. From the sweet friendship of Ralph and Vanellope, the courage and strength of Mulan, the unlikely team of lovable yet downright weirdos of the galaxy, the almost childlike naivete of the pumpkin king, to the most recent quest of familiar love and loyalty that is Disney Pixar’s most recent masterpiece, I hope you find exactly what you are looking for and then some on your magical quest of self discovery!
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