Film Review – Onward

For their latest production, Pixar Animation Studios turns to the world of “Dungeons & Dragons” to inspire screen adventure. It’s not a true homage to the classic role-playing game, but there’s enough of an influence to give “Onward” a charmingly nerdy vibe to go with the company’s formula of family and heart. Director Dan Scanlon (“Monsters University”) gets a little sneaky with his sentimentality, and that’s one of the many charms found in the feature, which has a way of being predictable, reliable Pixar entertainment before it makes a noticeable effort to do some things a little differently when it comes to character and message. There’s a rich animated realm to explore in “Onward,” which plays mirthfully with fantasy, delivering terrific character designs and broad voice work to bring an odd adventure to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com