Ever wondered what was the story behind Toy Story’s best-selling space themed toy Buzz Lightyear? Me too and a million other Toy Story fans who grew up watching the original Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios animated film - and at long last this month we finally get the answer to that burning question that’s been festering for nearly three decades! Lightyear - the animated spin-off movie that focuses on the legendary space ranger and his origin story has arrived in theaters, and providing the voice of the character himself is none other than hot shot Hollywood star and Captain America actor Chris Evans!
Thanks to Walt Disney Studios PH, Stratworks, and SM Cinema, I got to see this amazing animated adventure for the whole family at SM Megamall’s IMAX theater in glorious 3D! It was definitely an experience, and this film needs to be seen by those who enjoy Pixar films, space adventures, and of course the story of the man himself, Buzz Lightyear!
Here’s some photos from the premiere - which happened on June 11 Saturday and had some friends cosplaying as Buzz and space rangers!
After the jump, I’ll share my short thoughts and opinions about this animated adventure - which opens today in cinemas around the Philippines! This is non-spoiler and no details about the plot will be discussed, so dive right in!
Imagine a world of fantasy, mythical creatures, mgic, and full of adventure... But then technology and life come along and that gets pushed into near extinction. That's the universe Disney and Pixar transport us to in their latest animated film offering "Onward" - which is absolutely fun and a love letter to those who love adventure games and fantasy fiction! It's a treat to see these kinds of films still being made when we're so used to seeing modern day heroes and machinery all but take the spotlight in adventure films, and now we are reminded of the importance of embracing our childhood fantasies and sense of adventure, as well as treasuring the things we have that make us the people who we are today.
Thanks to Disney Philippines, I was able to catch a special advance screening of "Onward" on IMAX a few weekends ago - and it's definitely something you need to take your family and friends to - especially if you love going on a quest and play adventure games like Dungeons & Dragons! This is Pixar's love letter to the latter, and also incorporates the values and lessons we can learn from Disney films - most especially when it comes to family, gaining self-confidence, and realizing what we're looking for is right in front of us in plain sight!
Featuring the voices of Marvelous stars Tom Holland and Chris Pratt (and Octavia Spencer as the Manticore!), "Onward" tells the story of two brothers names Ian and Barley Lightfoot - who embark on a quest to restore their Dad after a resurrection spell goes awry and leaves their father literally only half the man he was! As Ian just turned 16, it is a personal mission for him to get to know the father he never met (his Dad passed away before he was born), and Barley (who happens to be an enthusiastic role-playing game fanatic) makes it his goal to help his little brother fulfil that goal while also teaching him the long forgotten history of adventure and how to become a magician. What follows is an adventure set in a world very much like ours that is full of mythical creatures that have adapted to modern society, yet still holds many unique secrets and the potential to bring back the magic and wonder of fantasy that was long thought forgotten.
Disney and Pixar's Onward | Trailer #3
Whether you have played a game like Dungeons & Dragons, watched movies like The Lord of the Rings, or read novels like The Witcher - you will definitely love everything about "Onward" as it plays deep into that fantasy nostalgia while giving us the growing pains and truths of life we embrace and experience everyday. Ian and Barley, as well as the family and friends they interact and encounter in this film, are like the people we meet every day who want to be with the people they love and make something of themselves. It's especially true for Ian - our hero of the story who learns he has the "gift" of being a spellcaster and is determined to meet the father he never knew. Meanwhile Barley is the adventurer who rebels against society's expectations and embraces his interests in magic and fantasy. Although the journey is perilous and full of risks, both brothers get to know each other, and we as the audience experience the emotions and realizations the two siblings have about themselves and one another as they quest to get dear old Dad back together for one day.
Highly recommended and definitely fun to see in a big screen like IMAX, "Onward" starts playing in theaters in the Philippines on March 4! Go see it and be on an adventure with the whole gang!
It's been nearly a decade since we last saw Sheriff Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of Andy's remaining toys find a new home to be played and care for during that emotional epilogue of Disney Pixar's "Toy Story 3". Anyone who followed this critically acclaimed animated film series since the first one stole our hearts in 1995 knows who these characters are, the beloved Hollywood voice cast that brought them to life, and the adventures they have shared with us through the movies and subsequent animated series tie-ins that were spawned because of the franchise's success. The attachment we have to our childhood and the toys we grew up with are the themes that drive these movies - which makes it so relatable and perfect as each installment teaches us the value and importance these play things have given to us and the fond memories born from those experiences.
Thanks to Walt Disney Studios Philippines and friends, I got to catch an advance screening of Toy Story 4 last week - and I went in with reserved expectations and bracing myself for what was to come in the newest tale featuring Woody, Buzz, and friends returning. All I knew from the trailers was that there were new characters like a toy fork named Forky who were going to be introduced, as well as the return of a long lost member of the gang in Bo Peep. After so many years and with Toy Story 3 ending the way it did - how was this sequel going to top things off? Read on and find out why I consider it the PERFECT ENDING and of course I will take care not to reveal any spoilers.
