Saw Onward, a typically winning but kind of muddled Pixar film about a land where magic and magical creatures exist but where for some reason magic has been forgotten because of the success of technology. Apparently only certain kinds of people can do magic (this concept is left mercifully vague and unexplored) but it works exactly like D&D - you have to say a chant and hold a stick and it works.
The protagonist is this lanky blue elf dude who is starting highschool. He's overcome with shyness and embarrassment and is older brother is an unspeakably geeky D&D enthusiast. In the ultimate showdown of the film (spoilers here -->) they fight a dragon in the form of their highschool. With that start and that ending, this really seems like a coming of age film, about this dorky lad embracing his inner awkward and letting his freak flag fly. Instead, it's a road trip movie about the two brothers bringing their father back from the dead.
It has a lot going on. In addition to my fan theory that this film was once about fitting in in highschool, there's issues of fatherhood, found families, and of technology supplanting all that is magical in the world (damn that technology!) It works fairly well as a coming of age story anyhow however. This is Pixar after all, even if it's not always locked on target.
It's a nice film. The emotional climax made me cry real tears and the journey to the ending was good. Some characters learned some lessons, some trials were overcome. It never reaches the delirious highs of say The Incredibles, but it's a solid kid's movie. The way the dad walks is consistently hilarious and inspired.
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