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FILMTRACKS.COM
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VIEW 
Review of Onward (Mychael Danna/Jeff Danna)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if you specifically appreciated the rock interludes and
affable main theme in the context of the film, for they carry the spirit
of the score better than its orchestral fantasy core.
Avoid it... if you expect Mychael and Jeff Danna to provide a truly dynamic and resounding environment for this concept, the recording shallow and mix overly dry.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Onward: (Mychael Danna/Jeff Danna) No major film
was harmed more by the 2020 pandemic than the animated Disney/Pixar
adventure, Onward. Released just a few weeks prior to the closing
of theatres, the movie attempted a comeback on the digital market but
ultimately lost the studios a significant amount of money. The story was
critically praised but still rather odd; a fantasy world of mythical
creatures lives in an otherwise contemporary technological environment,
and two teenage elf brothers in ordinary suburbia decide to resurrect
long lost magic to bring their deceased father back to life for a day.
Hindered by their silly antics for comedic relief, they set off on a
journey to seek out gems to make this happen, their mother in pursuit.
The movie offers traditional fantasy battles in its latter half,
punctuated by a bittersweet reunion scene that doesn't generate as much
emotional response as achieved in the more accomplished Pixar stories.
On the upside, a quip one character makes about being a lesbian did
manage to get the film banned or altered in Russia and a number of Arab
countries, where the concept of a horned female cyclops engaged in sex
with another horned female cyclops is a violation of law. A bevy of
vintage rock music was meant to be built directly into the score for the
film because of the prominent role of the cassette player in the
1970's-styled family van the elves take on the journey. Handling the
range of source-like rock, orchestral fantasy, and everything in between
are composing brothers Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna. The assignment was
one of significant, coincidental personal connection for them, as the
two lost their own father early in life as well; as such, they confess
that the project was one of surprising emotional weight. Their prior
lone entry in the Pixar realm had been The Good Dinosaur which,
unfortunately, was the studio's only other major financial flop, so the
Dannas' record with these films has a bit of misfortune attached. Their
music for animated films ranges from decent to good, 2019's The
Addams Family another frenetic example of their talents in the
genre.
Outside of children's films, the Danna duo is known for their fascination with unusual, worldly instrumentation, writing outstanding dramas with blends of orchestral majesty and diverse, exotic coloration. The fantasy element in Onward allowed for them to infuse some of those elements, like lutes, psaltery, folk guitars, and even a crumhorn, with a 92-piece orchestra and 30-voice choir to represent the otherworldliness of the setting. More obvious, however, is the 1970's rock influence, with the Danna brothers equally comfortable letting rip with the electric guitars and drum kits of their early pop band years. Together, these elements forge an eclectic personality for the soundtrack, one that functions fine but never really comes together in the end. As is often the case, when composers attempt too diverse a collection of sounds for a film score, each disparate element is diminished as a result. For Onward, the Danna brothers produced a competent series of extremely short cues for the wide range of genre needs in the story, attempting to connect them with a concrete set of themes. Ultimately, the themes are sufficient but not spectacular, eliciting the right emotions even if they don't really impact you outside of the moment. The main idea exists for the nerdier of the two brothers, Ian, and his quirky identity comes to represent the personality of this fantasy suburbia as well. Spirited performances of his theme flourish in "A Little Magic," "New Ian," and "Boom Bastia!" while taking on contemplative moments in "My Birthday is Cancelled," with a sad woodwind solo, and with a fuller ensemble in "Share My Life With Him." The idea eventually wraps the action in "Voltar Thunderseer!" and is afforded a happier rendition to close out the score in "Magic Returns," the highlight of the entire work. Meanwhile, a fantasy theme for the lore and magic of the whole story opens the score immediately in "Quests of Yore" and extends the same mode to "The Spell." It turns suspenseful in "Find Another Phoenix Gem," supplies Danny Elfman-like low woodwinds in the lighter "Laurel in Pursuit," shifts to mystery in "The Cave," and takes an adventuresome stance early in "Led Us to Our Victory." The second brother in Onward, Barley, is more associated with the rock interludes, some of which laced awkwardly with choir, in "My Mighty Steed," "Going on a Quest," and "Dance Fight." The motif in the middle cue expands to become a fighting identity in "Led Us to Our Victory." The dead father has a theme that tries to establish a depth of drama in James Horner fashion in "Wish I Could Spend the Day With You" and "Dad," the latter exploring the idea fully with redemptive weight. This idea's performance remains too shallow to really carry the moment. A few other motifs for characters seem tied to individual cues only, like the bold sidebar for Colt Bronco in "Tracking Guinevere." The van itself receives a death song of sorts in "Sacrifice," a humorous but distracting parody tribute to Ennio Morricone. While all these themes are fine, with the main identity carrying the best spirit of the score in early and late setting-reinforcing scenes, their applications are often too tepid. Even in the best cue, the ending "Magic Returns," the affable nature of the cue lacks an engrossing vibe in the mix. Perhaps the biggest surprises of Onward are its sparse orchestrations and shallow soundscape for the fantasy genre. With Nicholas Dodd orchestrating, one would expect the score to flourish with a beefier presence. Between the absence of resounding bass and brass presence, as well as an excruciatingly flat, dry mix that sucks the life out of the recording, the orchestral and choral passages of the score are remarkably limp. The action cues in particular are presented with underwhelming force of will. As a result, the whole endeavor sounds like a wimpy lightweight even though the Danna brothers certainly know how to generate some dramatic scope. Yes, this is a silly children's animation flick, but that doesn't automatically mean that the score should lack any gravitas whatsoever. It's because of this shallow sound that a cue like "Dad" fails to really grip like it should. The score is followed by the harmless but unrelated Brandi Carlile song, "Carried Me With You," placed at the beginning of the album. That product contains 44 score cues totaling under an hour of running time, so be prepared for a disjointed experience. Overall, the Danna brothers once again provide adequate and thoughtful music for the genre, but their execution begs for its own touch of magic. ***
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 62:31
NOTES & QUOTES:
There exists no official packaging for this album.
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