Film Name: 1/2的魔法 / Onward
Watching “Onward,” I started feeling sleepy halfway through, especially when it shifted from a family drama to a road movie. But the latter half truly unleashed its magical power, snapping me out of my drowsiness and leaving me deeply moved and resonant.
I expected a father-son story, but it unexpectedly became a tale of brotherhood. This small twist ultimately turned into unapologetic tears. The elf family depicted here mirrors countless ordinary American households. Parents and children maintain mutual care while preserving independence. Each person fits perfectly into the other’s life yet retains their authentic self, seeking understanding without attempting to control thoughts.
For families with two children, the film might as well be a story unfolding in a magical world right next door. Two teenagers, their behaviors shifting between doubt and affirmation, their thoughts seemingly mature yet still raw, their awareness appearing wise yet still naive, their attitudes seeming clear yet still ambiguous—all so illusory yet so real.
For families dealing with divorce or the loss of a parent, the film explores a common possibility—remarriage. Children yearn for authentic familial bonds, while parents seek new emotional beginnings. Neither side can be deemed wrong; mutual care ultimately fosters understanding.
The film offers a heartfelt tribute to fatherhood. The profound significance of the word “father” to a child, its role in a child’s growth, and its value to the entire family are portrayed with intensity or subtlety. Whether it’s the highly original father depicted only from the waist down or the final reunion filled with longing yet deliberately maintaining distance, the film’s handling is masterful.
In the film, magic has become a form of “intangible cultural heritage,” or what we commonly refer to as intangible cultural heritage. Only a few still understand it, practice it, and pass it on, while the vast majority have been brainwashed by modern technology, losing touch with tradition. This is a powerful reflection of our contemporary world. We truly need magic inheritors like the protagonist’s father, people like the older brother who clings to an unwavering belief in magic, and individuals like the younger brother who carries the magic-practicing genes and is willing to carry on the tradition.
The advancement of industrial society means individuals no longer need to strive to inherit family crafts; they only need to learn socialized skills. Most of what the protagonist initially jotted down on his little notes were precisely these social skills—speaking up, learning to drive, inviting friends to parties, and so on. True to expectations, he failed miserably at all of them. This failure propelled him back toward inheriting the family craft of magic. And as his magic deepened, his social skills seemed to develop effortlessly, as if by osmosis.
Thus, “return” is another resonant theme in the film. It urges everyone to return to their unique essence, rather than being submerged in the societal norms that color them. Just as the centaur conceals its courage and ferocity, willingly becoming a worker in an industrialized society—filled with awkwardness and frustration—it no longer dares to face its true self.
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