ON this week’s home entertainment radar, Disney Pixar’s Onward is well worth a look in for all those who missed its abbreviated pre-lockdown cinema release.

Starring the vocal talents of Marvel stars Chris Pratt and Tom Holland, the film spins the yarn of two elfen brothers who set out on a quest to find an artifact that will bring back their deceased father.

Their world of one of tarnished wonder. The magic that one filled local lives has been all but lost as modern technologies brought efficiency and a preference for easy living. It’s all very Pixar - poignant to the last and dripping with metaphorical resonance to the world we live in today.

First announced in the Summer of 2017, Onward was inspired by the death of director Dan Scanlon’s own father in his youth. Indeed, the film was born to his imagination only after he and his brother were privy to a previously unheard audio clip of their late Dad.

With Father’s Day on the horizon, a viewing of Onward may touch older viewers with unexpected impact but should resonate well with audiences of all ages. The truncation of the film’s cinematic release rendered Onward an unexpected box office bomb. Unexpected and undeserved. The animation dazzles and fans of original cinema shouldn’t miss it.

On streaming meanwhile, Netflix’s latest is a mixed bag but tries hard. This is The Lovebirds.

Another victim of Covid-19, The Lovebirds had originally been penned for a widescreen release prior to lockdown but found itself swept up by the streaming giant’s saving arms.

Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae lead as quarrelling couple Jibran and Leilani. In the wake of four years of near non-stop argument, the pair finally call it quits whilst on their way to a dinner party. Distracted by the breakup, Jibran runs a red light, hitting a cyclist with their car. Could the chaos and confusion that follows bring them back together?

While the phrase ‘less than the sum of its parts’ comes to mind, The Lovebirds does still just about succeed as lightweight entertainment. An exceedingly talented pair in their own right, Rae and Nanjiani give their all to scant parts and succeed in mustering the odd big laugh.

It’s not up to the standards of director Michael Showalter‘s last flick - The Big Sick - but should hit the Netflix spot.