Editor’s Note: “Onward,” one of the last major theatrical motion pictures released just prior to the coronavirus pandemic that closed movie theaters, is available in various formats for home viewing.

I’m not sure what they’re smoking in Emeryville.

Or maybe the filmmakers at Pixar Animation Studios’ California headquarters were in Beast Mode.

“Onward,” the latest CGI film from Disney-Pixar, has a cast of beasts with nary a beauty among them.

Perhaps taking a page from Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” (the 1963 award-winning children’s book), adding a dash of youthful wizardry from “Harry Potter” books (1997-2007) and movies (2001-11), mixing in elements from “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” videogames (2001-07) and “Indiana Jones” movies (1981, 1984, 1989, 2008), and topped off by a Mystery Machine-type mid-1960s’ Chevrolet Sportvan right out of “Scooby-Doo!” (TV show, 1969-70), “Onward” is a mash-up, a “grab-gag” hodgepodge of recycled plot points and characters.

In “Onward,” elf brothers, Ian and Barley, are given a magical wooden scepter on Ian’s 16th birthday by their mother Laurel. The scepter has magical powers, demonstrated throughout the movie, not the least of which is to bring back to life the elf brothers’ dead father, Wilden.

Unfortunately, only the bottom half of dear old dad appears. You see his shoes and pants, but at his midsection is a glowing blue sparkly sphere. Above that is nothing.

The elf brothers drape the torso in a hoodie, insulted vest, red-framed sunglasses and baseball cap. They pull the legs of dad with his belt-mounted dog leash. Dad bobbles and weaves, not unlike the Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz” movie (1939).

“Onward” has its moments of genuine entertainment, not unlike “Sonic the Hedgehog,” with hyperactive chase scenes and the like, including along a California-style multi-lane interstate, and on winding desert mountain roads, plus a ride on a river in a cave, and a truly chills-inducing scene over a ravine, dubbed “the bottomless pit.”

The animation in “Onward” is on par with the best of Pixar, with wonderful character depictions, character body animation and facial expressions, and incredibly detailed backgrounds of an American town, western United States landscapes and vistas and daytime and nighttime skies.

The character voices are good, but not particularly distinctive. Chris Pratt voices Barley, the older elf brother. Tom Holland voices Ian, the younger elf brother. Julia Louis-Dreyfus voices Laurel, their mother. Octavia Spencer voices Corey, a restaurant owner based on a manticore, a mythical Persian creature. Mel Rodriguez voices Colt, based on a centaur, a mythical Greek creature.

“Onward” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Monsters University,” 2013) from a screenplay and original story by Scanlon, Keith Bunin (screenwriter, “Horns,” 2013) and Jason Headley (screenwriter, “A Bad Idea Gone Wrong,” 2017).

Pixar is noted for exceptional Oscar-winning and blockbuster box-office animation feature films, starting with “Toy Story,” 1995, and highlighted by “Finding Nemo,” 2003; “The Incredibles,” 2004; “Cars,” 2006; “Wall-E,” 2008, and “Up,” 2008.

“Onward” is not necessarily upward for Disney-Pixar.

“Onward,”

MPAA rated PG (Parental Guidance Suggested Some material may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give “parental guidance.” May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.) for action-peril and some mild thematic elements; Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy; Run time: 1 hr., 42 min.; Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous:

Brandi Carlile sings “Carried Me With You” during the “Onward” closing credits.

Unreel

Scheduled to open March 20, but postponed until Sept. 4:

“A Quiet Place Part II,”

PG-13: John Krasinski directs Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy and Noah Jupe in the horror thriller. The Abbott family faces additional terrors outside their home.

Two popcorn boxes out of five popcorn boxes.