IN ‘ONWARD,’ A WEIRD BUT WORTHY PIXAR MAGIC ACT

For a revolutionary animation studio, Pixar has been surprisingly wary of advancing technology. The company may be at the forefront of digital animation, but for 25 years, its spiritual DNA has been decidedly nostalgic. It’s the old-school new school.

In “WALL-E,” high-tech humans have devolved into overweight TV addicts who need to be jarred out of their stupor. In “Monsters Inc.,” modern kids have grown too blase to be scared by monsters, prompting a scream shortage. “Cars” preached small-town, off-the-beaten-track values.