God this year has lasted a century. I no longer know what day it is or what is happening. This film was unfortunately shafted by the Great Plague that has befallen us but the Disney Overlords were merciful (and wanted some sweet, sweet profits) so they dropped it on Disney+. I think it's also available for rental on Amazon Prime, but $20 for a 48-hr rental is some gold-plated bullshit and I encourage you not to participate in it.
Ian (Tom Holland) has just turned sixteen-years-old. His mom (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is worried that his birthday isn't going to go well for him and decides to give him a present from his late father. It turns out to be a wizard's staff and a spell that will allow the dead to return for a day, so he can meet his dad for the first time. His older brother, Barley (Chris Pratt), tries and tries to perform the spell but only when Ian touches it does the staff work. Unfortunately, Ian's crippling self-doubt neuters the spell halfway, leaving the boys with only their dad's lower half and a rapidly diminishing timetable to get another Phoenix gem to re-power the spell. What follows is a road trip/epic quest of puzzles, dangers, and self-reflection in a fairytale world that has largely dismissed magic.
It's not the best story Pixar has ever done but it is a great love letter to Dungeons and Dragons. There are some truly funny parts and some touching ones (duh, Pixar) but it just didn't resonate with me as strongly as some others. Obviously, your mileage may vary. For what it's worth, my mom freakin' loved it.
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