Onward includes many references to other Disney and Pixar works, including Inside Out, though it chose to add the film’s most annoying joke. Pixar and Disney continue to be the power duo in the world of animation, and following the success of Toy Story 4 in 2019, they brought a new, original story titled Onward.
Set in a fantasy world where all types of mythical creatures coexist and magic was once commonplace, Onward follows Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt), two elf brothers whose father passed away when they were little. On Ian’s birthday, their mother, Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), gives them a magical staff with a rare gem that belonged to their father. The gift is accompanied by a letter with a “visitation spell”, which would allow them to resurrect their father for one day – but magic is not as easy as it sounds, and the spell fails, bringing back only the lower half of their father’s body. The Lightfoots then go on a journey to see if there’s still magic out there that can help them complete the spell.
Onward continues the Pixar tradition of including an Easter egg teasing the studio’s next project as well as many references to other Pixar/Disney films, among those Inside Out – but the team behind Onward chose a very annoying element from that film.
Onward References Inside Out’s TripleDent Gum
Some references are more subtle than others, and the Inside Out Easter egg in Onward is one that’s very easy to miss, even though it appears twice. Pay close attention to Ian’s room and the gas station where Ian and Barley come across with the pixies, as you’ll find references to TripleDent Gum. In Inside Out, Riley’s emotions were constantly annoyed by the very catchy theme song for TripleDent Gum, which was often sent to them without their consent. The song was so annoying it not only messed with Riley’s emotions but also those of other characters, such as the bus driver during the credits.
Luckily, Onward didn’t include the theme song, just a pack in Ian’s bedroom and an advert at the gas station, but those who were also annoyed by it will surely have it playing in their heads as soon as they see the pack and the ad. Onward could have included a different reference to Inside Out (there are no rules as to who can appear in this world of magical creatures, as Ratatouille’s Remy can be seen working as a chef and there’s a fawn version of Toy Story’s Bonnie), but instead it chose something as simple as a brand of gum. Why the creative team behind Onward decided to add TripleDent Gum to the film is unknown, but it could have been a way to mess with their audience with one of the most annoying jokes in Pixar’s universe.
