very much, or to a great degree
are in trouble, big time.Onward · 2020 — Chapter 13 of 16 · 6'30" · B1
Ian Tries the Arcane Lightning Spell, Explained: to the count of three
Colt the cop catches up with the boys and orders them home, so they do the sensible thing and drive off. "You're not running from the cops, you're running from our mom's boyfriend," Barley points out. It is a chase scene played for laughs, but the real clock is the sunset.
What happens
Officer Colt catches the boys and tries to haul them home, but they hit the gas and lead him on a chase. With the sun setting, Ian attempts the hardest spell in the book to block the road. Barley coaches him through it, and Ian discovers that believing in himself is harder than any incantation.
Listen for
to the count of threebig timefollow all decreesbeat up
00:00 / 06:30Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Tap a line to replay it
Phrase of the scene
to the count of three
counting to three as a final warning
科尔特拦住兄弟俩，要他们上车回家；他给出最后通牒，说自己会数到三，数完就必须照做。
Get in the car, or I'm counting to three.
Also in this scene
- big time
very much, or to a great degree
- follow all decrees
to obey every official rule without exception
- beat up
old and damaged from heavy use
Everything marked in this scene
22 notes across 54 lines
No. No way.counting to three as a final warning
I'm giving you to the count of three.Yeah. Iandore Lightfoot, breaking the rules.I can't believe I'm running from the cops.Hold on.Yeah. Nice going, Guinevere.Oh, what did I do? I shouldn't have driven away.You said that's the hardest spell.You are ready. To make lightning strike with ease, one must follow all decrees. You have to do everything.You are ready. To make lightning strike with ease, one must follow all decrees. You have to do everything.to obey every official rule without exception
You are ready. To make lightning strike with ease, one must follow all decrees. You have to do everything.Speak from your heart's fire. Trust yourself. Focus all of it.Speak from your heart's fire. Trust yourself. Focus all of it.I can't. I can't do it.We're not gonna see you, Dad. And it's all my fault.She was just a beat up old van.The apprentice has become the master.On a quest, an X only means one thing.This water could go on for miles.Well, there's not much to float on.Remember, on a quest you have to use what you've got.Ian Tries the Arcane Lightning Spell, explained
What's really going on
The chase is a comedy, but the spell is the real test. Ian has spent the whole trip believing he is the careful, unremarkable brother, and the hardest spell requires exactly what he does not have: faith in himself. Barley's coaching is almost tender — "Speak from your heart's fire. Trust yourself. Focus all of it" — and when Ian cannot manage it, he blames himself for letting their father down. That failure matters more than the police car behind them, because it is the moment the film's question turns personal. The master-versus-apprentice reversal comes later, but this is where the apprentice finally decides he wants to be one.
Theme
CourageIan has to trust himself to cast the spell, and failing anyway is treated as braver than never trying.
IdentityThe scene pits Ian's cautious self-image against the hero he could be, while the chase turns his brother into his coach.
What you'll learn
- Use big time to intensify a problem
- Understand run from the cops in casual speech
- Use what you've got for practical advice
- Recognize get to do as getting an opportunity
- Notice how "big time" changes the exchange.
The apprentice has become the master.A playful nod to a classic line, used when the student has just outdone the teacher — here, a rare moment of pride.
Remember, on a quest you have to use what you've got.The film's practical motto: when you lack the ideal tool, you work with whatever is at hand.
You're not running from the cops, you're running from our mom's boyfriend.A joke that reframes the chase: the authority chasing them is embarrassingly ordinary, not heroic.
Speak from your heart's fire. Trust yourself. Focus all of it.The incantation's advice reads like real encouragement: the spell needs conviction, not technique.
Questions about this scene
Why do Ian and Barley run from Colt?
Because Colt wants to take them home, and going home means giving up the quest. With only one day to bring their father back, running is the only way to keep trying.
Why does Ian's spell fail?
Because he does not believe he can do it. The spell requires complete confidence, and his own self-doubt breaks the magic before anything else can.
What does 'big time' mean?
It means to a large degree or very much. Saying they are in trouble big time means they are in serious trouble, not just a little.
What does Colt want from the boys?
He wants to bring them back to their mother, because he thinks the whole quest is just them acting out. As her boyfriend and a police officer, he sees it as his job to stop them.
Onward · 16 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 14don't have a clueIan Blames Barley for the Detour
Chapter 1wiggle out ofIan's Sixteenth Birthday Morning
Chapter 2was wondering ifIan's Awkward Party Invite
Chapter 3get byDad Leaves Ian a Wizard Staff
Chapter 4Whatever it takesDad Comes Back as Just Legs
Chapter 5followed my gutThe Manticore Refuses to Help
Chapter 6took the easy routeBarley Picks the Path of Peril
Chapter 7go bonkersLaurel Asks the Manticore for Help
Chapter 8wear offThe Growth Spell Backfires
Chapter 9not what it used to beThe Manticore Explains the Curse
Chapter 10With all due respectIan Talks His Way Past Bronco
Chapter 11chin upBarley Trains Ian With the Sword
Chapter 12the worst that can happenIan Crosses the Trust Bridge
Watching · Chapter 13to the count of threeIan Tries the Arcane Lightning Spell
Chapter 14don't have a clueIan Blames Barley for the Detour
Chapter 15gauntletIan and Barley Take the Wrong Path
Chapter 16looked out for meIan Thanks Barley for EverythingChapter 13 of 16 · about 21 min to go