Up (Review)

Up

Directed By: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Starring the Voices Talents Of: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai


What’s It About

Senior citizen Carl Fredricksen is about to lose his home when he decides that instead of giving it up, he will embark in the adventure of a lifetime… and he’s taking his house along for the ride!

Thoughts

I love Pixar films. Besides the fact that they’re just so entertaining, they’re the only animated films that put story before a quick laugh. This is the secret that unfortunately, other animated studios (Dreamworks, Sony Animation) can’t seem to get right. While these studios go for the quick laugh, Pixar goes for the heart. They want their films to hold a special place in all of us, and with their tenth film Up, they do not plan on changing that strategy any time soon.

What makes Up so great is how they utilize each and every character. Without trying to spoil anything, one of the characters, Ellie, only has ten minutes of screen time, yet we became so attached to her that before you knew it, her performance had us in tears! That’s right, tears! Now, normally I don’t like to see films that have the “mandatory” child sidekick, but Russell was different. He never got annoying, in fact, he had me feeling sorry for him. There were moments that I wanted to leap from my seat to just give him a hug! I know that when making Up, Pixar was challenged in making a senior citizen that could be appealing to kids and adults. Using the late Spencer Tracy as a reference was just perfect because it helped to elevate Carl Fredricksen’s performance!

The animation in Up is gorgeous! The vistas in South America are so breathtaking that I wouldn’t be surprised if this movie alone helps boost tourism in those parts of the country! I’ve always enjoyed the character designs in all of Pixar’s movies and this one is no exception! I love the squared look they gave Carl and the Egg shaped look of Russell, or the little details like the material in Carl’s jacket and Russell’s Wilderness Explorer patches. There is just so much detail in everything that it will take a couple of visits to truly appreciate all the work that was put into this flick.

Something I did not expect was the adult themes in the film. Normally, if a child in the story is being raised by one parent, it’s because the other parent died. Not here. In Up, the parents are divorced! Other areas covered in the film are infertility and death. Now before you start thinking that this is not a suitable film for the kids, just know that Pixar handled these areas with a lot of dignity and class.

Up really is a special film that, like all Pixar films, needs to be seen. The artwork, story, and characters make the $50.00 that you will spend on a trip to the theatres for a family of four worth it! And parents, you WILL love this film. After all, this isn’t a Dreamworks production!

Memorable Moment

The story of Carl and Ellie.

FYI

John Ratzenberger (the mailman in Cheers) has voiced a character in every Pixar film to date. Try to see who he voices in Up!

Score

9 out of 10