Irony strikes when Disney/Pixar produces one of their most complex and entertaining pictures yet and give it such a simple title.
Up is a lovely, touching story of the power of human emotion. Carl, (Ed Asner), and Ellie meet as kids and instantly bond over their shared love of famed explorer, Charles F. Muntz, (Christopher Plummer). They plan to travel to Paradise Falls in South Africa together and end up falling in love in the process. Their dream takes a back seat as mature responsibilities like getting a job and running a house take over. They try to have children but Ellie unfortunately has a miscarriage which will have you shedding a tear or two at the very beginning of the movie, (ahh Disney, always the tearjerker). Unable to have children, they are content to enjoy each other's company and focus on their dream of Paradise Falls. Just when they think they have finally saved up enough money to be able to go, Ellie succumbs to old age and passes away, leaving Carl alone to grow more and more bitter by the day.
Despite construction going on around his house, Carl refuses to move out, not wanting to leave his and Ellie's house behind. An accidental altercation occurs when the construction workers ruin Carl's mailbox and the court orders Carl to move into a retirement home. Not having any of that, Carl spends the night attaching thousands of balloons to his house and in the morning, he takes off, headed for Paradise Falls and leaving all those who don't understand behind. Unfortunately for Carl, his peace is abruptly cut short when Russell, a Wilderness Explorer who is trying to earn his last badge for "Assisting the Elderly", is trapped on the now-flying porch. And this is just the beginning of Carl's adventures!
Along the way, Carl and Russell meet Kevin, a huge bird whom Russell names without realizing that she is, in fact, a female bird, and Dug, a dog with a voice-translating collar who can speak his thoughts at the turn of a dial. Dug is the comic relief in the film and you will be quoting "Squirrel!" for weeks after watching this film. Carl and Russell encounter many obstacles along the way, (what happens when some of the balloons begin to pop?), and even eventually meet up with Charles Muntz, whom Carl realizes wasn't the person he idolized all these years.
The depiction of emotion in this film is stronger than in any other Pixar film before it. You can feel Carl's pain for the loss of his wife in his actions and the way he talks about her to others. You can feel the warmth and will shed a few tears at the end of the film when Carl discovers what his wife's true dream was all along. And you will understand the fear they encounter when confronted with immediate danger, and the frustration they experience when it stands in the way of Carl's dream. Will he ever make it to Paradise Falls? Will the house be able to withstand all the wear and tear?
Another stunning feature in Up is in the vibrancy of the colors and the detail of the animation. Every single balloon tied to the house has an actual string coming from it! The colors of the balloons and Kevin the bird, as well as many other elements, are rich and deep and will keep the kids oohing and aahing and asking you to put the DVD on again!
Up will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will make you want to watch it again and share it with others. This is a great family film and one of the best yet from Disney/Pixar.
Get more detail about Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray].
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