Pixar movies are like kids and parents. You love 'em all. But Up has a wonderful moral that sets it apart.
Carl Fredrickson is a curmudgeonly 78 year old widower weighed down by a broken promise made to his deceased wife Ellie when they were children to take her to the faraway Paradise Falls discovered by their hero, explorer Charles Muntz, in a baloon.
If there has ever been a character like Ellie in cinema, I've never seen her. An adventurous tomboy that grows up into a lovely young lady and loving wife to Carl. It's impossible not to fall in love with her. And though most of her time onscreen is a wordless montage of her life with Carl at the beginning of the film, you'll miss her the rest of the movie, just as Carl does.
When commercial development forces him out of his shell following Ellie's death, Carl keeps his promise to Ellie, taking off in their home, lifted by thousands of helium-filled baloons to South America and Paradise Falls. Along the way, an inconvienent stoway--a fellow wounded soul, 8 year old boy-scout Russell--inadvertantly teaches Carl (with the help of a wonderful message left by Ellie) the wonderful, life affirming lesson that what matters in life is having each other. Russell draws the fun Carl out of curmudgeonly Carl, and you can see the man Ellie fell in love with, and understand why she considered her life with him all she ever needed.
Amazingly, the movie itself tracks this theme. Though it's all entertaining, and has its excitement, what you'll remember most is the montage of Carl and Ellie's life together and the time Carl and Russell spend together, respectively filling the holes in their lives left by loved ones.
Dog lovers will appreciate Dug, a dog that Carl and Russell meet along the way that can talk with the aid of a specialized collar. Any dog owner that's ever wondered what their persistently happy (albeit easily distracted--Squirrel!!) dog is thinking will thank Pixar for explaining.
Kids will love it, but it's adults that will (hopefully) get the message.
The Blu Ray 4 disc edition contains some extras:
Partly Cloudy--Everyone knows where babies come from...storks! Partly Cloudy explains where storks get them.
A "Dug" Short--Wouldn't have fit in the movie, but I'm glad it's on the DVD.
Both of these are on the regular edition of the DVD, but Up should be seen in Blu Ray.
There's a nice backstory to the Married Life montage of Carl and Ellie's life together. It's interesting to see what made it and didn't make it from the original storyboards. Maybe I was prejudiced by the movie, because I saw it first, but I'm glad the evolution of ideas led Pixar to what's in the film.
Get more detail about Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray].
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