"Up" is an oddly incongruous film from Pixar in that it has primarily adult themes but a relatively simple visual style and an over-the-top adventure plot. Carl Frederickson (Ed Asner) is an elderly widower who had always dreamed with his wife Ellie of far-flung adventures. In particular, they wanted to visit "Paradise Falls" in South America, where their childhood hero, an adventurer named Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), made his name. Before he is forced into a retirement home, Carl takes one last shot at his dream. He attaches about 20,000 helium balloons to his house, hoists some sails, and sets the house aloft. But Carl has an unintended guest: an boy named Russell (Jordan Nagai), overeager to get his Wilderness Explorer "Helping the Elderly Badge", is on the porch.
Carl and Russell have only a few days to deposit the house atop Paradise Falls before the balloons deflate. The boy's idealism and enthusiasm clash with Carl's sense of urgency. Russell befriends a giant bird and a talking dog named Dug (Bob Petersen) but cannot understand Carl's increasing desperation. Carl is an old man who feels the pressure of very limited time to fulfill his life's dream, and at first he doesn't' have much patience with Russell's cheerful but easily distracted temperament. Now, this is entertaining to watch, but how much would a child understand or care about Carl's problem? "Up" does not limit its appeal to children, as "Finding Nemo" and "Cars" did, but I wonder if it has not done the opposite and taken on themes that are irrelevant to children.
I hope this will not spoil the movie for anyone, but I feel compelled to mention the strangest thing about this film: There is a man living in the jungle who is right out of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". He is worshiped and served by a group of violent primitives (in this case domesticated dogs), and he collects the heads (in this case helmets) of those who have dared trespass his little fiefdom, whom we assume he has killed. He's an intelligent, accomplished man whose mind has gone `round the bend. He's Kurtz. Should I be surprised to see a Kurtz character in a "family film"? There is nothing graphic about "Up", and I don't think this guy is any scarier than a typical Pixar villain. "Up" is an entertaining film, though it lacks the visual interest and innovation that I've come to expect from Pixar (it was intended to be shown in 3D). I just wonder what children will make of it.Get more detail about Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray].
No comments:
Post a Comment