Here it is, the 10th feature film from Pixar Animation Studios, and the 10th one to redefine the rules of animated moviemaking. The studio's last offering, WALL*E, worked hard to establish the realistic, nuts-and-bolts details of futuristic mechanical devices and created a plausible vision of the future in the process. Up looks at reality and says, "Eh, who needs it?" A man lifting his house off the ground with nothing more than a thousand helium-filled party balloons? Sure! Dogs with computerized collars that vocalize their thoughts? Why not!
{{SPOILERS AHEAD!!!}}
The film begins with a young Carl Fredericksen (Carl means "Free Man" by the way; that couldn't have been an accident) at a movie theater, watching a newsreel about the exploits of his hero-- the famed explorer Charles Muntz. Carl dreams of one day being like him and voyaging to tropical Venezuela.
Not long after, he meets a tomboyish girl named Ellie, who he discovers shares his dream. Then we're treated to a lovely montage of Carl and Ellie as they grow up, get married, and save for their planned journey to Venezuela.
The montage is all done with subtlety, skill--and no sound. I doubt it could have been executed better by any other animation studio.
As the years pass, the city grows around Carl's house with construction as he refuses to move. After a tussle with a construction worker over Carl's broken mailbox, the court orders him to move into an assisted living community. To keep his home and his promise to Ellie, he ties thousands of balloons to his house and sets off for Venezuela.
Carl is not alone, however. Stowing away is an overeager Scout named Russell determined to earn his "Assisting the Elderly" badge--the only one he doesn't have.
Russell: I can help you cross the street!
Carl: No.
Russell: I can help you cross your yard?
Carl: No.
Russell: I can help you cross your porch.
Carl: No.
Russell: Well, I gotta help you cross something!
The two unlikely partners, using curtains as sails, steer the house toward Venezuela (not without encountering a few storms, of course). I won't reveal any more plot elements, but I will say that a magnificent adventure ensues, including a colorful bird, a team of "talking" dogs (and an adorably dumb one named Dug), and an unexpected villain.
I would have to agree with the other reviewers who say that the second part of the film is slightly more clichéd and less character-driven than the first, but it's still cute, funny, and entertaining for all ages.
The animation has a look all its own never seen before in a Pixar film. It's cartoony and caricatured, though still rendered beautifully, with an enormous budget, enormously well spent. It's like Ratatouille's in that every time you watch the film, you could find something in the background you never noticed before.
Up, with its colorful animation and lighthearted story, is refreshing after the very dark and cynical WALL*E. But under this façade are themes of loss, letting things go, and what really matters in life.
This is a comedy-adventure that really has it all--excitement, humor, good pacing, and sweet sentiment at its core. Pixar knows what it's doing, and Up will not disappoint.
~~LJB, the Pixar Junkie
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Here I will share the sentiments of a few mainstream movie critics with whom I agree:
"It's sharp, funny, tear-jerking, and there is simply no better time to be had at the movies for anybody of any age." -Andrea Chase
"An exquisite work of cinematic art that also happens to be the funniest, most touching, most exciting and most entertaining movie released so far this year." -Lou Lumenick
"It's breezy, clever, hilarious, and entertaining - all par for the course of Pixar - and has the depth and intelligence that separate Pixar from any other animation factory." -Eric D. Snider
Get more detail about Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray].
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