Up (2009)

Widowed curmudgeon Carl Fredrickson has dreamed of traveling the world. When his beloved wife Ellie died, Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) all but gave up the dream that he shared with her. Fate lures him into an unbelievable adventure as Carl sets out to realize Ellie's wish. As he floats away, Carl discovers an annoying 8-year old Wilderness Explorer, Russell, has tagged along in an effort to help old people.

Pixar's latest offering, Up, is a tender, but thrilling story of love and rough terrain. It's heartwarming story that allows Pixar genius to shine through.

The story is endearing--had me weeping in the theatre in the first five minutes--and despite themes of death, loss, obsession, and disappointment, the film celebrates all the good. Christopher Plummer is the voice of baddie and fellow explorer, Charles Muntz.   Muntz, the character is a huge letdown.  He is disappointing as is his army of talking dogs. Doug--the good dog--is the Jar-Jar Binks of the film.

Pixar is known for the souls in their movies and Up is imbued with the best.  It joins the ranks of WALL*E, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles for its spirit.
Visually, Up is beautiful to behold--the balloons especially. Their jewel tones are so vivid and life-like. Watch closely and you see how smartly they are utilized--physically and symbolically. Subtle homages to pop culture makes for a great treasure hunt.

As I see it, Up is technically perfect. All elements of effective animation are here. It's the weak story and lack of character development that are HUGE disappointments. Up isn't an entire waste of time--it's pretty to look at, but ultimately, the film is overinflated.


Postscript 12.26.09  Perhaps one of the truest stories of the year, the crew at Pixar has successfully created a film that appeals to all ages and culls the best elements of ever movie genre.  It has the depth of the finest dramas, the humor of the oddest indies, the silliness of the classic children's movies, the technicality of the most intricate sci-fi.  I was wrong.  But... I still think that Muntz and Doug are the films weakest points.  They still irritate me.