It seems cliché by now to say that Pixar cannot do any better with each distinctive film they create for their ever-growing library of films, but indeed they have done it again. UP is a compelling, heartwarming adventure movie that grabs you by the heartstrings from the opening montage, and never lets go as the adventures of main characters Carl and Russell takes various twists and turns. All in all, UP ranks up at the top of the list of the great PIXAR films as they continue to outdo themselves with each unique story and animation experience.
To say the movie is a “house-flying-by-balloons” movie, as we were led to believe by the promotion, is a gross misstatement. What we have is a story about an older gentleman Carl who is hoping to fulfill the lifetime dream of his late wife and himself as they seek to make it to Paradise Falls in South America, their fictional shangra la. Adventurers from their childhood days, they were made for each other, and promised themselves to fulfill all their hopes and dreams at some point in their lives. But life's journeys had another path for them as they discovered they would not have children, as their vacation savings dwindled with unforeseen expenses. Carl's wife would pass, and so would his dreams. Again fate steps in and as Carl is mandated to leave his beloved home with all its memories, the balloons come out and the house lifts into the air, and the adventure begins.
Here lies the primary charm of all PIXAR films. Flying homes, talking dogs (to provide the comic relief), rainbow colored birds, 80-year old heroes/villians and exotic locales may be in many people's minds foolish and suspending of reality. For PIXAR though the story is crafted so that in the time you watch the narrative unfold, you suspend your disbelief. You believe this house can fly...just as you once believed your toys talks, that super heroes lived among us, and that there was a secret monster world that got its power through screams. That is the power of PIXAR storytelling.
Along with the power of the story and the script is the amazing visuals that detail the adventure of Carl and young adventure scout Russell as they fly through cities, thunderstorms, and lush jungles. The artists create amazing landscapes without making it the focus of the movie. In past PIXAR films, the new achievements in animation (water in Nemo and the hair of Sully in Monsters, Inc. for example) were part of the appeal, but here the animation is certainly what you expect without being one of the primary draws. That said, the color of each balloon is brilliant and adds an amazing touch to what you are seeing on the screen—along with the breathtaking colors of the bird character Kevin.
Other good tidbits from the movie:
- The score is effective in helping to move the story along without being intrusive and annoying. Much of the first 15 minutes of the film is without dialogue and you are drawn in from the start. Michael Giacchino is one of the finest composers working in film today, and I hope he gets some love from the academy at Oscar time. To hear more of his work see the TV show LOST, or movies The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Star Trek, among others.
- The voice cast is top notch as in all PIXAR films, without being a sellout to the pop culture phenom/voice of the moment—think Shrek. Their voice talents are famous, but not to the point where the focus is on them and not the story or the animation. Bravo.
Anything wrong with the movie?:
It is really hard to think of anything...while the talking dogs gag may have lasted a little too long, it was necessary to make this a kids movie too. As an adult who obviously loves storytelling and animation, I can put up with the funny talking dogs—the recreation of the “poker-playing-dogs” painting was priceless—as comic relief.
In closing: some spiritual questions to think about within the film: How as we grow older do we allow life to become stagnant and we loose our zest for life? How do we keep our passions for life flourishing when we loose somebody we love very much? What in life is most important?
All in all, a great film, PIXAR is 10 for 10.
