‘Up’ Review

Release Date – 5/29/09

Carl Fredricksen has the last remaining house in a neighborhood that has been bought out by a big corporation. Carl is an old man, he’s stubborn, and refuses to leave. When an incident forces him to give up his fight, he decides to attach thousands of helium balloons to his house and float to Paradise Falls in South America. It was his late wife’s wish that never came to be. Carl didn’t realize little Wilderness Explorer Russell was on his porch when his house lifted off. Now they’re off on a crazy adventure through the skies. Disney’s Pixar puts out another gem here. It’s a heartfelt story with lots of comedy for kids and adults. It even has some damn emotional scenes that will surely pull at the heartstrings. I was impressed.

Ed Asner voices Carl. An old cranky man is by far the toughest sell Pixar tried with the kids. But I think he’s the character the adults will enjoy more. He’s old, grumpy, and just wants to do his own thing in life without anyone bothering him. Can’t argue with that. If the kids don’t latch on to Carl then they have plenty more characters to laugh along with. Russell is the little goofball who gets caught up in Carl’s scheme to leave the normal world for his fantasy life. Russell brings the kid-comedy for most of the film. There’s also a boatload of talking dogs, a giant bird, and Wilderness Expert Charles Muntz voiced by Christopher Plummer. There’s not a whole lot of characters besides the talking dogs. The only negative was it started getting a little silly when they brought in a million different ones at one point. The good dog Dug was a great addition to the group and then the three evil dogs were also great as the “bad guys” but then it just went overboard with all the goofy dogs talking. Where did they even come from? The real charm is the interaction between Carl and Russell and how their friendship grows. The movie really has the ability to put a smile on your face.

Along with the smiles, there is some genuine sadness to this movie. I was shocked because the animated films are always geared towards kids but able to be accepted by adults also. This one really borderlined on themes that are VERY adult. The kids in the audience were even silent during the opening scenes depicting Carl’s younger life, his happy times and sad times leading to his lonely old present time self. But regardless there is action, comedy, and even drama in this short little animated film about an old man on an adventure. Animated films will always be looked at as lower caliber compared to live action dramas. Adults will sometimes stray away just because it’s a “cartoon”. But Pixar has been churning out quality stories and characters for YEARS now and they deserve all the recognition they have been getting. The animation is spectacular and the colors used are vibrant and beautiful. This is another contender to sit atop with their best. Not as unique as Wall-E but great in its own right. Oh, and the Short before the film is even excellent.

IMDB – 9.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes – 100%
Movie Wiseguys – 8.5/10