Up

Up

Up - Written and directed by Pete Docter and Bob Petersen, voiced by Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, and Jordan Nagai - Rated PG

I'm writing a short review on this one because people who know me know that I'm eating crow by giving this a good review. Every time a Pixar movie comes out and people put it in their top ten or just call it the best movie of the year I always roll my eyes and proclaim, "It's a movie meant for children!" Well, I'm not putting this in my top ten (coming soon, by the way), but it's definitely in my honorable mention. The movie, about an old widower (Asner) who uses balloons to take his house on an adventure, is absolutely beautiful (just check out the scene when the house first takes flight in Blu-ray) and it's surprisingly dramatic. The first ten minutes are downright sad. This one just surprised me a bit is all. It's not the best movie of the year, but it doesn't bother me so much anymore that some people claim that it is.

Eric Harris - www.canneltoncritic.com

UP

****

/</igspan style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"/>/igAmidst this much warmth, texture and nutty inspiration, it is only too easy to overlook plotholes.</span>

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Up: Movie Review

"Up" has been receiving a lot of positive feedback since its release around the world. Since its trailer popped up last year, we have been curious how an old man with a flying house with balloons can be a medium for an outstanding story. But with Pixar, Disney and director of "Monsters, Inc.", Pete Docter, at the helm, there seems to be a jovial and positive nature going for this film. Finally, after months of waiting, wishing and more waiting in anticipation, "Up" is being shown on our shores and you can read more to find out our take on it.

"Up" centers on the life of Carl Fredricksen. When he was 8, he dreamed of becoming Charles Muntz who is a famed but tarnished adventurer and explorer. Carl also meets Ellie who has his same aspirations. Soon, their bond of friendship becomes love and they marry. Both still dream to go to South America and one of Ellie's lifelong dreams is to have her house right beside Paradise Falls. Years pass until both Carl and Ellie are old and soon Ellie succumbs to sickness and dies. Carl is left alone with their old crumbling house. When Carl is brought to court for assaulting a man and is forced to leave his house, he decides to fulfill Ellie's dream by literally flying their house to Paradise Falls using 10,000 balloons.

"Up" will overwhelm you with the whole spectrum of human emotions – it’ll make you laugh, cry, panic, and cry some more - while maintaining its innocent nature. Although "Up" has a basic plot that was predictable in some sense, it never felt simplistic and didn’t fail to surprise us in the end. What takes the cake with "Up" is how the whole thing was crafted. There are a lot of symbolisms in here which were subtle and yet so obvious. It just cheers our hearts when we see how well thought the scenes are and how well they mesh together. You also have to see the first 20 or so minutes with most of Carl's and Ellie's life being crafted piece by piece. This is one of the most brilliant parts of the movie and probably the best montage we have ever seen. Anyone will enjoy "Up" and again, Pixar's magic wand is at work. Honestly, our review and our words would not give "Up" justice - you have to see this film right at this instant because it is just that good. This is one of the best 3D animated films ever and if we could give it a higher rating we would!

Rating: 5 reels

Why you should watch it:
- a simple plot with deep meaning and lessons - typical Disney-Pixar, typical greatness at work
- the montage at the start is a sight to behold
- just see it and be astounded

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- no reason not to watch it - REALLY!

Recommendations:

Last updated: 2010-03-12 06:20:55 by user06

Up

I give the film: 4.0/5

A film-release by Disney/Pixar is always a special occasion. Kids get thrilled. Adults can interested. You can always associate it with one of human-being's most pleasant of expressions - a smile.

And the audience do start smiling from the get-go - Pixar's trademark opening short (this time entitled Partly Cloudy) will immediately launch people into excitable chatter, and all for the right reasons. So you see, from the early days of Toy Story to last year's cinematic masterpiece, Wall-E, the beloved animation studio does set their bar quite high, and almost the same can be said forUp.

This story tells of a lonesome widower who, to evade authorities from tearing down his house and to fulfill a life-long promise to his late wife, embarks on a sky-high adventure by lifting his abode to the skies with the help of thousands of balloons. Along the way, an eager-to-please boy-scout gets involved (you'll see how), and together, they begin the journey of a life-time.

Sounds incredulous? The team behind Monsters, Inc doesn't think so. And the final product, which combines laughter with a unique tale of friendship, is bound to warm the hearts of the audience.

Although Up doesn't quite measure-up (pun unintended) to some of Pixar's greatest, I'm totally in love with the art behind it. From the stunning display of the multi-coloured balloons (namely the flying-off sequence) to the breath-taking scenes of Paradise Falls (please, catch this movie in its full 3D-glory), we can only applaud the studio for its dedication to the true essence of animation - inspiring to watch, accompanied with a moving storyline.

FINAL SAY:
Funny, touching and beautiful to watch - there are no second thoughts about a Disney/Pixar movie; just watch it.

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Wilson Ng - http://wilsoniscurious.blogspot.com/

Last updated: 2010-03-14 05:19:11 by wilsoniscurious

‘Up’ Another Trophy for Pixar, an Absolute Must-See

Pixar has come a long way since its breakout short The Adventures of André and Wally B. (check that and a lot of other shorts on thePixar Short Films Collections-Volume 1 DVD, it's fantastic) Last summer's mega-hit WALL-E took home the Oscar for 'Best Animated Feature' at the 2008 Academy Awards. And now $530 million and counting on that film alone later, Disney's secret weapon Pixar is back with its 10^th film, Up.

In Up, we meet Carl Fredricken (voiced to perfection by Ed Asner), a lonely old man who decides to fulfill him and his wife's dream of having an adventure by tying thousands of balloons to his house and flying to South Africa. But he soon discovers an energetic 9 year-old named Russell has snuck aboard.

A sad beginning may give off the wrong impression of Pete Docter and Bob Peterson's animated masterpiece. No spoilers from this critic,though, you have to experience everything yourself when it's released May 29^th in theaters. But the funny thing about Up is that without even trying, it's a genuinely funny and cool movie. Previous year's Ratatouille and WALL-E were WAY to preachy for Pixar's targeted kid audience, however Up will turn your face red.

Along the way, Carl and Russell meet a dog 'Dug. Alpha' (who everyone out there can relate to) and a bird who cute-as-hell Russell calls "Kevin". Then, after one of the most epic battles in animated movie history, there's one of the best endings to a film that I have ever seen. Up is sincerely a modern marvel that people of all ages can enjoy, a marvel that you won't want to end. It tops this year's Monsters vs. Aliens in every way imaginable.

But is it the best Pixar movie? That's debatable. No matter how preachy or up its own ass it was with messages WALL-E or Ratatouille was, they still held a spot on my 'Favorite Movie' list on Facebook. As I said before, Up is really a laugh-out-loud movie that brings you back to a The Incredibles, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc. (figures, it has one of the directors), heck, even Toy Story era. You can't narrow down the Pixar flicks to just one singular best. Once you see a Pixar movie, there's no going back. Up is just another 'A+' on the ever-expanding fridge of Disney.

From the dazzling Partly Cloudy short (as Pixar tradition) to the squirrel jokes with the dog, Up will be remembered as one of the best movies of the year. Will it win an Oscar like WALL-E did? I wouldn't be surprised. Don't miss out on this; it's an absolute must-see for everyone!

Pixar is brilliant and no one can top it. DreamWorks has tried time and time again, now so is Sony Pictures…Every way you look at it, Up is undeniably beautiful. Pixar's 10^th film is one of their best. Once you give this one look, it's good enough to make you cry. It'll make you wonder where we'll be 10 films later. Genius.

5/5 stars.

-Nick

Up (2009)

I could fill this list only with Pixar films and I don’t think anyone would call me crazy.  Now that the flying is done, UP wasn’t Pixar’s best but it was the studio more somber, more realistic (in terms of mr. Fredricksen’s life silly) that just keeps showing how each movie, each story keeps maturing more and more while still being accessible to the whole family from babies to adults.  That prologue? the most heartbreaking opening to a movie in ages. And this is a cartoon people! Someone please take note.

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Up - ****

I actually saw this movie a while back but realized that I never wrote a review for it.  This instantly jumped up to being my second favorite movie of the year (behind Inglorious Basterds).  I knew coming from Pixar this movie was going to be good and was not going to be your standard Disney fair.  I was absolutely right.

This was not your "cutesy" animated movie, this was a legitimate movie in every sense of the word, and one of the best I have seen this year. 

The movie centers around an old man whose wife has recently died.  When she was alive their dream as a couple was to follow their favorite explorer and live on the top of a waterfall.  After her death and after he has been forced to live in a home for the elderly, this man decides to make him and his wife's dream come true, ties hundreds of balloons to his house and lifts off in an attempt to arrive at their planned destination.  What he didn't plan on was a little boy stowing away on his house by accident. 

The movie then details the trip to the waterfall with the young child in tow.  Across this journey the crotchety old man learns a lot about his life, what his wife would truly want, and what he needs to do with his remaining years.  The story is very powerful and the script is well written.  There are times where humor is brought in to the story but it never slips down that slippery slope to childish.  Through his journey to fulfill his dream that he had with his wife, this old man learns that dreams aren't always what they are cracked up to be.  Dreams are good to have, but when they consume you and cloud what is right in front of you, dreams mean nothing.  The characters in the movie are constantly searching for adventure in their lives thinking that that will fill the void they have and that will make them complete.  What they learn through their experiences is that adventure is not what they are seeking, rather, people to adventure with is what they are after.  It is not about what they can find but the journey along the way and who the journey is with.  Everybody needs a fellow adventurer and that is what makes life important, not the journey, but who the journey is with.  This was an exceptionally well done movie and I am hoping with this and the recent success of movies like "9" and "Avatar" that animation will finally be accepted as a true art form and not just for the kids.

up

i tend to like my funny animated pictures to be a bit less heart wrenching.  this thing gets kinda serious pretty fast.  i actually paid for this movie and went to see it during the day with a theater full of kids.  which i usually like to avoid but it’s nice sometimes to get the crowd reaction to certain things.  and pixar is the master of animated kid films.

every good screen writer knows that at about ten minutes in you need something profound to happen.  something that propels the rest of the film.  in action films it’s a huge explosion.  in this film, it’s the old man’s wife dying.  and that’s not a spoiler because you already knew this film was about a cranky old man and talkative little boy.  but at this scene not quite ten minutes in, i teared up a bit.  and every little whipper snapper in the theater went deathly quiet.

that’s a good trick.  getting at least forty little snot noses to shut up all at the same time.

it is a pixar animated film, and the animation is fantastic like it always is.  i saw it in 3D and that technology is pretty amazing.  but i don’t imagine you’ll lose anything if you watch the non 3D version.  and it is a kids movie so they’ve got lots of kid oriented things but like al pixar films, it carries some pretty heavy meaning for the older ones in the crowd.  and it really pulled at the heart strings of this middle aged, single, no child having man.  and when you watch the movie you’ll know what i’m talking about.

but the kids will enjoy it.  the little chubby boy is funny.  the first talking dog, doug, is funny.  the rest of the talking dogs are not so much.  and the villian in this one i think is slightly underdeveloped.  but most villains in kids movies are.  they are just bad and that’s good enough.

i’ve not seen take me to hell yet, but i’d venture to say this is the best film out this week.  star trek still best movie of the summer.  and i can’t say this is my favorite pixar film.  i think it is by far the most profound.  it’s the best human interest peice i think they’ve done.  meaning, i think it looks at the human condition more closely and with more direct intent than any of their previous films.  not as knee slapping funny as some of the others.  but still a great, great film.

four and a half helium filled ballons out of five.  go see it.

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Cal Reed

Up

Premise:

Carl Fredrickson is an old man who promised his wife that he would travel to South America. He manages to do it, but in an unorthodox manner and with some unlikely traveling companions that turn the trip into an adventure.


Review:

Pixar has been and always be must see for me. Their stories hit every emotion every time. I laughed, I almost cried, I laughed some more, I cheered, I groaned, I ran the gauntlet of emotions and must say everyone will enjoy this... okay, maybe not everyone. What I mean is, parents if you take your kids you won't be trying to choke yourself on popcorn when no one is looking just to make the inanity stop. :D

There was soooooo much more to this movie than the trailers disclosed and I'm happy for that. Nowadays trailers give too much away. So I'm glad I didn't know the entire story before the lights went down.

My favorite character is the bird. :D


Short Review:

This section will only appear in a Pixar film review because only Pixar films have shorts. The short this time around was called Partly Cloudy and lord have mercy I laughed my ass off. I nearly fell out of my seat. Where do they come up with these things?

My favorite will always be the old man playing chess against himself but this one was cute too.

Recommendations: Star Trek (2009), Avatar, 300

D. Renee Bagby<br />
Building New Realms of Passion<br />
http://dreneebagby.com

Up

Pixar has had an amazing track record for movies ever since "Toy Story" in 1995. They always seem to put out unbelievable movies that are a blend of fantastic animation, smart writing and plot development, and an all-star cast. Pixar movies have something for just about every type of person. And "Up", like the 9 animated films before it does not dissapoint. Throughout the duration of the film several different sets of emotions are explored and the main character, voiced perfectly by Edward Asner, becomes very developed as the movie progresses.

"Up" is about an elderly balloon salesman, Carl Fredricksen (Asner). The first 10 minutes of the film plays out like a silent movie and goes through Carl's early life and his marriage to his wife, Ellie. This may be the best part of the entire movie. Visually it is stunning and is scored is beautiful and fits the tone so well. The Fredricksen's both were interested in exploring, having been inspired by Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) when they were younger. They dreamed of visiting Paradise Falls in South America. However, before this dream became a reality Ellie dies. Carl wants to visit Paradise Falls in Ellie's memory. He goes about doing this by attaching millions of balloons to his house. As he is floating away he finds out that a Wilderness Explorer, Russell (Jordan Nagai) has ended up on his front porch. The two start out on their adventure to get to Paradise Falls. I won't go into anymore details about the plot, don't want to unintentionally spoil anything...

Carl and Russell are polar opposites and the two characters develop as they spend more time together in Carl's house. At first Carl is bitter and is annoyed by Russell tagging along on the trip. As time goes by and he learns about Russells homelife and such he begins to like him more and becomes concerned with his safety and such. Edward Asner is the perfect actorfor the role of Carl. He is experienced at doing comedy and he's got the voice for a grumpy old man. Jordan Nagai, in his first acting endeavor has the perfect voice for a innocent young kid.

The animation is also great, althought not quite the same level as last year's, "Wall-E". The colors are vibrant and the films marks the first time a Pixar movie has been made in 3-D. The 3-D adds a depth to each frame of the movie and is not gimmicky, like 3-D used to be with random things being thrown at the audience. However, although the 3-D is good and the technology has improved "Up" is best when seen in normal 2-D. 3-D tends to dim the color slightly in the movie.

"Pixar" has been making great animated movie for over decade now. Their movies are the perfect blend of funny and serious. "Up" continues in that same vein. From the opening montage to the heartwarming ending to all the humor and adventure in between it is simply the best movie of the summer, possibly of the entire year. So often animated films are dismissed as simply being kids fare, but that is not at all the case with "Up". The lines are well written, the cinematography and direction is impressive and the plot develops as the film goes on. 4 stars...its that good...nothing this summer has even come close to this kind of quality

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Super Marcey's UP review

Rating: 4.5/5

UP has a fantastic score, it suits the film and it plays so perfectly over the different scenes. The pacing of the film works perfectly as well, I was never bored and I certainly did not lose interest at any point. It held my attention all the way through and I enjoyed being with these characters and I really wanted to pull Doug out of the screen and keep him! The voice work was top notch and everyone did exceptionally well, perfect casting for each character. I was so impressed with how they all just worked and there was a fantastic chemistry there. I can't fault this film, it is just such a delight and so well done. This comes highly recommended there is no way you will be disappointed and if you are, well I am going to say it, you have no soul haha!


(Written on Feb 26 2010, originally published on SuperMarcey.com)

Recommendations: Moon (Duncan Jones, 2009), Milk, Hurt Locker, The (Kathryn Bigelow, 2009)

Last updated: 2010-02-25 22:15:49 by SuperMarcey

Up

If Pixar- as a studio- has any weakness, it's they have no idea how to make a bad film. It has been 14 years since their first movie (Toy Story) and they are still consistently releasing entertaining movies that are not only freakin hilarious but has such a deep level of storytelling to. Pixar I salute you. Too bad you have to be owned by an ass of a company called Disney.



So Up is the latest from Pixar and though I still prefer Wall-E over Up, this movie is easily in my top 10 favourite animation films. I think Up is the most mature Pixar film to date. I mean this is the first time I've seen blood in a Pixar movie and the film deals with a lot of adult issues like divorce, death, poaching and stuff like that. So you'd think a movie with this much adult content will be more serious, hell no.. This movie had me laughing my guts deep the whole time.




So Up is about Carl Fredrickson and the movie opens with him as a kid meeting this girl, and the next 10 minutes we see their life story, growing up together and getting married and eventually Carl's wife dies. And one of the things they wanted to do together was travel to South America cause his wife always dreamed of building a house over a famous waterfall. So after she dies... I guess Carl had a nervous breakdown or something cause he decides, overnight, to blow up a billion balloons and fly his house to South America and fulfill his wife's dream. 




Along the way we get introduced to new characters like Russell (a Japanese boy scout who's dad doesn't love him), Dug (a dog that can talk thanks to some high tech collar) and Kevin (a rare bird). And other characters to like the army of dogs which are so so so hilarious.



Up hits you in all the right places with it's charm and comedy and leaves you in tears with it's heartfelt story and touching score. It's perfect testament that animation films are able to achieve a higher level of engagement with the audience and still have a great storyline with great characters compared to live action movies.




There are so many parts of this movie that I really really liked. But the one that I can't possibly give enough praise for is the first 10 minutes of the movie. It's just so sweet and beautiful and ultimately heartbreaking in the end. I was actually close to tearing up at the end of the first 10 minutes. And that's saying a lot about the film coming from me cause I'm usually a heartless SOB.

And because piracy is so awesome.. Here's the the best part of the first 10 minutes. Don't worry, it doesn't spoil anything. Enjoy!



RATING: 9/10

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NicholasC

Up

Plot: After the death of his wife, old man Carl Fredricksen vows to fulfill his wife’s dream of living on top of a mystical mountain in South America.  Carl straps together hundreds of balloons in order for his house to fly to the continent.

Not Pixar’s best.  Up is okay.  It has some flashes of greatness, but it didn’t connect with me as much as some of Pixar’s other works like The Incredibles or Wall-E.  I like the movie, but I wasn’t blown away like every other critic in the country was.  It opens strong, but there were some yawns in the middle.  The characters and story were just kind of ‘meh.’  Maybe it’s because I’m comparing it to the previous Pixar picture Wall-E, which had a fantastic story, and the characters were amazing considering it was about a robot that was only capable of shouting his name in a really annoying way.  Don’t get me wrong though – there is plenty to like in Up.

Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai) the wilderness scout who accompanies Carl on his journey was a pretty funny character.  I loved the close up shots of his facial expressions.  He’s so damn irritating and doesn’t shut up, yet he made me laugh because it was Carl he was annoying and not me.  One of the funniest jokes comes out of Carl thinking of tactful ways to quiet him.  The relationship Carl and Russell develop throughout the film is one of the best parts.  It’s the classic “Odd Couple” theme, but it’s played just right. 

Now the other character I want to mention is a dog…No, not the dog from all the commercials.  That was Dug (voiced by Bob
Peterson) who was mildly entertaining.  The dog I’m talking about is a Doberman who’s one of the main villains.  One of the key elements of the movie is that all the dogs (and there are a lot of them) can talk through a special collar.  There a few jokes about the Doberman’s voice, but the best part about him is his dialogue.  He has the funniest lines by far. 

Unfortunately the character I was most disappointed with was actually Carl Fredricksen.  Maybe it was the previews, but I expected a cranky, funny, and spunky old man.  But he was only kind of cranky, kind of funny, and despite the fact that he tied hundreds of balloons to his house to make it float away, there really wasn’t much spunk to him.  Ed Asner does a fine job of voicing him and he’s very likable, but I was just under whelmed by the character.  He was supposed to be soft spoken I guess, but he could have been so much funnier.  He has some good moments such as a leaf blower incident in the beginning and some clever scenes with his walker but overall I wasn’t impressed.  Also the main villain (voiced by Christopher Plummer) was awful.  There was nothing there.  To be fair, they really wanted to focus more on the dogs as bad guys but he is still the main antagonist and he was just bland as hell.  Also his main obsession and driving force throughout the movie I won’t give away, but it’s not very interesting.

That’s how I felt about most of this movie.  The villain’s motives were boring as was Carl’s motives.  They were surrounded by clever and interesting ideas such as the balloons, but his goal to set up his house on this special mountain in South America…whatever.  The relationship between Carl and his wife Ellie (voiced by Elie Docter) was done exceptionally well in the beginning.  But as the movie went on, there was too much time spent on Carl reflecting on important objects from his past that involved his wife.  I understand it was crucial to Carl’s character and why he did the things he did, but every other line of dialogue was him mentioning his wife.  It was just too much.

Even with all my complaints, I did have a good time watching this film.  I definitely recommend seeing it.  All the scenes with the dogs are worth the price of admission.  Also as a little side note, there is this big blue bird and every time he made a noise it had me in stitches.  I don’t know why, but it’s absolutely one of the best birds to ever appear on film.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Last updated: 2010-02-01 18:39:13 by danjewish

Movie Review: Up (2009)

I’m not usually a big fan of animated films.  There have been a few very good ones (such as Toy Story, Shrek and Ratatouille), plenty of terrible ones (such as Shark Tale, Astro Boy and the worst of them all, Resident Evil: Degeneration), and a whole lot of average or overrated ones (in my opinion just about everything else, such as Finding Nemo and Happy Feet).
Accordingly, I approached the latest Pixar/Disney venture, Up, with plenty of scepticism.  I’m not going to discuss the plot – the poster is about as much background as you need.  Anyway, I ended up loving it.

For starters, Up is one of the funniest animated films I’ve ever seen.  It has that Toy Story quirkiness to it, that matter-of-fact approach to completely random and outrageous situations.  There are plenty of WTF? moments, but the execution is so sweet and cute that you can’t help but be captivated, regardless of how crazy it may all seem.

There’s also the wonderful characters – extremely unique characters.  Can you imagine any other film carried by a grumpy old man and a fat little Asian kid (plus a whole bunch of dogs) from start to finish?  Incredible.

Most of all, Up has plenty of heart.  The opening sequence summarising the life of old Carl Fredericksen up to that point is one of the most bittersweet and moving I’ve seen in any film.  And when he comes on board, the back story of Russell the kid is also very touching.  The balance between humour and drama and action is handled brilliantly, each hitting the spot at the crucial moments.

And did I mention the amazing animation?  The gorgeous blend of colours and crisp textures, coupled with the beautiful scenery and perfect character design, took the exuberance and warmth to a whole new level.

Granted, Up is not perfect – it started off wonderfully but dipped a little towards the middle before picking itself back up before the end, but on the whole it is hands down one of the best animated movies I’ve had the pleasure of watching.

4.5 stars out of 5!

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PJM

Last updated: 2010-01-23 03:31:42 by pacejmiller

Up — 10

I love Pixar. I Love Lamp. I Love blog. I Love movies. Yes, I went there. That’s how fricken much I love the hell out of Pixar. They have consistently made top quality films ever since Toy Story. There has not been a single one of their movies that has been even below a 9 on my scale. I honestly want to say that they are my favorite filmmakers of the current generation.

The intro to this movie alone made me cry. That alone is a strong accomplishment, a double accomplishment even so because since it was at the beginning I had barely any time at all to associate with the characters. A triple achievement because Pixar told the story all without words, that’s right, the intro was a wordless beginning to awesomeness that made me tear up. I love you Pixar.

Oh! But the awesomeness doesn’t end there, no no no. I believe that it was John Lasseter who clearly defined Pixars position. It’s not about the ending or the beginning; it’s about the journey on how you get there. Strong words in my mind, but it is amazingly true. A lot of moviemakers and writers know how they are going to start and end. But it’s the middle part they struggle with. I assume that it’s the same for Pixar, but my god they don’t seem to have any trouble pumping out the amazing stuff that they do on a regular basis.

Now for those of you who have not seen this movie, the story is beyond excellent. Basically theres an old dude who doesn’t want to go to a retirement home, so he attaches a gazillion balloons to his house so he can float away to his dream location. All types of amazing stuff happens along the way that makes for an interesting and damn amazing movie. Not to mention that Pixar has a knack of making anyone watch their movies with a childlike sense of wonder and amazement. That shit never gets old let me tell you. There is nothing quite like feeling like a kid again.

And the talking dogs were my ultimate source of humor in this movie. It’s utterly fantastic really. Basically they have these collars that translate their thoughts into human speech. The bug alpha male of the pack has a problem with his shorting out quite a bit, so it turns his big deep manly voice into a high-pitched helium filled laughing fit. And that alone is only the tip of the iceberg for the dogs.

Now the ending damn near made me cry again. I really don’t know what it is about this movie that I associated with so much, but nothing has gotten me to cry like this ever while watching a movie. It’s just that fantastic of a film.

All in all GO SEE THIS MOVIE! It’s amazing and you’ll thank me for it later.

Base Score = 10
+3 for making me cry, in the intro, with no words
+1 for Pixar amazingness
+1 for amazing story
+1 for talking dogs
+1 for Dug.
+1 for making me cry……at the ending…..again.
= 18/10

Last updated: 2010-01-12 02:08:55 by Tolll

Up

Up takes the viewer on an emotional roller coaster. Pixarhas done it again with his film, proving that they are one of, if not the best.
Ed Asner if the perfect choice to play the crotchety old man. Here he proves that even in the computer animation .
Christopher Plummer voices the unhinged Captain Muntz who was Carl’s childhood hero, but appears to have been driven insane and paranoid by his time living in  cave with his dogs. 
In a manner consistentwith other Pixar films, especially the more recent films, there is an overlying message throughout the film. The message of this film seems to be not to underestimate anyone because you never know what they are truly capable of.
Russel, the little boy who shows up in hopes of helping Carl so that he can earn his “assisting the elderly badge” brings an element of youth, and a kind of Dennis the Menacerelationship with Carl. I found it interesting that they made him Asian, though. Nothing against my Asian readers, but its just not common for an Asian to be the lead in a film of this magnitude, unless they;re ding some sort of martial arts. I must say it was refreshing to see the change.
The dogs and Kevin, the bird, are quite the entertaining characters, as well. Kevin, who is actually a female bird,  while not have any kind of speaking role, does entertain with his physical comedy and mannerisms, Dug the dog is the most lovable of all the dogs., but Alpha is the funniest. This is the result of some kind of malfunctioning wire in his collar that makes his sound like one of the chipmunks, not mention everyone of the dogs seem to obsessed with squirrels.
One of the things I kept hearing and reading about this film was how sad it was. After seeing it for myself, I have to concur with the masses. There are quite a few sad moments, more than I would care for, but they are quickly balancedout with lighter moments.
While this is can be a depressing film at times, it still is an excellent movie in terms of story, animation, and entertainment. The entire family can enjoy a film like this, and I hope that you and yours take the chance to become acquainted with Up!

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Up Takes Me Up, Up and AWAY!!!

Starring the voices of Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer

Rated PG


Total Running Time: 96 minutes
Few non-animated movies have as much heart as this movie does.  As did Wall-E before it, Up harnessed the emotions in me that make me feel damn good once I turn the TV off. 

Many folks may not be interested in seeing animated movies as the stigma might be that they’re “cartoons” or “they’re for kids”.  Hell… if half the adults in this world had the same values portrayed in movies like Up… humankind would have a much better track record.

Up starts pretty slow… but this slow time allows the main character to be built.  In a period of about 15 minutes, we see Carl Fredricksen go from a small child to a tired old man.  Up effortlessly portrays in this 15 minutes how quickly life can go by and if we’re not careful, we may not enjoy them as much as we could have.  Carl and his wife share an incredible love for adventure and from the moment they met each other as kids… they vowed to one day make it to Paradise Falls in South America: the epitome of their adventurer dreams.  Unfortunately, life gets in the way.  Despite numerous efforts to save money to go… they have to dip into their savings time and time again to help pay for things and before they realize it… they’re too old.  Then, in a blink of an eye… she’s gone.

Up to this point, Up doesn’t seem to me like it’s going to be that great of a movie.  I’m an emotional person and tears were welling up in my eyes as I went, “What the freak?  I thought this was going to be funny!”

Well… I was fortunately correct in my assumption as Up gradually gets to the moving and accomplishes what it was set out to do… and that’s “put a happy feeling in your tummy”.

At the final moments before Carl is forced into a retirement community, he rips the only home he’s ever known from its foundations aided from about a million helium filled balloons.  His destination:  Paradise Falls… to fulfill the lifelong dream he and his late wife had shared for so long.

With the surprise addition of a pudgy kid named Russell to his floating, runaway house, Mr. Fredricksen is forced to realize it’s never to late in life to start a new adventure and the fact that age is just a number… OLD PEOPLE CAN HAVE FUN TOO DAMMIT!!

I loved this movie.  Last year when Wall-E wasn’t nominated for “Best Picture” (although it won “Best Animated Movie”) I was a little put out because I think that animated movies get pigeon-holed a little.  The message that a lot of these animated movies portray are the same values that movies like “A Wonderful Life” did back when it won Best Picture back in ­­­1947.  Now movies, actresses and actors that win revolve around films portraying violence, murder, hatred and the like.  When is it going to be time to give movies like Up the credit it deserves?

By gosh… let’s give the award to a movie that depresses the poop out of you rather than a feel good movie like this one.
Gimme a break.

So… In the spirit of Thanksgiving… I give Up FIVE out of FIVE turkeys with tan lines:



I wouldn’t recommend renting this movie… I would recommend buying it.

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