(Long Island, N.Y.) As far as I’m concerned, there’s one constant in this universe of ours…Pixar always brings the goods. If you’ve read my review for 2008’s WALL-E, you’d know the high esteem I hold this animation studio in. With 10 theatrical releases under their belt to date and numerous short films, Pixar’s track record is spotless so far, and it’s getting to the point where everyone awaits their new films with baited breath, scanning relentlessly for Pixar to finally put out a dud. Well, it ain’t happened yet, folks.
I understand that Disney/Pixar’s Up has already been in theaters for a few weeks now, hardly making this review what you would call “timely,” but having just seen it for the first time this past weekend, I felt it was my duty to write about it. Besides, the two earlier showings my girlfriend and I tried to see were sold out, and the 10:30 showing we attended was packed, so obviously Up is still doing big business. If you’re holding out for any reason, then hopefully this review will convince you to get out there and see this. So…go already!
Okay, you’re still here. I guess you might need a bit more prodding. Although I don’t see why…Pixar is the premiere crafter of computer animated films in the industry. Oh, not just because of their technical abilities, which are impressive to be sure- no, Pixar is one of the few studios to whom having a thoughtful, emotional, well-crafted story with heartwarming characters that grow and develop is probably more important than the pretty visuals. After all, I can’t count the number of CG movies that contain mind-blowing graphics yet dull, clichéd stories, cardboard-cutout characters, and jokes laced with inane pop-culture references that’ll be hopelessly dated in 2 weeks. It’s like most of these films are created by evil, crusty old marketing types to appeal to whatever they think is hot at the moment and as a result, their diabolical concoctions are pretty but utterly soulless. But not Pixar, no sir. If anything, the premises in Pixar’s films are unconventional and, on paper, not what you expect to generate blockbuster revenue. Take their latest release, titled simply “Up,” about an old man trying to fulfill his late wife’s childhood wish of moving their house to overlook an exotic waterfall in South America. No exactly the type of plot most films aimed at children retread over and over, is it? Yet Pixar takes that premise and creates an exciting, heartwarming and funny tale that will appeal to everyone young and old alike (except for my friend’s brother who is a heartless crank).
Up is the story of Carl Fredricksen. We first meet Carl when he’s 8 years old, a painfully shy kid enraptured by the exploits of famed explorer Charles Muntz (who looks a lot like Patches O’Holulihan from Dodgeball). While wandering home one day, Carl runs into another rabid Muntz fan, a weird yet she made Carl promise to help move their clubhouse there) always seems just out of reach due to sundry financial obligations. Ellie sadly dies of old age before they can realize their dream, leaving Carl a lonely, bitter, cranky old man (aren’t they all?). Spending several years alone in the house, stewing in his own memories, Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) is finally given the inspiration needed to keep his childhood promise to Ellie when a confrontation with construction workers bent on demolishing his home for a new mall results in a judge deeming him a “menace to society.” Sentenced to be to be confined to a retirement home, Carl instead, in the space of a few hours, rigs his and Ellie’s house with thousands of balloons (Carl used to sell them for a living…no wonder they couldn’t afford the trip) and sailed off into the sky, destination: Paradise Falls.
Things get complicated (they weren’t already?) when Carl discovers an accidental stow away: a Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai, in a rare instance in Hollywood where an animated Asian character is actually voiced by an Asian), trying to earn his final merit badge for “Assisting the Elderly.” With his help, Carl manages to navigate the house to South America, but unforeseen complications (and really, you’re flying your house to another continent using children’s balloons- you HAVE to expect complications) result in the house hovering within sight of just short of Paradise Falls. With Ellie’s dream driving him on, Carl and Russell start hiking through the jungle, towing the house to its final resting place. Along the way, they unexpectedly run into a host of colorful characters: Dug, a loveable and playful dog (that is now my girlfriend’s all-time favorite Pixar character) with a collar that allows him to voice his thoughts (voiced by co-director Bob Peterson); Kevin, a strange and colorful 13-foot tall bird that takes a liking to Russell; and a surprise appearance by Charles Muntz himself, disappeared in the jungle of Paradise Falls years before, searching for the one fabled creature that would have brought him the legitimacy in the scientific world he had so long sought. But when a man is driven to paranoia and beyond, long-time heroes can become dastardly villains and there comes a time when a man must choose between honoring the memories loved ones long-since departed, and helping new friends in the here-and-now fight for what’s right.
In many ways Up is Pixar’s deepest film yet, and while it’s not quite as good as WALL-E (in my opinion…my girlfriend thought differently), it certainly more than lives up to the Pixar canon.
More than anything else, Up is a story about not putting off your dreams until it’s too late. But it’s also about appreciating what you have. And eventually moving on to another chapter in your life after losing a loved one. And never being too old to go on one last adventure. And…well, it’s about a lot of things, actually. Certainly more than I can cover in one measly review. Just trust me when I say that it’s one of Pixar’s most multi-faceted films to date. But despite its central story of a man mourning the death of his wife, Up manages to not come across as heavy-handed. Sure, there’s parts that’ll make even the most jaded of moviegoers misty-eyed, but director Pete Docter (of Monsters, Inc.) manages to perfect balance the melancholy with comedy, excitement, and danger. Carl Fredricksen is a lovable old coot, striking the right degrees of cantankerousness and charm, and Russell, despite seeming simple and none too bright at first, tugs on your heartstrings as well with his revelation of family problems at home and his determination to selflessly help others. And Dug…don’t get me started on Dug. When a character introduces himself with the line “I have just met you, and I love you,” you know they’re going to be too adorable for words.
It’s odd…in the past, most animated flicks were geared totally towards children. Over the years, some elements have been leaking in to keep parents occasionally engaged, but most recently, Pixar films in particular are becoming geared more towards adults in some ways. Sure, there still slapstick humor and cute animals to keep the kids entertained, but Pixar keeps introducing deeper aspects into their scripts, and I think that’s a big part of their continued success. It breeds films that parents actually WANT to take their kids to. Heck, most of the occupants in the packed theater I saw Up in were adults sans any kids.
And I suppose some of you were wondering about the visuals…yes, they’re great. Pixar has pushed the envelope yet again, creating detailed yet cartoony computer-generated characters with loads of personality that have the ol’ “bend and stretch” like Looney Tunes did back in the day, which is impressive. Also impressive is what appears to the individual animation on each balloon on Carl’s house, each with its own individual string connecting it to the chimney, in addition to the uncanny and realistic texture of the clothing the characters wear. I’m not going to even pretend to comprehend the programming and design know-how it takes to achieve that. The movie is a sight to behold.
So, you’re STILL here? I can understand why you’d want to finish reading my brilliant review, but now that you’re pretty much done, you don’t have any other excuse. Go out and see Up now.
