Ok, I’ve decided, It is time for me to start a “Pixar” DVD collection.
Their movies are so great, I can’t believe it! There’s never a dull moment in a Pixar feature. Sometimes there’s scarcely even a chance to take a breath. The storytelling alone is unmatched in the film industry and “Up” is another in a long line of master pieces beginning 14 years ago with “Toy Story”.
The first 20 minutes of “Up”, a sequence that could easily be removed from this film and win an Oscar on its own, brought me so close to tears I had to take deep breaths and look blinking at the ceiling. I thought, “Naw, I must be having my man-period. I can’t be this emotional this soon in the movie.” In fact, I almost cried like five times. I thought it was just me at first. The sound of my girlfriend sniffling, who is as hard an emotional nut to crack as any guy, let me know that I was enjoying an effective and beautiful story.
With “Up”, the simple story of an aging man named Carl Fredrickson, they have delivered their most beautiful tale. It is their first truly touching human story, one that deals with love and loss and all of those inherent things that represent the ups and downs of life. What makes this film, which is the second work for Pete Docter as a director is its story. (I believe he directed Monster’s Inc., another great one)
Beyond that we are presented with characters so infinitely lovable that it should be outlawed. Ed Asner breathes life into Carl, an unexpectedly charming but grumpy old man. The character of Russell is fun, a very every-child who is ready to take on the world but isn’t without his own problems at home. The two have such unmistakable chemistry that it’s easy to forget that these are animated characters in a children’s movie.
It is a fun, epic adventure story about two age-separated explorers traversing out into uncharted territory, in a flying house! But it also never loses sight of the very intimate, very touching and essentially human story that it is trying to tell. It is that rare breed of family movie that speaks to anyone and everyone, the kind that will make the kids laugh while the adults cry.
And as with almost every Pixar movie, the technical side of Up is equally as impressive. The animated landscapes are grand and gorgeous. The colors are vibrant and magnificent. And in 3D the film has an amazing depth to it that is unparalleled. As the viewer, you feel as if you are inside the film itself. They use the 3D effect to their advantage without it feeling gimmicky and in your face. It is used to enhance the beauty of the story, not cover up for its’ shortcomings. Which it has none.
A+++
GO SEE IT!
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