UP

UP

Up lifts Pixar to new heights


Pixar, the most prestigious films studio of all-time has done it again for the 10th time in a row. The studio is famous for making children’s films more than just children’s films. Each one of their works of art contains laughs, classic characters, top notch animation, good themes, and most of all a heart that other filmmakers can only dream about having in their films. They’ve given us Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life, Monster’s Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL•E, and now Up. Their 10th film but Pixar’s first attempt at 3D.







Carl Fredrickson is a 78 year-old man whose adventure in life has ended after the death of his wife, Ellie. But after an incident occurs and Carl is forced to leave his home, he sets off on the adventure of a lifetime, one that Ellie and himself had only dreamed about… While accidently taking along an 8 year old “wilderness explorer” Russell. Once they reach their destination of South America, the adventure really kicks off. New characters are met, such as a multi-colored bird, and a talking dog named Dug. The villain is introduced, and while seldom used, he’s effective. Most animated films settle for campy, overused dry humor that makes the kiddies laugh while the adults try to fall asleep, instantly regretting taking their kids. Up’s provides enough laughs for the kids while mixing in a perfect blend of humor that everyone can enjoy and laugh at. For other animated films, when a theme is present, and that isn’t always the case, it’ll be a simple message that is explained through dialogue. Up’s strongest suit is that virtually nothing is explained in dialogue, not even the plot. The audience is allowed to visually figure everything out for themselves, which makes the film all the more deep and powerful to watch. There’s a 7 or 8 minute montage in the beginning that quickly takes us on a journey through Carl and Ellie’s life. It’s some of the most poignant, beautifully shot film that I have ever seen. You’re immediately attached emotionally to the characters, right from the beginning. Pixar crafted their characters so carefully, and with so much depth. This allows for the themes of the film, while important by themselves, to have more of an impact. Up goes past your standard themes such as “Treat others the way you want to be treated”, or “Be accepting of everyone” etc. It covers a wide range of themes that even adults can benefit from. The adventure of life, friendship - which is portrayed in various ways such as Carl befriending someone 70 years younger than him, a giant bird, and a talking dog. For those themes and others in the film, they need to be experienced watching the movie to really ring through. The film packs an extremely subtle, yet very powerful punch. Although this is starting to become expected of Pixar.







Voicing Carl Fredrickson is Ed Asner. Asner is most famous for his role in the famous TV show “Mary Tyler Moore” from 1970 to 1977. Up is by far Ed Asner’s biggest project, and no doubt his best. Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, and Bob Peterson also make up the fantastic cast. This isn’t director Pete Doctor’s first animated masterpiece, he also directed Monsters Inc. He’s also no stranger to making emotionally powerful films. Monster’s Inc. had one of the sweetest endings ever. With all this talent involved, coming from the greatest studio in Hollywood, Up had endless potential… And didn’t disappoint.







Up is easily the best film of the year, and will most likely remain in my top 5 once the year is over. Pixar’s 3rd best behind only Toy Story 2 and WALL•E. It’s a triumph in 3D animation, filmmaking and storytelling. Up is a movie for all ages, and is simply impossible not to love.


GRADE: A