Up

I don't know what it is but it just seems that Pixar makes a better film each time they come out with there next project. Up is a quaint animated film that brings heart and vivid colors. A lot of movies nowadays seem to try to blow you away with different gimmicks, but for some reason Pixar is different. Pixar brings a soul to all of their movies that is vastly different and Up does not disappoint. The story of the adventures of an old man and a young boy, a flying house tethered to countless balloons, a long-lost (and mad) explorer, a giant bird called Kevin and assorted 'talking' dogs gets funnier and more exciting as it goes along.

At first glance Up seems peculiar with the storyline, I mean who would think a movie about an elderly man putting enough ballons through his chimney to actually uproot his home and drift away to a place like he always dreamed of with his wife Ellie before she past away. We saw this movie in the theaters and we splurged and wen tfor the 3D experience. I was amazed by the 3D with this movie because it was far from what I was expecting. First off I had never been to an animated 3D movie where they did not use it to jump things out at you, but they tried to just immerse you in this fantasy land. The only drawback with the 3D is that the glasses dim the color a little bit.

For me the big reason that allows Up to work so perfectly is that of the character development. Up spends its majority with Carl, Russell, a "bird" named Kevin and a talking dog named Dug (voiced by co-director Bob Peterson). It does allow for more characters to enter in later on, but the focus never strays from these main characters. Some may say the film is trying to tell multiple stories, but as the film progresses, it is clear it is telling one story – the tale of a man who never experienced what he wanted the most. The film builds up Carl's backstory heavily in startlingly moving moments that surprisingly were surprisingly kept rather secretive in the marketing for the film. We know from the very first trailer that Carl is a fairly mean old man, but the film spends a great deal of time to develop him into an emotional wreck of a man.

While it develops such great characters, it is far from just a serious movie. The movie has great comedy throughout that makes you laugh throughout the movie. For me it was very interesting in that the constant laugh of the talking dogs does not get old like it may in a film that does not have the heart and soul that Up brings to the screen. 

But the real success of the film is in its imagination and adventure. While WALL-E is perhaps the most startlingly unique and original animated picture of the last decade, Up still manages to pack in a lot of uniqueness. But while WALL-E got caught up in its own environmentally sound message, Up sticks with being an almost straight adventure picture. It is frequently thrilling and exciting, and lets up only for a few moments at a time. For such an older character, the film really stuns with some of its fantastical ideas. Sure, it is obvious this is a film that could only ever be done as an animated film, but what it lacks in realism it makes up for in fun – something that has been sorely missing from the movies for years. And while this film is struck with having depressing scenes, it never wallows in the sadness. It throws the moments at you, and then quickly moves on.

Pixar seems to have such a great touch and tells a story in a way that totally immerses the audience, and they are very successful at creating emotions for each of the characters that we feel like the characters are not animated but real people. I am giving Up four buckets of popcorn out of five. If you are in the mood for a great and fun film Up is definitely for you and if it is not already part of your movie collection I would add it as soon as possible.

-The Movie Man-