Movie Review: UP

By Justin Velasquez
June 24, 2009

When it comes to animation Disney Pixar has been and is currently the leader in recent years.  The company is responsible for such classics as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and most recently, WALL-E (all Academy Award winners for Best Animated Feature).  Disney Pixar now graces us with Up, a film that is every bit as humorous, touching and entertaining as its predecessors.  Of course, with every release, Disney Pixar consistently raises the bar in regards to the sheer beauty of its animation.

Up is similar to Pixar's 2004 release, The Incredibles.  The similarity lies in the idea that the main characters are humans.  In Up, though, no human has any superpowers and no one is out of the ordinary (at least not externally) - and that's to the film's benefit.  Up is a combination of genres that when combined make for a majestic experience.  For the film's first twenty or so minutes Up is a love story - a classic theme of boy meets girl.

Young Carl Fredericksen has big dreams of becoming an explorer.  His idol is a Jacques Cousteau-like adventurer named Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) and his popularity is brought about from his claims of discovering exotic creatures that the majority of the civilized world has never seen.  Eventually experts deem Muntz a fraud and he in turn vows to save his name and reputation by going out and bringing back a live specimen.

Ellie is also a fan of the disgraced explorer and because of this a chance encounter between her and Carl turns into a friendship, a relationship and of course, an adventure.  Shown with almost no dialogue, Carl and Ellie grow up together, fall in love with each other and grow old together.  There are a few bumps and along the way that bring up such endearing feelings and emotions - but it's true a reflection of many of life's trials and tribulations.  To be honest, this is probably one of the most pure and sincere romances to play out on screen. 

The film becomes an adventure when Ellie passes away in the twilight of Carl's (Edward Asner, Elf) life.  He's left alone, clinging to memories of her and various knick-knacks he and Ellie shared.  The house that they bought and turned into their dream home is now surrounded by massive construction and progress.  Carl refuses to give up anything that he and Ellie shared - the fact that he still speaks to her is telltale of his constant longing for her.  One evening he makes the decision to fly away, but not in a conventional way.

Carl fills up thousands of balloons to literally lift him and his home up and away - his destination is the elusive Paradise Falls, a dream location that the couple could never arrive at because life got in the way.  With nothing much left to live for, Carl feels this is necessary to close the book on both their lives. 

There's one problem with his seemingly failsafe plan - on his front porch, clinging on for dear life, is the eager 8-year old Wilderness Explorer Russell (Jordan Nagai).  This unusual pair is now off on a whole new adventure that may or may not result in Carl and Ellie's dream becoming reality.

Up is an outstanding entry into the animated film world.  In fact, it's an outstanding entry into films, period.  Up is one of the year's finest films and director Pete Docter (along with co-direction from Bob Peterson) performs an incredible job of adding believability to the films characters.  In a world where typically youth is served, it's amazing to see such a touching story that's not only animated but centers on a character that's a senior citizen.  But when a film, including its characters and its message, all have heart, that shines brightly throughout, regardless of the medium. 

A great film to see with the family, a loved one or even with a group of friends, Up is a triumph in filmmaking.  One of these days the Academy will realize this and give an animated film due recognition. 

4 Stars out of Four