Anyone who might have entertained the notion that Up would mark the point when Disney/Pixar's glass slipper broke will have to get used to disappointment.
According to yet another early review, Up – directed by the writer/director team of Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc.) – is yet another artistic triumph for the Emeryville studio.
A JoBlo reader going by the handle of Squishy Panda (don't ask) managed to catch the entire film and, according to him, "Up continues the flawless tradition of excellence you’ve come to expect from Pixar."
Disney/Pixar's Up Stars Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer
In his spoiler-free review, Squishy runs down the basic premise of the flick: after his beloved wife dies, 78-year-old Carl Fredericksen (Ed Asner) ties a multitude of balloons to his house and takes to the skies, hoping to fly to a mysterious plateau in Venezuela.
"Soon he and young unwitting stowaway Russell (Jordan Nagai) are on a crazy adventure that involves talking dogs, exotic animals, villains straight out of Heart of Darkness, and lots and lots of helium," Squishy writes.
He makes special mention of the opening montage that establishes Carl's life with his beloved wife Ellie that Squishy calls one of the most moving sequences that he can remember.
"About three minutes in, it had already taken Monsters vs. Aliens and wiped the floor with it," he says. The film "has everything you could want . . . There’s a fun adventure story, clever laughs, thrilling action, cute animals, funny fat kids, a little romance, and tons of creativity."
Up continues Disney/Pixar's tradition of mining deeper territory with every film. Other than the powerful opening montage, there are also some very emotional sequences, some darker moments, and even a couple of instances of blood. It's clear that Pixar isn't resting on its laurels, and is successfully pushing the envelope of what a family-oriented animated film can portray.
"There was more than one spot where people were legit sobbing in the theater," Squishy writes.
Of course Docter and Peterson produced Monsters Inc. ("Anybody who isn’t affected by the last shot of that movie is dead inside," writes Squishy. "And probably a Nazi.") and Peterson contributed to the script for the highly emotional Finding Nemo.
On the lighter side, there's the talking canine Dug, which was featured in the final trailer ("SQUIRREL!!!!"). He has a whole horde of doggy friends that apparently generate countless laughs. Ed Asner apparently does an excellent job of making the grumpy old Carl a lovable character, while Nagai's Russell manages to annoy Carl without annoying the audience, a neat trick.
"Overall, I’d rate Up up there with the studio’s bests (sic) along with The Incredibles and Toy Story," Squishy concludes, saying that he couldn't find anything negative to say about the film.
Up opens on May 29th.
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