Movie Review: Up
Pete Docter, Bob Peterson Directs Disney/Pixar Film, Stars Ed Asner
May 28, 2009 Dominic von Riedemann
At the end of the day, it's all about emotion.
Sure, whiz-bang visuals will never go out of style, but it's emotional investment in the story and characters that takes a film from "just another popcorn flick" and into the realm of art.
Pixar Animation – the studio that singlehandedly forced the film world to respect computer-generated animation – has always understood this. Even when literally writing the book on CGI, founders John Lasseter, Ed Catmull and Steve Jobs understood that all the visual razzmatazz was useless unless it backed up a compelling story with richly developed characters.
This "story first" attitude been Pixar's not-so-secret weapon, and explains why none of their movies have bombed at the box office, and have been solid catalog sellers on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Up, the latest from Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc.) is a triumphant testament to the power of story. It's a "coming of old age" film makes audiences howl with laughter one minute and wipe away tears the next.
Disney/Pixar's Up Stars Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer
Carl Fredericksen (Ed Asner) is a grumpy old man who just wants to be left alone in his house and his threadbare memories. But, in an opening montage that takes us from heartbreak to laughter and back again, we understand his pain. The retired balloon salesman, along with his beloved wife Ellie, always dreamed of journeying to Paradise Falls in Venezuela, just like his hero the disgraced explorer C.F. Muntz (Christopher Plummer).
But circumstances conspired to ensure that Carl and Ellie never realized that dream. Now Ellie is gone, and Carl feels life has passed him by.
When a greedy developer tries to take away Carl's land, he ties several hundred thousand balloons to his chimney and launches his house towards Paradise Falls. However, he has an unexpected stowaway: an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai) whose energy and exuberance are what Carl hates, but exactly what he needs.
And need it he will. Unexpected peril awaits Carl and Russell once they arrive in Paradise Falls. Russell makes a new friend, a bizarre bird named Kevin, which places them squarely in the cross-hairs of Carl's idol, now their deadly enemy.
It's not all darkness and danger. There are plenty of thrills and laughs, many of them involving Kevin and Dug – one of the most adorable canines ("Squirrel!") ever committed to film. Add a pack of deadly dogs, led by a sinister Doberman with a malfunctioning voice box, and you have yet another great Pixar film.
Naturally the visuals and the voice casting are top-notch, but that's not the point. Docter and Peterson have crafted a wonderful script filled with richly detailed characters. In parallel with action sequences that would make Spielberg eat his baseball cap, we see a "coming of old age" story, the arc of a man discovering his youth when many of his contemporaries are giving up on life.
This is a darker film than most Pixar fare. At least two characters shed blood (not seriously, but still) and there are some terrifying scenes, especially when a horde of dogs chase our heroes. But Docter and Peterson have a deft touch with comedy, expertly dropping in hilarious gags without compromising the story or the characters. While it may not be "Pixar's funniest film," as John Lasseter claims, there are still no shortage of laughs.
The Final Analysis
Up is that rare movie that thrills the cinematic elite at Cannes while entertaining the young 'uns at home. While it doesn't push the art of CGI animation as far as its predecessors WALL-E or Ratatouille, it is nevertheless a brilliant film that balances comedy and heartbreak with ease. It's yet another success for Disney/Pixar, and one of the best movies of 2009.
It gets a 10/10.
P.S. - The opening cartoon for Up is "Partly Cloudy," the debut from Pixar veteran Peter Sohn (Ratatouille). It follows Peck, a hapless stork who must deliver all the dangerous babies (alligators, sharks, hedgehogs) around the world. Peck fears for his life, but doesn't want to disappoint his partner, the gray cloud Gus.
It's not as laugh-out-loud funny as Doug Sweetland's "Presto" but it's still a wonderful Pixar short, and its motifs and central themes work wonderfully with Up. Let's hope we see more from Sohn.
Up concept art
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