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UP Pete Docter Starring Edward Asner Jordan Nagai Bob Peterson Christopher Plumber I continue to be genuinely astounded by Pixar releases. Unlike their parent company (Disney), Pixar manage to create truly entertaining, amusing, touching and endearing pieces without becoming so overly saccharine or sickly that you want to tear off your own face. I keep waiting for them to slip up - not out of maliciousness, more a subconscious fear that something has to go wrong because they're doing everything so well; Cars came damn close but that was really it. Up is a bit of a strange one; the plot itself is very straightforward and despite the absurd concept, works extremely well. The film opens on the blossoming relationship between two young fans of renowned explorer, Charles Muntz [Plumber], which evolves into a montage leading to the death of Karl's wife, Ellie. Miserable, lonely and facing eviction, Karl [Asner] decides to keep a promise made decades ago by pursuing his hero's ventures and relocating to Venezuela. His unique method of transportation, however, takes the form of thousands of helium-inflated balloons attached to his house, through the chimney. At peace, sailing through the clouds, Karl discovers that Russell - a local Wilderness Scout voiced by Jordan Nagai - was under the porch at the time. Karl begrudgingly admits the tubby young scout and they continue on their heading. In all fairness, I don't believe this to be one of Pixar's best and it does still contain a fair few minor flaws. The practicalities of this simplistic story are completely ignored to the extent that we are thoroughly unsure of Karl's actual plan, not to mention the other elements of realism surrounding a seventy eight year old man running around the jungles of South America. Then there's the curious use of violence in a 'U' rated film. I realise this film was released as PG in the US but despite the small amounts of on-screen blood, mild terror and counts of death, this film is set for an admit-all-ages opening. Finally, there's the target audience; sure, there's plenty of humour and sweet moments but this film addresses issues that far better suit a more mature audience. But as stated, these are incredibly minor technicalities and will more than likely fail to detract from the overall impression left with cinemagoers. To the movie's detriment and its credit, the best executions seem to arise in the form of the humorous moments or the incredibly harrowing scenes (and there are a fair few). This movie is certainly not a children's film and this growing element of underlying woe and misery needs to be addressed - especially if you're viewing this release in 3D (just trust me on that). In fairness, it could be argued that Pixar have gone too far, creating a dark film coated in thousands of colourful balloons; alternatively, it could be said that this film is simply a very mature, young person's story that contains an abundance of heart. More importantly, however, is the underlying fact that audiences couldn't care less. Enthralled by the superb visuals, tickled by the use of humour, touched by the emotive aspects and both thrilled and terrified by the movie's adventurous nature, who wouldn't dismiss the absurdity of a floating house for such delights? Release Date: 9th October 2009 The Scene To Look Out For: As much as I may have berated Up's dark, mature nature, I honestly believe this to be a good thing; parents need to be aware of it but it's still a good thing. Rather than simply churning out the same old schlock with the same lacklustre finale, Up somehow manages to demonstrate such a clear-cut sense of reluctant dependency and friendship through adversity. But you want one scene in particular, so let me think... I suppose Karl sitting next in his armchair, with Russell's sash draped across his wife's unoccupied chair. I can't describe the scene more than that without giving away a fair deal but it's a bit of a heart wrenching moment, brilliantly executed. Notable Characters: Of the small handful of characters in this film, Dug [Peterson] is probably the most impressive; innocent, loyal, enthusiastic and an absolute delight to watch. To be fair, you could probably say the same with any of the on-screen talking dogs, each brought something different and their mannerisms were all pitch-perfect. Highlighted Quote: "I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, 'I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead' Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead" In A Few Words: "Another triumphant Pixar release but somewhat deceptively darker than previous outings" Total Score: 
8/10Matthew Stogdon |
