Up
Directed by Pete Docter, Co-directed by Bob Peterson
Starring the voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, and it wouldn’t be Pixar without John Ratzenberger.
Backstory
There’s a very famous deleted scene from Pulp Fiction where Uma Thurman asks John Travolta if he’s a Beatles fan or an Elvis fan, citing that while you can enjoy both, at the end of the day, you can only be a fan of one. It’s a similar situation in the world of animation film, between Pixar and Dreamworks. I do so love Pixar, and still drop everything to see their movies. So when Up started coming along, I was stunned at how little I knew about it and decided to try to preserve the surprise. So I walked into Up knowing not much about it.
Plot
Carl Frederikson is an old man unsure of what to do next. He’s recently retired His beloved wife has recently passed on. A modern condo development is being built all around him. And when he reaches the breaking point with the surround construction crews, he concots a desperate plan. He and his wife had always planned to visit Paradise Falls in South America, but never got to. So, he ties a zillion balloons to his house, and decides to fly down to South America. However, he finds that he has a young stowaway, a Wilderness Scout by the name of Russel. But when they land near Paradise Falls, they soon find themselves in the midst of a strange adventure, involving a giant bird named Kevin, a talking dog named Dug, and Carl’s childhood hero, the great explorer Charles Muntz. How will this adventure play out? Will Russel ever get his helping the elderly badge?
What I Liked
Pixar still hasn’t disappointed me. As always, there’s genuine emotion in the film. They manage to create characters that I actually care about, and the humor comes from the characters…not an endless stream of pop culture references. Dug really steals the show with a lot of his observations. And Michael Giacchino once again delivers a top-notch score.
What I Didn’t Like
There’s still a few hints of the tried-and-true animated film formula that comes bleeding through, but you’re so caught up, you don’t notice.
Final Assessment
Damn you, Pixar! That’s three movies in a row now where you made me cry at the end.