Should compete for Best Picture Oscar, and *not* the animated one!
Written: May 30 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good animation, wonderful characters and comedy
Cons: Be prepared for a little sadness, and animation won't wow you.
The Bottom Line: Don't worry if you don't have kids!! Go see this movie!
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| hist's Full Review: Up |
Life is the adventure that you make of it. That's the main message behind Pixar's new animated feature, Up. This has to be the best movie I've seen in a long time, combining wonderful comedy, a touch of sadness, and wonderful animation into a ready-made mixture that will make your heart soar and your eyes tear up (thankfully not at the same time, though once or twice it was close).
Carl and Elie Fredericksen (Ed Asner & Elie Docter) have had a dream of adventure for their whole lives, but things just keep getting in the way. Life keeps on getting in the way, whether it is broken bones, fixing the house, or whatever. Elie's adventure journal was ready for when they finally made that big trip, and she had made Carl cross his heart that one day they would do so. Unfortunately, life has a way of changing things, and while they grow old together, it never happens. One day Elie dies, and Carl doesn't know what to do. Content to live out his life in the house they fixed up and spent their entire lives in, despite the modern construction all around them, Carl just waits for the day when he will join his beloved. Until the thought of going into a nursing home compels him to go on the adventure they never had, to go to the wilds of South America. Tying a huge number of balloons to his house, he sets off, not realizing that he has a young stowaway: Wilderness Explorer Russell (Jordan Nagai). Now they're both on an adventure of a lifetime.
Up had me laughing so hard that my stomach hurt a few times. It also had me tearing up like crazy at times too. I dare anybody not to cry during the initial sequence, as we see Carl and Elie grow old together, their dream never fulfilled. This opening sequence is perfect, and it's done with almost no dialogue once we see how these two lovebirds met as young children. The expressions on the characters' faces are just one of the many kudos the animators should get as their story is told in a completely visual fashion. We see the joy they share, and the heartache as they keep having to break into their "adventure jar" where they're saving their coins when unforeseen circumstances come their way.
There are a few more moments like this scattered throughout the picture, but mostly it's high comedy after this sequence. The script by Bob Petersen (who also plays Dug, the dog they meet on their travels) is fabulous, managing to walk the fine line between wit and slapstick, also being emotional without being maudlin. There are so many sequences that are gut-bustingly funny that it's hard to single any out. One quick sequence I have to give whoever thought of it credit for is an homage to a very famous (and tacky) painting. When I saw that, I burst out laughing. It's an indication of how Petersen and co-director Pete Docter are able to include a few jokes for those parents in the audience too. Instead of going for innuendo that will go over the kids' heads, they give us something that will simply make the kids look at Dad and say "why was that funny?" And Dad can actually answer, too!
I can't rave enough about the actors and characters as well. Ed Asner's performance will be the benchmark for future "old man" animated characters, as he is simply flawless. His gruff voice is perfectly in character with how the animators created Carl's look, and Asner's inflection just adds to Carl's character as written. The scene we've all seen in the trailers where he first discovers Russell on his porch after the house has taken off, when Russell asks "please may I come inside" and he gives a scratchy "No!", slamming the door before finally relenting, has perfect comic timing. Nagai, a very young newcomer (thank you, co-directors, for not hiring some adult to play this kid), is picture perfect in his role as well. The writers don't make Russell a know-it-all kid, precocious and teaching the adults a thing or two. Instead, they make him a (admittedly exaggerated, as are most characters in animated films) normal kid who is able to look at everything with a "Wow!" innocence that is endearing. I could go on about the characters and voice-acting, but you get the idea. It's all perfect.
The 3-D animation is extremely well-done, but it's not as noticeable as it is in some other animated features. The animators don't go out of their way to bowl you over with special effects. Instead, they just concentrate on making the world feel like one you're living in. Thus, you may not notice the effects after a while. They just feel like part of the movie. If you're coming to Up to be blown away with the animation, you'll be disappointed. They concentrate on using the animation to service the characters and plot rather than to showcase themselves. I appreciated that.
I don't want to give away too many surprises, as they are best when they blindside you. But I will say that Carl and Russell's adventure is totally worth seeing, even if you don't have kids. Full of cute and funny characters, a dastardly villain, and wonderful voice acting, you can't go wrong with a movie like this. Be ready for the sad and touching moments, and bring your hanky. But you might need that hanky to wipe up the tears of laughter as well. Up will make your heart soar higher than Carl's house does. And it won't even need any balloons to do it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
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Member: David Roy
Location: Vancouver, BC
Reviews written: 723
Trusted by: 218 members
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