Up by Pixar (2009)
Written: Jun 07 '09 (Updated Jun 15 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Everything
Cons: replay value on in the beginning is low, but that's it.
The Bottom Line: A great fantasy film that will stir your mind...and your heart.
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| yakkowarner's Full Review: Up |
I have my 500th review all set up and ready to go as well as my next 4 reviews. It's all planned out. My master plan to celebrate my 500th and get 4 essential reviews out of the way in the process. So I went into this theatre without the expectation of reviewing it and I planned on not loving it. Well I was wrong on both accounts.
Notice I said love, not like.
So I'm sitting in this theatre looking for reasons to mark it down point wise. Here is my process.
The first ten minutes
Ok, Animation is the best I've ever seen and the story is kind of emotionally stirring. But it doesn't have remarkable replay value and it is a bit slow. And corny to boot. It might make it to a 4 if they keep this pace.
Half hour into the film.
Ok, great animation, great character development, it's picking up steam but it is poor on replay value and the story isn't all that great. So I have no fears of it upsetting my pre-planned list.
Fourty-five minutes into it.
Ok, I may have to put this on my top 50 list. It's getting pretty good. But the one thing it lacks is true creativity.
An hour into the film.
Wow, this story is awesome. And it definitely is a fantasy on the same playing field as Brazil. It does have a strong creative element to it. But it lacks that human element that every great film has. Ya I know he's following his dream, but there is no lesson in the story I can take from this movie.
Closing credits
You got to pull it together man..., you can't cry in front of your kids or wife. And don't worry about your grand plan, live for the moment...live for your dreams. It's not a big deal to change a few dozen numbers on a document or change your plans in general, no matter how grand you thought they were. Plans are not what is ultimately important.
For those of you following my comments sections and reviews, you probably figured out that this is now on my top 50 list. No way around it. It is a great movie and one you can't miss. It is Pixar's greatest film, one that rivals Miyazaki greatest films.
The plot
If you've seen the previews you know that this man attaches a bunch of balloons to his house to get away from it all. But you don't know why. And saying any more would spoil the surprises that come into the film. Just like The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, this is a dream of an old man. Something one would literally dream about, not necessarily tell your children front of a campfire (although you could.)
I don't like spoiling movies so that's all you're gonna get from me.
The acting
The voice acting was spot on. It really came down to casting and Ed Asner as the old man is priceless. He is a good actor, but I think he took it another level with the emotion that was needed from his character. It felt genuine and real. This is not the Ed Asner on Leno, this is someone you want as a grandfather...and sometimes wouldn't want as a grandfather. Either way, Ed really carried this movie.
Jordan Nagai did a great job with his role. It was believable. And more importantly it was relatable. His character needed very little development because the voice said it all.
Christopher Plummer does a great job with whatever he does. I think anyone could have played his role, but he was still great.
The story and writing
The beginning is a little silly and child like. So I wasn't expecting much. But it really became a unique and creative movie. More creative and surprising as it went along. A depth that an adult can truly appreciate.
The movie also had a comedic tone to it. It really was funny. And it is timing that was done right.
The character development
The characters were developed throughout the entire movie. I cannot complain about a single aspect of the development or its timing. Not everything was revealed in the first half hour, development continued into the credits themselves. Now you didn't get to know every facet of the old man or his companion, but you knew enough. In fact I would argue that you didn't need to know anything about the companion, but he was properly developed none that less. Debatably a weak point but one I can easily forgive.
The pacing
The word is consistent. It kept a marathon pace with a few short sprints here and there. I was never bored with any part of the film...well except that part right before the balloon reveal. I just wanted to see the balloons (just like a boy on christmas morning waiting to open up the biggest present.)
The Animation
The quality and detail are amazing. There is nothing out there that can touch this, with one exception. The humans are cartoony and therefore not realistic like in some high quality anime. I am pretty sure this was intentional.
The detail was amazing. Everything seemed like it was scanned with a 3-D scanner. Nothing was cheaply rendered and put in hap-hazardly. From the 3-D shape of the bottle cap, to the stubble on his chin, it was all in there.
Replay value
This is my only real complaint. I am very impatient so I would tell the kids to start it and I would, ideally, sit down when they reached the first destination. Other than that I think it has very high replay value for kids and adults. Kind of like the same feeling you get from watching Mary Poppins.
Should children watch it?
It is a little scary for 5 and under. There is death. There are scary dogs that made a kid in my audience cry. My daughter(5) insists that she was not scared, but she was squirming on my wife's lap at a few parts. My 7 year old was just fine, but he's probably fine with Alien too (but I'm still going to hold out on R movies for 4 or more years.)
So if you have a sheltered child, don't take them to see this movie.
Genre
Fantasy, with a comedic taste. You can classify this as a children's movie if you want. I'm not.
The key players
Director: Pete Docter
Writers: Ronnie Del Carmen, Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, & Tom McCarthy (VI)
Music: Michael Giacchino
Ratings
Yahoo users: A
Yahoo critics: A-
Metacritics users: 9.2
Metacritics critics: 88
Rotten Tomato community: 83%
Rotten Tomato critics: 98%
My score: 4.92
MPAA rating: PG
Running time: 89 minutes
Year released: 2009
My End Line.
I am just in a state of shock. I just saw a truly great movie. The last time I saw one of those in the theatre was years ago. This movie was engaging, had entertaining eye candy, and most importantly a message.
Oh ya, almost forgot...the music was pretty good too.
© Common Loon Productions
Other movie reviews
My favorite children's movies
Toy story I: previous #1 Pixar film.
The girl who leapt through time: Another truly great film released this decade.
My top 50 movies reviewed
Recommended:
Yes
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