Up
BY Ryan LaMarca / 2009-06-04
The Disney/Pixar movie "Up" had the most unusual effect on me. As I sat in the theater watching the film, I couldn't understand what everyone else was seeing in it. It was a nice cute movie, sure, but what was it that made it so special? Upon the conclusion of the film, I just couldn't quite put my finger on what it was that I felt towards "Up," until I realized I had missed the entire point of the movie. The truth is that "Up" is a wonderful film that works on so many different levels and molds itself from such a simplistic facade to a work of art with much deeper meaning.
All his life, Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner) has dreamed of flying in the sky and traveling to the the jungles of South America and the mythic Paradise Falls. After an accident, the courts mandate that Carl must give up his house and move into a retirement community. Extremely distraught, the old man attaches thousands of balloons to his house and takes flight. What he doesn't realize, however, is that he has an unexpected guest in the form of a young wilderness explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai). And so begins Carl's journey to fulfill his lifelong dream.
Something very shocking occurred to me about the movie. The plot in "Up" is superfluous, and almost irrelevant. The movie is much more of a character piece that weaves its story through the intentions of the protagonists with the final conflict along for the ride. But it's one amazing ride. The film meticulously builds itself up from the beginning of Carl Fredricksen's life as a young child to his retirement days. I felt, however, that during the opening montage, they did try to tug a little too hard at the heart strings for their own good. It is a very touching piece, but I can do without the heavy tragedy in my animated movies.
It will no doubt surprise you when I say that the movie benefits from its fantastic animation. Pixar is simply the best at this style, and though I always prefer traditional animation, the Pixar films are ones that I truly admire for being innovative and state-of-the-art with every new picture. And "Up" takes pride in its form, fully displaying its highly detailed CGI for all to see. At least with this movie more so than others, we get to explore some diverse and colorful new terrains, like the jungles of South America, for instance.
The highlight of the movie for me was Dug, the talking dog. I bet you think you've seen it all when it comes to talking dogs, but then you haven't seen this dog. You see, Dug can speak only because his master, a great inventor, created a collar that allows him to speak. It's actually quite creative, and the accompanying voice brought a smile to my face every time. His train of thought is constantly interrupted when small animals such as squirrels run by and he is easily distracted, like all of the other dogs in the film, by chasing a tennis ball. As some of the other characters aren't all too remarkable in "Up," Dug really stood out as a long lasting memory from the film.
"Up" has a wonderful message to tell, however, and it's really a charming movie. It uses its strong emphasis on characterization to really tell the story of a man who comes to a great realization. Carl learns to live life to the fullest and make his own adventure, even at the age of 78. The idea behind the flying house was certainly inventive and looks particularly well in animation. All his life, he and his late wife had dreamed of traveling to Paradise Falls, but things always got in the way, and their vacation fund always had to be spent on more pressing matters. Seeing that time is short, he decides to fully embrace this dream and becomes a better man for it.
But, as I said before, I really felt the story was the weakest link in "Up." I'm surprised they came up with as much as they did for such a limited concept, but the overall physical conflict felt more like typical Saturday morning fare than something you would expect from Pixar. As a result, the pacing is quite slow, but in the end, the movie is more fulfilling than I ever could have hoped for, making up for any weak spots along the way.
I think a valid question to ask, however, is whether children will enjoy this movie. Honestly, I haven't a clue, but I would assume yes and no for different reasons. Yes, they would like it because of the colorful and beautiful animation, but I feel the story may bore them. "Up" is certainly not the typical animated film that the kids would find interesting to watch, so it's really a strange situation.
As far as Pixar movies go, "Up" is top notch, as all of their films are. It was an unusual case in that I enjoyed the movie more so when it was over than while it was playing. Careful reflection revealed "Up" to be a delectable animated movie and a heart-warming adventure.
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