Up (2009) ****
written by: Pete Doctor, Bob Peterson & Thomas McCarthy
produced by: Jonas Rivera
directed by: Pete Doctor & Bob Peterson
Rated PG for some peril and action.
96 min.
U.S. release date: May 29, 2009
DVD & Blu-ray release date:
About 15 minutes into watching I teared up as I witnessed an endearingly sweet tale of the lives of two best friends. It would take me much too long to try and explain the many layers of this film. I could write pages and even then, I’d not have covered it all. Nor could I give it justice. Just go to the theater, get comfortable, and let the movie take you away. It’s a film so daring, so surprising, each new unpredictable turn makes the adventure all the more thrilling. Which is exactly the main theme of the movie….be prepared for whatever may come and do your best to enjoy it when it does. This means the good and the bad, the funny and the sad.
If you don’t have a lump in your throat at some point as you follow Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) the kind curmudgeon and his optimistic young shadow Russell (Jordan Nagai), you might as well get up and go, the rest of it is going to be wasted on you. Every frame is thought through to the finest detail, and every behavior, be it human, dog, or what have you, carefully observed and replicated. The story is employed in such a way that all of the required elements are in place, but so that the functionality is never obvious. It is a visually enchanting and breathtaking film, impeccably scored that any studio could learn from.
Do yourself a favor and don’t bother with the 3D and just go see it in 2D. Trust Pixar enough to give you the same quality picture they have time and again without this current 3D fad that’s being slapped on every animated film. It’s unnecessary. Pixar is one of the only mainstream animation studios that has been able to break the stigma of “kid films” so many people associate animated films with. This 10th feature along with the rest of their films have proven that no matter the form or genre, it’s possible for a film to be great for any age. It’ll easily make my Top Ten list of the year.
Loved, loved, loved, loved this movie. I think it even surpassed Finding Nemo, on my list of favorite Pixar movies…. and that is an amazing accomplishment.
As for the 3D vs 2D…I went and saw it with the boys in 3D and I absolutely loved the format. However, I recently saw it in 2D at home (we watched it 3 times while we had it rented) and I have to admit, I didn’t think it lost anything at all. As you mentioned, Pixar does such a gorgeous job in the animation, there’s just no need for the extra punch of 3D.
The story line is just fantastic. I was amazed, no…shocked!, when I heard people complaining (!!) about the first 15 minutes and how it was too sad for the movie! It was beautiful! And totally relevant to the story line. You understood Carl totally after that, and because you understand where he came from, you can look past the crotchety old man and see the real person inside. I just don’t get how people didn’t like it!
Pixar RULES.