I’m glad I saw one movie this Summer that had substance triumph over style successfully. We live an era when Hollywood obsesses over selling more licensed crap instead of checking to see if the story is any good. There are also many people waiting, even cheering to see Pixar’s first major failure. This one won’t be it.
Up’s plot is best not spoiled in a review since the trailer told very little too. I will say this. It’s not about an elderly guy (Carl) flying away in his house with hundreds of balloons to escape the construction surrounding him. When you see the movie’s first ten minutes, you’ll see his primary motivation and become more emotionally invested in the characters without it feeling so contrived. Going with Ed Asner as the voice of Carl was a no brainer too. Ever since he played Lou Grant in the Seventies, he has always been on the short list for casting a grumpy character.
While the plot and story execution are perfect, Pixar didn’t slouch on the technical details they’re famous for: stubble on Carl when he hasn’t shaved for a couple days, the dirt and grime on people’s fingers and the movements of dogs: their fluidity when they run and their abruptness when they’re startled.
I am seriously looking forward to this coming out on DVD because I really want to see it a few more times. Currently, my personal favorite of the Pixar library is The Incredibles and I think Up may push it out of the number one seat. I just need more viewings to make sure.
The short Partly Cloudy is a great take on the old myth about storks and babies. I don’t know if it’s a demonstration of what new technologies will be used in Toy Story 3 since their shorts tend to be hints on what next Summer’s movie will have. Regardless, it was a great warm up for the heavier main feature.
Worth seeing? Absolutely! It may be too slow for younger children and too corny with the tweeners. Most kids will sit through it because it’s a cartoon. I felt it catered more toward adults which is the audience Pixar really tries to entertain.?