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Up
(Pete Docter, 2009)
A wondrous tale of adventure, friendship, and undying love, Up has climbed its way up to a position among my favorite animated/CGI films of all time. This delightful, yet dismally despondent at times, Pixar picture speaks on so many levels, in so many volumes, ranging from displaying tragic sequences that leave me on the verge of tears to vibrant scenes of relentlessly fun action which imprint huge smiles upon my face as they progress. Up touches on a vast constituent of the spectrum of human emotion, and plays with those emotions expertly, working them into the film and its story without a hitch, and as to where it never feels forced or contrived.
Edward Asner provides the voice of Carl Fredricksen, a kind-hearted old man who is Up’s geriatric protagonist. An adventurer, explorer, and inventor at heart, Carl has always dreamed of traveling to a mysterious, tranquil land known as Paradise Falls, having memories of extraordinary stories about its alluring splendor from childhood.
When the construction of some nearby modern establishment threatens the security of his immensely sentimental home, Carl meets a young boy named Russell amidst the ongoing chaos that, perhaps, he sees a bit of himself in; the boy is an explorer of sorts as well, taking great interest in the allure of the “wild.” Whether seeking escape from the imminent destruction of his house, or the boy having struck back interest in some dormant desire of his, Carl finally decides to take up his life of adventure once again; he decides to travel away from his everyday life and soon finds himself—and Russell—on a journey to Paradise Falls.
What follows is the story of a wonderful voyage across an incredible land shared by two newfound friends. Along the way, strange but friendly creatures are encountered as well as dangerous enemies, adding new elements of comedy and adventure to a story that was already engrossing taking place on the porch of an old man’s house.
Up is funny, clever, and a fantastic addition to Pixar’s collection of films. I’m not their biggest fan, but Pixar may have finally reeled me in with Up. I enjoyed it five times more than I ever expected I would, and I look forward to its DVD (or, better yet, Blu-ray) release; I’m sure Up will stand the test of time and just get better with more viewings.
(Pete Docter, 2009)
A wondrous tale of adventure, friendship, and undying love, Up has climbed its way up to a position among my favorite animated/CGI films of all time. This delightful, yet dismally despondent at times, Pixar picture speaks on so many levels, in so many volumes, ranging from displaying tragic sequences that leave me on the verge of tears to vibrant scenes of relentlessly fun action which imprint huge smiles upon my face as they progress. Up touches on a vast constituent of the spectrum of human emotion, and plays with those emotions expertly, working them into the film and its story without a hitch, and as to where it never feels forced or contrived.
Edward Asner provides the voice of Carl Fredricksen, a kind-hearted old man who is Up’s geriatric protagonist. An adventurer, explorer, and inventor at heart, Carl has always dreamed of traveling to a mysterious, tranquil land known as Paradise Falls, having memories of extraordinary stories about its alluring splendor from childhood.
When the construction of some nearby modern establishment threatens the security of his immensely sentimental home, Carl meets a young boy named Russell amidst the ongoing chaos that, perhaps, he sees a bit of himself in; the boy is an explorer of sorts as well, taking great interest in the allure of the “wild.” Whether seeking escape from the imminent destruction of his house, or the boy having struck back interest in some dormant desire of his, Carl finally decides to take up his life of adventure once again; he decides to travel away from his everyday life and soon finds himself—and Russell—on a journey to Paradise Falls.
What follows is the story of a wonderful voyage across an incredible land shared by two newfound friends. Along the way, strange but friendly creatures are encountered as well as dangerous enemies, adding new elements of comedy and adventure to a story that was already engrossing taking place on the porch of an old man’s house.
Up is funny, clever, and a fantastic addition to Pixar’s collection of films. I’m not their biggest fan, but Pixar may have finally reeled me in with Up. I enjoyed it five times more than I ever expected I would, and I look forward to its DVD (or, better yet, Blu-ray) release; I’m sure Up will stand the test of time and just get better with more viewings.