Henry Saw: Up

A damn good movie that is unfortunately being slightly overrated...


First, and quickly, I saw Up in 3D and I was very impressed. This was the first 3D movie I'd seen in awhile and I can't believe the leaps and bounds they've made in this department. Up is a film first and a 3D film second so the 3D only enhances the scenery and adds excitement to already strong scenes - it's not a gimmick as it seems to be in other 3D films (check out the trailer for G-Force to see what I mean). I expect you don't have to see Up in the 3D to get the most out of the movie's visuals, Pixar's movies are gorgeous no matter what format you watch them in, but take it from me that the 3D definitely adds to the viewing experience.

Now, some of this review will sound like an echo of every other review you've read of Up as it's impossible to discuss Up without talking about the studio that made it: Pixar.

Pixar is really quite astounding. They've gone on a run to rival the best in film history. David Lean made Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and Doctor Zhivago in that order. Hitchcock made Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds within ten years of one another (with two other movies thrown in there as well including the crappy The Trouble with Harry). Spielberg made Jaws, Close Encounters, 1941 (yikes), Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. in order.

Perhaps the best and most obvious thing to compare Pixar to is Disney Studios' three separate amazing runs. The first being Snow White, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi. The second including Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians. The third had The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.



Which finally brings us to what Pixar has pulled off. Starting with the landmark Toy Story in 1995, they've produced quality family film after quality family film and have left all other animation studios in the dust. By my count they have three all time greats (Toy Story, Wall*E, and my favorite: The Incredibles). Then slightly below that are a couple of great "all-ages" movies (Monster's Inc and Finding Nemo). Then there are some movies that critics love and I just don't like as much (Toy Story 2 and Ratatouille). Then there are their two most forgettable ventures: A Bug's Life which hardly anyone remembers and Cars which flat out stinks. It's a total clunker in my opinion but, to be fair, kids seem to like it and it plays to an audience that I'm definitely not a part of (Nascar folk).

So where does Up fall in the Pixar hierarchy? Critics would have you believe it's an all time great - perhaps the pinnacle of Pixar's film making thus far - and a landmark in children's cinema. For my money it falls very comfortably in that second tier I mentioned with Monster's Inc and Finding Nemo (perhaps this is appropriate as Pete Doctor, Up's director, made Monster's Inc. as well).

Up starts with Carl Fredricksen, a quiet young boy, who meets the barefoot tomboy Ellie, discovering together they share the same interest in exploration as their hero, famed explorer Charles Muntz. Ellie expresses her interest in building a house near Paradise Falls in South America, a promise she makes Carl keep. Carl and Ellie wed and grow old together; unable to have children, the two try to save up for the trip to Paradise Falls but life continues to get in the way. Finally, Ellie succumbs to old age, leaving Carl living alone in the same house they first met at.

This set-up is told through a magnificent montage that is probably the peak of the film. You've probably read that in the reviews you've read that the first 10-15 minutes are touching and perfectly executed and those reviews are telling the truth. The movie never achieves the same quality for the rest of its running time.

Carl decides to attach a bunch of balloons to his roof and fly his house to Paradise Falls. What Carl doesn't know is he has a stowaway, an overweight boy named Russel who was trying to earn his "aid the elderly" badge. Soon the pair find themselves in Peru and within walking distance of Paradise Falls. Carl decides to "walk" his house (still floating due to the balloons) to the exact spot he wants to live for the rest of his life, the same spot Elie had picked out years ago. What follows is a a buddy movie in which Carl and Russel must deal with an over-sized bird who loves chocolate (Kevin), a pack of talking dogs (one of whom is a sweet Golden Retriever named Dug who is eager to please), and an encounter with the aged explorer Charles Muntz (voiced by Christopher Plummer) who has become unhealthily obsessed with capturing the large bird.

The "adventure" part of the film is perfectly acceptable but it also isn't that exciting (like they were in The Incredibles or Monster's Inc) or engrossing. At times the house is put in jeopardy but we don't really care as it's just a house, no matter what emotional weight it carries for Carl, and we all know he'd be better off if he would just let it go. The villain, Muntz, isn't interesting in the slightest and I had forgotten any and all details about the character the minute I stepped out of the theater. The set-piece scenes: A chase across a mountainous region and an action sequence set on and around a zeppelin just feel perfunctory.



The humor in the film is a more successful part of the film. Dug, and the other talking dogs, are legitimately very funny. Definitely the aspect of the film that the kids in the theater liked the most. Russel, the fat kid, is not quite as funny as the filmmakers thought he was and I grew tired of the character almost immediately (also, the subplot about Russel needing a father figure in his life, felt schmaltzy as all get out).

The main character Carl, who is basically an animated version of Spencer Tracy, is likable for most of the film but also frustrating. So much of the good will we have for the character is based on the first 15 minutes of the film. After that sequence the character only works when he's remembering his love or meeting his childhood hero; in other words, he's not that likable as a curmudgeon. You could as "well who is?" but we're asked to laugh and sympathize with this grumpy old man and I just wasn't there with him for those scenes - especially after a choice he makes late in the film. Even when he has the predictable change of heart on that decision his character was kind of lost to me by that point.



The visuals, as can be expected from Pixar at this point, are beautiful. The colors, the images, the transitions, the "camera" work, all flawless. The character designs were a bit boring and basic (the most memorable character was the dog Dug and he has a pretty bland design really). Still, you can always rely on Pixar films to be a "feast for the eyes". On the other hand I thought the score was a bit repetitive and a step down from previous Pixar films but that's a small complaint.

Also going up against Up is that it was preceded by an animated short (also by Pixar) that was better than the entirety of Up. It's called Partly Cloudy and I thought it was astounding. I don't want to spoil anything about it but it's worth seeing Up just to see Partly Cloudy. If you don't see Up, you should search itunes everyday until Partly Cloudy is made available to purchase, and get it immediately. It's my pick to win Best Animated Short at next year's Oscars and nothing that comes out between now and then will change that.

It sounds like I didn't like Up that much but I really did enjoy it. It's a great family film and if this was done by any other studio I'd be praising it even more. Pixar, however, is held to a higher standard in my mind. While Up is quality, and has moments of brilliance, it's just a little too predictable and paint-by-numbers at the end of the film for me to hail it as the second coming. It didn't blow my mind like Toy Story did. It didn't leave me in awe like Wall*E did. And it didn't leave me just completely and totally filled with joy like The Incredibles it. Up entertained me, and that's something, but that's not an all time classic.

Up Grade: B+

Partly Cloudy Grade: A

Best Scene in Up: When we first hear how the Doberman Pincher talks...