Up [2009 film]

Carl Fredericksen always wanted to go to Paradise Falls. When he met a young girl who dreamed of going there too, the future simply unfurled ahead of them: first marriage, then a business together selling balloons at the zoo, a happy retirement and, of course, a trip to Paradise Falls. Everything happened as it should have except the last part. Carl's beloved wife Ellie died before they could go on that forever-postponed trip so he decides to move there permanently, bringing his house along for the ride. Little does he know, however, that earnest boy scout Russel has tagged along for the ride.

Not for nothing did this film win two Oscars this year. The touching montage at the beginning, showing Carl and Ellie meeting and growing old show more together, is both romantic and heartbreaking. Instead of hiding behind rosy "happily ever afters", Pixar actually dares to show an entire human lifespan, with all its detours and disappointments. The idea of casting an elderly man as the star of kids movie also takes creative chops, and they pull it off with style. Though unrelated, Carl and Russel develop a tight grandfather-grandson bond over the course of the film, which includes enough chase scenes and funny dog moments to keep younger kids happy while still containing the character development that draws in older viewers. In many ways, Carl's house, which he drags with him from place to place, quite literally represents his guilt over his delayed dreams and his inability to let his wife go. When he finally unloads all the things that have been weighing him down in order to save Russel, the audience gets a satisfying emotional payout. The last 30 minutes of the film, which can be filed under "madcap action" are just icing on the cake. Recommended for grades 2-8. show less

Carl Fredericksen is a 78-year-old curmudgeon. He used to enjoy his modest life as a balloon seller when his adventure-loving wife Ellie was still alive. When she died, Carl was left with his memories and the awareness that they never made their dream journey to Paradise Falls in South America. When well-meaning officials consign Carl to Shady Oaks Retirement Home, he rigs thousands of helium balloons to his house and floats away. He discovers that Russell, a chubby Wilderness Explorer Scout has stowed away. In the tropical jungle, Carl and Russell find more than they bargained for. Charles Muntz is a crazed explorer whose newsreels once inspired Carl and Ellie; Kevin is an exotic bird with a weakness for chocolate; and Dug is an show more endearingly golden retriever fitted with a voice box. More importantly, Carl and Russell discover they need each other. show less

A lot of movies start with young couples (or two people who end up being a couple by the end of the film) but here we start with a widower (aside from the flashback/opening sequence) which was quite the change in pace. He goes off on an adventure after refusing to be sent to an assisted living facility (do not go gently into the good night, old man!) so all's well that ends well!

Low-key for a Pixar film, this one builds to a truly moving climax. Not a kiddie film by any means. Like the most successful Pixar films, it succeeds because it has heart and soul to go along with the marvelous animation.

The opening of this film is heart-wrenching, perfect and beautiful. The rest of the movie is OK enough, but by Pixar's sky high (pun only slightly intended) standards, unfortunately nothing special. Averages out to a weak four stars rating for me.

An old man uses balloons to fly his dead wife’s dream house to South America.

I liked Wall-E better, but then I’m a science fiction geek so I guess that’s to be expected. When I first saw this, I said I'd be surprised if it wasn't my favorite movie this year. With a lot of movies still left to see, it's only a close third - pretty good, considering.

Concept: A
Story: B
Characters: A
Dialog: A
Pacing: A
Cinematography: A
Special effects/design: A
Acting: A
Music: A

Enjoyment: A plus

GPA: 4.0/4

I can't believe it took me so long to watch this film! I, like everyone else I've talked to, was in tears at the end of the opening sequence. Up is a great adventure story that shows an important relationship between Carl, a grumpy old man, and Russle, a young Wilderness Explorer. This is a great family film especially for families with children who are a wide range of ages.