So as you can tell from my older review of Wall E, I'm kind of a Pixar fan girl. Now, I'm not so much of a fan girl that I can't accept when Pixar makes some not-as-great-as-usual films (Monsters Inc. and Cars wasn't their best, and when I say that I mean it was good, but it isn't their usual level of awe-inspiring great), but for the most part I have accepted that my heart belongs to Pixar, and that every year, a part of my pay check will go towards supporting their work, be it by buying a movie theater ticket, a DVD copy, or dare I say it, soundtracks and knick knacks from their films. And just when I thought that they couldn't out do themselves due to Wall E's pure awesomeness, they come along with a film that I truly and honestly love, and is what I consider to be the best film this year.
Up is one of those films that is just amazing, in the true sense of the word. It has appeal to almost any audience you can imagine, and has so many layers that I could write a whole paper, or novel, on the gravity that this film has. The animation is stunning, the characters
are developed and lovable, the story is timeless, the dialouge is pitch perfect, and the score fits perfectly with the feel of the movie. This is one of those rare gems that will make you laugh, cry, miss your childhood, look forward to your golden years, and make you step back and see a new perspective on life. And all of this from an animated movie about a house floating away on balloons. Well that, and so much more.
When I first heard reviews flooding in from last years Fantastic Fest that within its first ten minutes, Up had audiences sobbing, I was skeptical. I like to think that I'm one of those stone hearted cynics that, when it comes to movies, you have to do a lot to make me care, and do even more to make me cry. So I was surprised when I found myself bawling during the opening montage that portrays the marriage and lives of Carl and Ellie Fredricksen. This single montage is one of the most moving, emotional, beautiful things that I have ever seen portrayed on film, and that sequence alone deserves every award out there to give, and should be seen by everyone at least once in their lives. I honestly have a hard time putting into words how amazing this part of the movie is.
The plot is as follows: af
ter the death of Carl Fredricksen's wife Ellie (aka the love of his life) he has been living a grouchy, hermit lifestyle in solitude, alone in his beloved house. When face with the threat of being kicked out and moved to an old folks home, Carl uses his ex-balloon salesmen skills and riggs up thousands of colorful balloons to his house, in an attempt to fly himself and his house to Paradise Falls, the one place where he and Ellie always wanted to go, but never got to. And thus the adventure ensues from there, introducing characters like Russel, the lovable little kid that unintentionally joins Carl on his adventure, Dug, the talking dog and Kevin, a colorful tropical bird.
Now with that last sentence I know what you're thinking: talking dogs? Great. But please bear with me, these aren't your usual Disney like talking dogs. These dogs use dialouge that actual dogs would use if they could talk, not some smart-alecky sarcastic quips made up by a writer. I may not be making a lot of sense here, but trust me, the talking dog thing isn't a comic relief shtick and it never gets annoying or juvenile.
Which brings up yet another great thing about this film: the movie isn't juvenile. This movie refuses to talk down to kids, and uses a very grown up story in a kid friendly medium (animation) to teach kids (and adults, teenagers, and seniors alike) a very important lesson about life and love. I don't want to ruin what it is by saying it, but its something that can be lost on some people in this day and age.
The characters as I mentioned before are fantastic, and you'd be hard pressed to find a person that didn't instantly identify and fall in love with them. Carl is your jaded, old neighbor with a heart of gold that loves a lot, Russel is you when you were a kid: over active, loud, energetic and has a soft spot for animals and the wilderness. Dug is the outsider of his group who can't seem to do anything right or fit in, but eventually finds his place. Ellie is that person who walked into your life and changed everything, the loud adventurous person that made you come out of your shell...the list goes on and on, but as I mentioned before, all of them are lovable, relatable, and above all else are developed so well and have so many layers to them that they seem realistic and will win you over.
The animation in this film is your regular Pixar grade quality stuff, meaning that it yet again impresses and looks gorgeous. The sequence of thousands of balloons exploding from Carl's house is a triumph in this medium: they're vibrant, translucent, they float and move like real balloons and just like you were when you were a kid, you're captured by them and can't take your eyes off them for a second.
I've seen this film about five times so far, and I've teared up every single time. I've also shown this film to about six people and each of them have walked away loving it just as much as I do (its interesting to note that each of these people is from a different age group, ranging from teenagers to small kids to adults). To say it once again, all of these things show that this is a perfect, truly great film. I believe that this is the single greatest film I've seen all year, and deserves a spot in the various lists of the greatest movies of the decade. With the Academy Awards expanding their Best Picture category to 10, it is also possible that Up might get nominated, which would not only be well deserved, but would be a great win for all of animation in general. If you haven't seen this film yet, I can't suggest it more highly: you must see this film.
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