Ah yes, we're finally getting into one of Pixar's most emotional films, well other than Coco that is. This little 2009 movie made by Pete Docter has touched the hearts of many people over the years. I kid you not that this is one of if not the most popular Pixar movies to date. Next to Disey's Beaty and the Beast, it recived a nominaton for an Academy Award for Best Picture. But when looking into it many years later, does it still fly high as it did when it was released in theaters? Or has time brought this movie down like Carl at the film's start? Let's find out.
The Story: If you think about it, the film's premise really isn't all that impressive. It just tells the story of a widowed old grouch named Carl Fredrickson who has seen better days and is determined to keep a promise he made to his deceased wife when they were kids, which in this case is going to live near a waterfall in Central America. However, in execution wise, it actually makes that simple plot more interesting as it throws in a whole bunch of stuff to suck you in with interest in where the ovie is going, like characters to play off Carl who have their own development to them and the setting of Paradise Falls. Also, I would also like to point out that the movie is more character-driven, as it looks into Carl's life and why he's so determined to go to South America with his house, which gives the film an emotional tone. I also would like to talk about the story's pacing, which starts off slow and happy at the beginning with Carl and Ellie's married life, how emotional the story gets when we end up at Paradise Falls, and a bit of a combination between happy and sad when the story gets clsoe to the end. I can safely say that the story here is as bright as the sun in big blue sky.
The Animation: Let's be honest, Pixar has quite the reputation for having grade-A animation; whether it be from films like the Cars franchise, Inside Out, WALL-E, Finding Nemo and Dory, and especially Coco, they know how to animate things in their movie. This film is of course no exception. The animation in this movie is as grand as the jungles of South America. Starting things off with the backgrounds, it's quite amazing to see the attention to detail on basically everything in the movie, from Carl's house, to the city where he lives in, to the sky and the clouds within it, to jungle parts of Paradise Falls, to the Spirit of Adventure zeppelin, and so much more. As for the character animation, it's highly impressive seeing Pixar being able to use animation for humans in such a thrilling enviorment, even to the movement of their clothes whenever they move. The same can be said for other characters like the dogs and Kevin the exoctic bird. Also, it seems really great to see how they animate the items of the movie, wheter it be the dogs' collars that enable them to speak or the countless number of balloons tied to Carl's house. The animation here is basically like the adventure Carl and Russell go on, it's full of twists and turns that leave you amazed and shocked in the best way possible.
The Characters: Remember when I said this movie is character driven? Well, it's safe to say the the characters in this movie live up to that statement, and no example can be truer than that with Carl Fredrickson. As a man who lives a lonely life ever since the demise of his wife Ellie, he's the type of character who's behavior comes from what he experienced in life. From heartbreak, to changes in time that annoy him, to having determination to follow on a promise he made to his late wife, the list goes on. Although he's so determined to bring his house to Paradise Falls, he would be put in more than one situation that causes him to put that on hold in order to help his new friends, which would later tie-in to how Ellie would want him to live his life even after she died, thus giving Carl some character development and adding in to the film's emotional tone. Other characters that really drive this movie to be great is Russell, an excitable 8-year-old 'Wilderness Explorer' who's main goal is at first to assisit Carl to get his 'assisting the elderly' badge, but after being exposed to what's happening in Paradise Falls, he becomes motivated to do what is right, even if it means he won't get that patch. Also, we later learn in the movie that he has a somewhat troubled home-life, which makes him more relatable. As for their new animal friends, Dug the Dog and Kevin the Magestic Bird, at first they seem like general comic reliefs, but as the film would go on, they do have a significant role to the movie that makes them just as enjoyable as the main characters with Dug being an outcast to Muntz's fellow canines, and Kevin trying to get back to her children but being the target of capture. And then there's Charles Muntz, the villain of the film who is honestly the most interesting character out of everyone in this movie. Was once a respected expeditioner who lost his glory when being accused of falsifying a speciman of an exotic bird, he is determined to capture the beast to restore his reputation, even if he has to off someone who he thinks is in his way. He's sort of like Carl as both of them lost something they hold very dear and he also plays a part in Carl's character development to make him grow. As for other characters seen in the film, they're a bit of a mixed bag like Alpha, Beta, and Gamma being your standard villain's henchman and Ellie seems like just the movie's driving force. It's safe to say that the main characters are what really make this movie fly high.
Well Pixar, you really outdid yourselves. Well that;s a bit of an understatement since you always tend to do so. Up is without a doubt, one of Pixar's most greatest films. The emotion, the humor, the action, the lovabld characters, the list goes on. I wouldn't be surprised if Pixar decided to re-release this in theaters within the forseeable future. If you are a major Pixar fan, than this is a movie for you and yur family to enjoy. It's safe to say that this film went all 'Up' in entertainment and that is why I am giving this movie the AniMat Seal of Approval. And I dare say that it possibly deserves ore than that.
Story: 10/10
Animation: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Score: 10/10