Review: Up
(G) (101 minutes) Directed by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter
When I first set foot into the theatre to view Up, I was expecting great things. Pixar seem to be the gods of children’s movies, pleasing both the child and the child’s parents. From ‘Toy Story’ to ‘Up’, Pixar never cease to entertain. ‘Up’ is Pixar’s 10th movie and the first to be originally created in 3D.
The film stars Edward Asner as Carl Fredricksen, a grumpy, bitter, old man who never accomplished his childhood dreams, Jordan Nagai as Russell, a ‘Wilderness Explorer’ who tags along with Carl for the majority of the film to obtain his ‘assisting the elderly’ badge, and Bob Peterson as Dug, a talking golden retriever.
It is unusual for a children’s film in modern times to have an old man as a central hero. Bring in Carl Fredricksen, an elderly balloon salesman. We’re first introduced to him when he is young and has a thirst for adventure. He is fascinated by black and white newsreels of his hero, the great adventurer, Charles Muntz (played nicely by Christopher Plummer). When Muntz finds the skeleton of a strange bird, he is called a fraud. He takes off in an blimp to prove his innocence. Carl then meets Ellie (played by Elie Docter), a brave young girl who shares the same interests and ideas. She dreams of one day visiting Paradise Falls in South America. The two grow up, get married and have a happy life together, as a beautiful montage points out. Slowly, their dreams of adventure fade away, then Ellie passes on. Carl is faced with an eviction. He decides to ‘dust off’ his dream and go to Paradise Falls. He ties thousands of balloons to his house and sets off. I won’t spoil anymore of the movie for you, but rest assured, you’re in for an emotional roller coaster ride of events from start to finish.
The story is imaginative from point A to point B with top class performances from Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai and Christopher Plummer. It looks at the old cliché ‘follow your dreams’ and puts a nice new spin on it. Following your dream may take you to an unexpected reality. Childhood heroes may disappoint. Also, This movie may involve you more deeply than your average family flick. Take the opening montage for example. There’s a nice action climax that’s sure to excite aswell.
All that being said I did find one or two minor flaws in this otherwise great movie. I found the ending to be slightly clichéd. If you’ve seen a kid’s film recently, you’ll know what I mean. The chronology is all over the place unless Muntz has found a cure for, um, aging somehow.
But, if you ignore these minor flaws, you’re in for one heck of an adventure. At the start of the review I said I was expecting great things. Was I pleased? Definitely!
David Monaghan
