MPAA Rating: PG/Genre: Computer Animated Adventure Comedy Drama/Voices of: Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger, David Kaye, Mickie T. McGowan, Danny Mann, Don Fullilove, Jess Harnell, Josh Cooley/Runtime: 96 minutes
I think it is safe to start this review off by asking all of you a question. That being what would you say is the most extraordinary adventure that you have ever been a part of? Now whilst a great many of you would dazzle me with tales of extraordinary locales complete with seeing things that could only truly happen once in a lifetime to say nothing of interacting with intriguing cultures beyond your own back home, there is perhaps one adventure that I don’t think a lot of you would tell me about. That being the simple yet still quite extraordinary adventure that is everyday life. Yet what if I told you dear reader that there was a slice of cinema for families that used this answer as a backdrop for a story about a slightly grumpy *to put it mildly* older fellow getting the chance, in the wake of a genuinely heartbreaking personal tragedy, to go on a truly extraordinary adventure? An adventure incidentally that, amidst all the chaos and excitement, results in the man possibly discovering along the way that sometimes it’s not so much about where you go or what you do/see in this life, but rather who you spend it with and the seemingly every day, run of the mill teeny tiny little things in life that can make for the most enjoyable adventure of all? If your answer is that you are intrigued then fear not because the slice of cinema I am describing for you, 2009’s Up from Pixar Animation Studios, happens to be one that I reviewing for you today because my dear mom asked me to for Mother’s Day. Of course, it should also come as no surprise to learn that, I mean this IS Pixar we are talking about, this is an absolutely fantastic slice of cinema. Indeed there might be a few teeny tiny issues that one could find if one really wanted to look hard enough. Even with that in mind though, we still see that with the aid of incredible and quite potent work on both sides of the camera, Up manages to be both an genuinely emotional and amazing slice of cinema as well as proof that when it comes to a studio taking the time to conjure up stories that speak to both kids and older kids (or adults if you prefer) on an intimate level there really are few that do it as well as Pixar plain and simple.
The plot is as follows: Up gets its engaging narrative underway by introducing us to a shy and bespectacled 9 or 10-year-old boy by the name of Carl Fredericksen. A young boy who, among other attributes worth knowing about him, is a unapologetic fanboy of a famous explorer named Charles Muntz (think Kirk Douglas mixed with the obsessiveness of Percy Fawcett). An explorer who had vanished in the jungles of South America looking for further proof to restore his credibility after showing off the skeleton of a giant bird only to become the laughing stock of the scientific community. We soon see as our young hero crosses paths with a fellow fan of Muntz’s by the name of Ellie who wishes to take her clubhouse and move it to the very place in South America which served as Muntz’s last known whereabouts. Of course, as in a lot of boy meets girl situations, we see that the friendship between Carl and Ellie soon develops into something more and the two eventually settle down and marry. Yet despite having a long and healthy marriage, we see that life continues to throw wrenches into their dream until one day it throws perhaps the most heartbreaking wrench into these plans of all. A stretch of time after this particular calamity, we see that a now-70-year-old, alone, despondent, withdrawn, and more than slightly grumpy Carl has desperately hung on to his and Ellie’s home even as the city desperately deploys every measure to buy the land so they can build skyscrapers on it. However, following one particular incident with a member of a nearby construction crew, we see the city finally mandate Carl to forfeit the property and be relocated to an assisted care facility (read: a nursing home). Not about go down without a fight however, we see that Carl makes the choice to instead respond by tying thousands of helium balloons to the roof and take off, property and all, for Paradise Falls in order to fulfill his promise to Ellie all those years ago. Of course, this would be a clean getaway all things considered if it weren’t for the annoyingly perky 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell who finds himself an accidental stowaway on Carl’s house-blimp-thing due to being on his porch at the wrong time. At any rate, we soon see that this unlikely pair will find themselves engaging in a truly incredible adventure. One that will see them run into figures from Carl’s past, introduce them to an incredible dog named Dug, and might ultimately even see the duo change each other’s lives in ways they never thought possible…..
Now right off the bat, it should be said that the work done behind the camera on this slice of cinema is something genuinely special to behold. This starts with the helmsmanship by both Pete Docter and Bob Peterson which manages to be both lively in terms of both action and comedy yet also know when to push pause and give us a moment that is designed to tug at your heartstrings a bit more. Perhaps the finest example of this is the film’s opening sequence. A sequence that, despite no spoken dialogue whatsoever, manages to do an absolutely wonderful, albeit heartbreakingly so, job at taking us through Carl and Ellie’s life together in order to both make the main character of Carl a much more three-dimensional character as well as illustrate for us why he is the way he is for the rest of the movie. Suffice it to say that if you haven’t bawled your eyes out by the time this particular sequence is over then you might want to see a doctor about tear ducts that have been shut with super glue. Jokes aside, we also see that the script for this slice of cinema is also one of the more beautifully written ones for an animated film in some time. Sure, the amount of dialogue on display does get a bit scarce at times in the movie, but making up for that fact is two things. Those being that almost every major character in this gets both a moment to shine and the fact that they are all written so well that they feel less like characters in an animated slice of cinema and more like actual individuals (even Dug, a talking dog no less, is portrayed here in such a way that you wouldn’t be surprised if it was revealed that there was one of the souls in training from Pixar’s 2020 film Soul residing in him.) Along with these elements, it should also be said that this slice of cinema is also the blessed recipient of a truly beautiful musical accompaniment from gifted composer Michael Giacchino. Indeed not only does this score play as a wonderful blend of wistfulness at what once was and melancholy at the way things are now for our hero, but it also manages to pepper in little moments of hopeful optimism as our hero begins to slowly but surely pull himself out of this slump he’s been in and learn to enjoy and appreciate the little things in life again. Suffice it to say that it is a very moving score and one that fits the movie perfectly. Thus when you also manage to incorporate into the mix animation that manages to be a terrific hybrid of both vibrant and upbeat in equal measure, I think it can be safely said dear reader that the work done behind the camera does a wonderful job at not only bringing the world of the film vividly to life, but it also does it in a way that makes the whole affair feel refreshingly genuine as well.
Of course, as to be expected for a movie from Pixar, the voice work on display here from the cast of players in front of the camera here is no more and less than top-tier in every sense of the word. This starts with the phenomenal screen talent Ed Asner in the lead role of Carl Fredericksen. Yes, the character looks like the second coming of Spencer Tracy and sounds like the take on Santa from 2003’s Elf. With that being said though, there is no denying that Asner does a great job at portraying for us a more than slightly cantankerous character who, in the aftermath of tragedy, has turned his back on the world due to thinking there was nothing left out there for him. Yet as the movie goes along, we see that little by little Carl starts to discover not only that it is still worth being a part of the world even with the absence of the person who made it worth living, but that that there are still adventures to be had in the world. Suffice it to say it is one heck of a performance from a legend who gave us his fair share of those and more. The same could also be said incidentally for Christopher Plummer who is perfect in the role of Charles Muntz. Indeed, without going into too many spoilers, imagine if explorer Percy Fawcett was found and he turned out to be more than slightly unhinged and that should give you an idea of where to start with the character. I also find myself really appreciating the vocal work done here from Jordan Nagai as Russell. Yes, when I first saw this movie, I must admit that I did find this character more than just a bit annoying. With the passage of time however, it really has dawned on me that this kid is supposed to represent the side of Carl that he had buried when Ellie passed and how him being in this story was not meant solely to drive me nuts. Rather, he is supposed to operate as a catalyst for Carl to not only be a part of the world again, but to also embrace and love life again to say nothing of see it for the exciting adventure that it can be. Sure, he does it in a way that is way too perky (I kid, I kid), but even with that in mind, there is no denying that Nagai does a magical job here and it really is a shame this is the only performance he ever gave, but when the end result is a vital part in a film this phenomenal can you really blame him? Without a doubt in my mind though, the MVP in terms of performances has to be co-helmer/scribe Bob Petersen in the role of the dog named Dug. Indeed right from his very first line of dialogue, this is a dog that I guarantee you will not only make you laugh and smile at his goofy antics, but also warm your heart with his loyalty, devotion, and just plain upbeat outlook on life. I mean as someone who has owned more than his fair share of pups over the years this was a character that I instantly fell in love with and there was even one scene, I won’t say where, that definitely had me in tears. Not only because of how well-done the scene is, but because of how much it reminds me of the relationship that I have with my dog Becky. Thus not only is this truly a winning performance, but it also proves to be one that this slice of cinema just wouldn’t have been complete without. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in a delightfully silly performance from iconic character actor Delroy Lindo as well as from Pixar lucky charm John Ratzenberger among others it is clear as crystal to me that the work done by this cast will most assuredly make you laugh and, for some, make you hold back tears as well.
All in all and now that I’m done making my way through a box of tissues, I think I can safely say to you that the slice of cinema that is 2009’s Up is easily one of the most beautiful movies I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. Indeed here is a film that tells the story of a man, courtesy of a truly extraordinary adventure, rediscovering the joy of living to say nothing of the fact that every moment we are alive can be an adventure in and out of itself so long as we spend it with those we love and care about and proceeds to tell it in a way that is equal parts funny, heartfelt, wistful, honest, and especially tear-jerking at points throughout all rolled into one incredible product. Yes, it might seem like here lately with a lot of the movies that we as movie goers are being given that the magic of the movies might finally be starting to be thrown into serious question. However, with the aid of truly phenomenal work both behind and especially in front of the camera, all one needs to do is see this slice of cinema to realize that the magic, much like our hero’s love of life in this, isn’t gone for good just yet. Rather, it’s only been buried to an extent and, should the right movie (much like the character of Russell) come along, I am confident that the magic can and will be fully restored much to the delight of audiences of all ages and across the planet. Until that day comes however, I think we as movie goers should take a moment to sit back and watch slices of cinema like this one. Not only to remind us of how genuinely great a movie can be or for that matter to remind us of what the magic of cinema can truly look like in the first place, but also to serve as a warm and friendly reminder to then take that magic contained within and find areas in our life that desperately need it and apply it there. Both so we can remember to love and appreciate every day of life that we are given, but also to ensure that we make the most of those days in whatever form that takes as well. Make of that what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Up “09” a solid 4.5 out of 5.
