In recent film history, no studio has had as consistent a record of quality films like Pixar has. Not only have they made films that are top of the line in the world of animation, but a select few have transcended the genre of kids' movies, and have become legitimate film classics. With their latest film, Up, Pixar has once again breached the boundary between children's entertainment and classic film making.
Carl Fredricksen (Asner) is the type of cranky old man that lives in every cartoon neighborhood: set in his ways, hates kids on his property and can't stand to leave the house that he and his late wife built together. When his house is threatened to be demolished, he escapes by floating his house away with what seems to be a billion helium balloons. He takes on an accidental passenger, a young Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai), and heads to South America, where he and his late wife had always dreamed of going.
What follows when Carl and Russell reach South America is an adventure along the lines of Indiana Jones, but with an old guy and a kid. In accordance with Pixar tradition, the jungle backgrounds that the characters go through are beautifully animated, and the characters and creatures they meet are gorgeously designed.
Complementing the animation is an emotionally heart-wrenching story about love and loss. The undercurrent of sadness that runs through the movie is shocking for a movie marketed towards kids, but it's also what makes Up such a satisfying movie. Carl and Russell's adventures just wouldn't have been the same without Carl's sadness.
Also of note in this movie is the film's villain, disgraced explorer Charles Muntz (Plummer), whose looks appear to be inspired by classic film actor Kirk Douglas. While most of Pixar's films don't need a villain to reach the quality they tend to achieve, Muntz adds an edge to the adventure element of the film that once again rises it above simple children's entertainment.
Up is deceptively simple. An old man and a kid float away in his house to South America and have an adventure. But with beautiful animation, a fun story and an emotional punch different from most kids films, Up is another classic from this remarkable animation company.
3 Culture
Ethan Goldsmith
28642a.jpg
