Pixar’s UP

Since Pixar arrived on the scene with Toy Story the have set the standard for animated films. Each time they bring out a new film, I always wonder if they will be able to pull it off again, since each of their films follows a unique storyline, instead of a classic fairy tale.

Pixar's Up

Up once again covers new ground, and won me over heart and soul. It is amazing that the storytellers at Pixar are able to tell the love story of Carl and his wife, Ellie, in just a few minutes without words, and succeed in tugging at my heartstrings more than entire 3 hour films have often been able to do. If you are a parent of young children, be prepared to talk about death and loss and forgotten promises after the film. The kids will have a lot of questions. Also, be prepared with a batch of tissues for everyone. Even my 19 year old son and 21 year old daughter wept their way with me through part of this film. This is not to say that UP is a depressing film, on the contrary, you will leave feeling rejuvenated, albeit somewhat wistful or contemplative.

We saw UP in 3-D and were thrilled. This is definitely NOT the 3-D of my youth. We wore simple glasses in the theater that gave a wonderful depth to the movie. Unlike many 3-D films that use the effect to shock the audience, Pixar used it to an a richness and depth to the film that was amazing. If you have the chance to see it this way, please do.

The story really begins as Carl is left alone and miserable when the love of his life passes away, with his promise to her unfulfilled. On the verge of being forced from his home, he hatches a scheme to fly his home to South America with thousands of helium balloons to finally fulfill the promise he made to Ellie. A young scout, named Russell, inadvertently accompanies Carl on his great adventure, and a grand adventure it is.

I highly recommend this film for families of all ages. However, if you don’t want to discuss the issue of the loss of a loved one with younger children, then this film may not be the right one for you. On the other hand, I think this film also becomes a wonderful opportunity to discuss a difficult topic with children in a sensitive manner. Since there is such an important backstory that takes place at the very beginning of the film, I recommend that you wait for another screening of the film if you are even a couple of minutes late.

Take a memorable journey with Carl, Russell, and Dug (the talking dog)… yes I know I didn’t discuss him, but you’ll fall in love with him along the way. Remind yourself of the important people and promises in your life, and see if your life is in need of a course correction.

1. 

   Johnnie Monaghan says:

   June 7, 2010 at 12:05 pm

   I love the Toy Story movies, great animation.