CASEY PHILLIPS: I am a huge Pixar fan, and as such, my expectations for “Up” were — forgive the pun — sky high. The movie delivers on nearly all fronts with a wildly inventive story, amusing characters (don’t be drinking anything when the snipe first appears) and some of the best animation I’ve ever seen.
Why four stars, then, you ask? “Up’s” co-directors, Pete Docter and Bob Petersen, were both involved as writers and directors for “Finding Nemo,” “WALL-E” and “Monsters, Inc.,” which rank among Pixar’s best in terms of characters. While the characters in “Up” are funny and charming, they all didn’t tug at my heart strings the way Nemo, Sulley or even WALL-E did.
That being said, the film is a marvel of inventiveness. Elderly Carl Fredericksen (Edward Asner) decides to fulfill a lifelong promise he made to his wife, Ellie, to move to Paradise Falls in South America. To do so, he attaches thousands of balloons to his chimney and floats off with an overly enthusiastic, pudgy Wilderness Explorer, Russell (Jordan Nagai), as a stowaway. Along the way, they pair up with a talking dog, Dug, and a snipe, Kevin. It’s magical stuff.
HOLLY LEBER: While I agree about the inventiveness, I have to disagree about not having my heartstrings tugged. In the aftermath of his wife’s death, Carl goes from being a lively, if slowing-with-age, man, to a grumpy curmudgeon who is basically biding his time until he can be buried, too. It was a very true-to-life portrayal of how losing a partner of many decades can leave a person feeling angry, lost and not really sure what to do with himself. The love story of Carl and Ellie is shown in a silent, five minute montage from childhood to old age, and doesn’t skimp on the tragedies of life. The wealth of emotion shown by animated characters is a real testament to how much heart Pixar is able to bring to the screen.
CASEY: I didn’t say they weren’t moving. I said they didn’t move me as much as previous characters did. Pay attention, Holly.
Family is a one of the underlying themes of the film. The serious treatment afforded the Fredericksens’ relationship makes “Up” one of Pixar’s most adult-friendly films. It’s far from morose, but it’s more heavy handed than I expected. Some of the intricacies of the familial relationships may be lost on younger viewers, but adults will find that “Up’s” trailers didn’t show all the emotional aces tucked away.
As much as I was moved by Fredericksen, I didn’t care as much for Dug and Russell as supporting characters. Russell is given some daddy issues that add a little depth to his character, but in general, he’s just there for comedic relief involving being fat and whiny. Dug is funny at first but grated on me a bit by the end.
HOLLY: Well, I’ll concede to those points. Russell’s efficacy is less as a character in himself and more as a tool in Carl’s emotional journey. Kevin the snipe adds discombobulated comic relief. The Christopher Plummer-voiced character of Charles Muntz, a former war hero turned evil, blimp-dwelling (not to mention 120-year-old) mastermind with a team of robotic dogs, made me wonder if someone said “Hey, we need a bad guy!” Sure, cartoons aren’t usually known for their realism, but considering the true-to-life heart of the Fredericksen character, Muntz just seemed preposterous by comparison.
CASEY: Despite my criticism of “Up,” the points are little more than niggles in the face of how fun the film is. But if you can avoid shelling out the extra dough for the 3D version, do so. The effects aren’t worth the price.
HOLLY: This really is a film for the whole family. If you’ve ever known a Carl Fredericksen type, the crotchety old romantic will move you even more.
