‘Up’ there with the best!

Pixar’s latest project is the spectacular story, Up. This film opens with a beautiful montage of a relationship building from childhood to old age.

Such issues as miscarriage are even brought into this section in such a way that allows the older members of the audience to fully appreciate what’s gone on; and even feel a pang of ache that the characters feel, while also not being too in your face for children. And that they could understand that they wanted a child but couldn’t. Such a touching opening that shows the journey of two peoples lives until one of those people sadly passes.

This is where another journey begins; old age alone and all that is ensues when you are a stubborn individual who sees things around you change but won’t allow that change to happen to you; believing that staying as you are will make everything feel like it used to, but we know it never does.

As I stated earlier we get introduced to the two characters Ellie and Carl whose love for a specific adventurer brings them together from childhood. This relationship blossoms into a marriage with its complications but mostly admiration and love for each other. Carl is unfortunately left on his own after the death of his wife at what must have been a decent age for anybody. Carl however has lost his very soul mate and is left an empty husk strolling around his beautiful home full of memories but still strolling alone; but there is one more journey Carl has to make before he leaves this world, a journey he promised his late wife they would both make one day.

It is after a certain event that gets Carl arrested and sentenced as a nuisance that he is enlisted to join an old persons home, something he laughed at prior. However, when the gentleman whom came to pick him up arrive he surprises them both by lifting the house from the ground with thousands and thousands of bright balloons and floats away sticking his tongue out and sticking it to the man in turn. Here the real adventure begins as Carl will finally attempt to fulfil that promise he made Ellie.

Along the way Carl befriends several adorable characters, Russell a “Wilderness Scout” who was only trying to get his “Helping the Elderly” badge before getting stuck into the action and going above and beyond his duties, quite literally! There’s also the colourful, in many ways, exotic bird called Kevin; named by Russell even after finding out the bird was a female. And then there’s the talking dog Doug, yes you read that right talking dog but it is through the power of technology that this dog talks and I’ll let that pass as at least they try to give reason to this unimaginable situation and character.

Carl also meets his long time hero Charles Muntz, however this long awaited meeting doesn’t go as Carl had ever imagined and we are introduced to a man obsessed who would go to any limits to accomplish his dream much like Carl but he has his moral compass turned on unlike that of the oddball Muntz.

Without giving away too much of this journey I would like to stop here and just state that the film is a joy from beginning to end. Pixar very rarely disappoint me (In fact I’ve only ever hated the lack lustre Cars film made specifically as a franchise for ten year old boys it seems) and this is by far a perfect example of why they are considered one of the best companies for family entertainment. This is indeed one of the finest pictures, if not their best. I adored the endearing beauty, the heart wrenching sadness and most of all the finely tuned and perfectly timed humour throughout. A real gem! Go watch!

5/5 Stars

Up is released in the UK on the 9th of October, and released on DVD & Bluray in the US in November.

Info & Links
Reviewed by Rhys Bap Williams.
Up Official Site
Pixar