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UP
(****)
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Movie Review by:
Larry "Bocepheus" Evans |
Directed by:
Pete Docter & Bob Peterson |
Written by:
Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen, Bob Peterson |
Starring the Voices of:
Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer |
Running time:
89 minutes
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Released:
05/29/09 |
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Rated PG
for some peril and action |
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"The humor is broad enough so that you don’t have to explain the jokes to
your kids and can laugh at them as well."
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The fine folks at Pixar have done it again with the
entertaining and sometimes poignant tale in Up. The main character of the
animated film is balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who is voiced by Lou Grant
himself Ed Asner. Carl is a widower trying to get over the death of his wife
Ellie (voiced by Doctor’s wife). We meet the two as kids who are fans of famous
explorer Charles Muntz, who is voiced by Christopher Plummer. Ellie is excitable
and animated while Carl is quiet and reserved so the duo are perfectly matched.
The relationship between the two is shown in a marvelous silent segment that
leaves us with Carl alone in his house surrounded by massive development. His
quiet existence is almost gone and suddenly there is a knock on his door by
Russell (Nagai), a scout trying to gain his last merit badge by helping the
elderly. Russell is persistent and extremely eager so Carl gives him a task.
Soon after something horrible happens and Carl’s life as he knows it is about to
change and in a bravura sequence it does. He has attached hundreds of helium
balloons to his house and at the right moment he sets the house free to search
for adventure only to discover-Russell on his porch begging to be let in.
Once the two are safe in the house we learn that Carl wants to do something that
he and Ellie had always planned-finish the expedition of Muntz, who has left in
shame to find something he claims exists but cannot really prove. The two
eventually find what they are looking for and in doing so also find a strange,
large and colorful bird that Russell names Kevin. Kevin is goofy enough looking
to entertain kids and his interaction between the humans who are suddenly in his
midst is charming as well as entertaining. The fun gets even sillier when the
trio encounter Dug (voiced by co-director Peterson), a dog who can also talk
since his master has given him a collar that allows him to communicate. Dug and
the rest of his canine friends (one voiced by Delroy Lindo) have been sent out
to find Kevin by his master, the now elderly Muntz.
Eventually the group encounters Muntz and from there the film turns a bit more
serious since from the looks of him Muntz isn’t exactly a nice guy. Plummer’s
voice goes from silky smooth to dripping venom during the course of dinner and
Asner does a fine job with his voice showing us that he understands that his
idol isn’t the person he expected. From this point on the film follows the
standard adventure format that results in a happy ending all around.
Up is basically a kid’s film but has enough in it to appeal to adults as well.
The humor is broad enough so that you don’t have to explain the jokes to your
kids and can laugh at them as well. During the course of the film we see a man
confront his own mortality while another seeks to redeem himself from being
called a fraud. The ending of the film is perfect save for one note involving
Russell that is set up but never happens. The credits sequence is very well done
and at the end of the film you look forward to seeing what the folks at Pixar
are going to dazzle us with next. |
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UP © Pixar/Walt Disney
All Rights Reserved
Review © 2009 Alternate Reality, Inc.
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