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''I don't want your help, I want you safe.''
By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.
Edward Asner: Carl Fredricksen
Certainly it is rather obvious that Pixar has become the most dependable studio out there for producing reliable films that don't simply continue to raise the standards in animation but also at the same time set a level of excellence in story, plot and raising spirits. Up represents another change in style, as significant as Wall-E's shift to photorealism, intricate camera effects and darker themes. Up effectively blends moments of tragedy with almost at times, jolly humour, while showing that their understanding of story structure and pacing becomes more enlightened upon every new project.
Up is about a 70-something ex-balloon salesman who fulfills a lifelong dream of adventure by tying thousands of balloons to his house and flying away to South America. This trip, inspired by his adventure- loving wife who dies before their dream is realized, is forced when property developers attempt a compulsory purchase on his house and try to move him to a retirement home (Up in a way has similarities with Gran Torino, addressing age and retirement homes). The problem arises in the form of a rather talkative 8 year old Wildness Explorer stowed away on the property when it begins it's ascent. Their adventure focuses on the characters they meet along the way, while our hero Carl is still trying to drag his house to the dream destination upon the top of a waterfall paradise.
The opening shows the life of Carl, growing from an young boy, meeting his adventuring-loving girlfriend, their marriage and her death just before their adventure starts - it's an incredibly emotional 5-minute intro that is light on dialogue yet heavy on visuals, and caused a great stir in emotion for me. This sequence in particular was certainly reminiscent of voice free parts of Wall-E which deliver their plot punches without exposition or the need for endless sequences that would take twice as long in live action. But this approach doesn't leave the younger audience behind either, and for such a dark start, all I could see in the audience were kids and adults alike glued to the screen.
I won't give away any more plot details since the film doesn't open for another three weeks, but every scene and character trait is meticulously plotted so that nothing seems too ridiculous or contrived, even for such a fantastic journey. The graphic stylization is also fresh, in the same way that The Incredibles had a very distinct and authentic look. All of this serves to elevate the humour and there are some particularly funny scenes, helped by the way the characters are quickly and believably established.
This is the second time I've been to Pixar to see a pre-release of a movie and I felt a little scared before seeing this one, wondering if their run of first-class work may have grinded to a halt. On the surface, I didn't really think a story about an elderly chap in a flying house could live up to my favourite film classic Wall-E, yet although the films are as different as they can be, Up is as gripping and entertaining as any Pixar film before it.
Overall, Up and the little short film included with it, about clouds, are certainly brush strokes of genius. A must see not just for children but for adults too, Up is an exceptional story of life, friendship and the unimportance of materialism. Whether it be a house or a helmet, you can't take them with you, when your time is up.
''Thanks for the adventure. Now go have one of your own.''
9/10
