In Up, elderly widow Carl Fredricksen wants to stay alone in his house with his memories, but the outside world won’t leave him be.
Wilderness explorer Russell insists on helping him with crossing the street, and construction crews want to tear down Carl’s lifelong home. A crisis forces the old man to tie hundreds of balloons to his roof and pursue his deceased wife’s dream of visiting Paradise Falls in South America.
Unfortunately, Russell accidentally tags along, and Carl has to deal with the stowaway as well as tropical wildlife and an eccentric villain who’s trained thousands of dogs to attack intruders in his South American hide-away.
Many people will enjoy Up’s adventure about an old man who escapes to South America, only to find himself on the run from an evil villain’s army of trained canines.
Older viewers will understand that this is a story about accepting loss and moving on. Carl feels insulted by a world that would tear him away from memories of better times and reacts by secluding himself in his lifelong home.
As Carl and Russell continue their adventure through the rain forest, the old man moves on from his wife’s death in a montage that will leave every adult teary-eyed.
While Carl evolves the most in Up, each human character struggles to reclaim a lost legacy or loved one snatched away by circumstance long ago. This movie has something to say to everyone who has lost something, but the plot never loses its upbeat tempo.
If there is any problem with Up’s plot, it’s that it seems too fast-paced, even rushed at times.
However, the movie still remains funny, charming and touching, despite its fast pace.
Up delights the eye with colorful, detailed jungle locales and fun character designs. It’s fun to watch Russell waddle around the screen with his GPS and the pets he meets in the jungle, while Carl’s square-framed glasses and box-like arms convey his crotchety personality hilariously well.
However, the animal characters strove for realistic proportions and details such as fur and feathers, resulting in a sacrifice of the whimsical feel in the wonderfully exaggerated features of the human characters.
With that said, animation buffs will not be surprised that Up is another winner from Pixar’s stable of fun, intelligent films.
Up
Rated: PG
Verdict: Uplifting movie deals with loss in colorful and entertaining manner.
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