Who's Your Favorite Up Character?

Pixar's Feature Films Up
#1

Most of us have already seen the movie, some of us have yet to, but have seen enough footage to get an idea of the characters. So let me ask you: Who is your favorite character in the movie Up?

Here are my top 3.

  1. Dug: He was arguably the most adorable character in the entire movie. He is so cute and so chubby. He reminds me of my dog. His character was pitched so perfectly. His body expressons, voice, and eyes are factors of why he is number one on my list.

  2. Russell: I believe that Pixar really did a wonderful job making this character so cute and unforgetable, but Jordan Nagai really made this character come alive and leave a lasting impression in my heart.

  3. Carl Fredricksen: Who says old guys can’t have fun? And who says that the elderly can’t carry a story in a movie? Carl did it just perfectly. I love his dedication and his heart. [spoil]The opening scene to the movie really displayed his undenying love for Ellie.[/spoil]

Honorable Mention: Munz: Pixar once again gave us a villain that we can love and dispise at the same time. There were two parts for me that really stood out with Munz: [spoil]When he attempted to burn Carl’s house, and the ending fight between him and Carl.[/spoil] In the end, I, along with most of the audience in my theatre, were cheering when Munz reached his downfall . . . [spoil]literally[/spoil]. :laughing: :wink: :unamused:

#2

Honestly, I loved all the characters in the movie in their own ways. Each of the main characters at one point you get emotionally attached to and realize they’re more than just animated characters. I’m referring to Mr. Fredricksen, Russell, Kevin and Dug. They all had their share of emotional character development.

As for Muntz, I thought he was an awesome villain too. In my opinion he’s up there with Hopper for scariest villain… By that, I mean you will truly hate him at one point. Syndrome was great, but in a different way - he was way more sarcastic than any other Pixar villain.

Anyways, with that said, Up had a strong cast of characters. All of them were lovable in their own ways, and the villain was strong too.

#3

My favorite character was Carl Frederickson. I like him because he had the kind of attitude like “I’m going to do what I think needs to be done if it kills me!” Totally awsome! :stuck_out_tongue:

#4

I’m not sure I can pick a favorite from this, and that is saying something. The core characters all work so well together (including Muntz), it’s hard to start singling them out. If I had to pick one, though, I’d have a hard time not going with Dug, just because he’s so darn lovable. [spoil]“I was hiding under your porch because I love you” is still one of my favorite moments.[/spoil]

I’d have to vote for Muntz as Scariest Pixar Villain. Hopper’s a great villain, and one of my all-time favorite Pixar characters ever, but Muntz is [spoil]insane! When he sets fire to the house, when he tries to kill Russell (more than once!), I mean, this guy is not messing around! And his “trophy” helmets and goggles from the other poor unfortunates who crossed his path… Creepy, scary guy! And a great character, because we see the man he used to be, and understand how he turned out as he did.[/spoil]

#5

I’d have to say my favorite character is Carl. I don’t know what it is with me and the old, grumpier Pixar characters, but I just seem to love them. Besides, I found it so sweet that he was taking his house up to Paradise Falls all just for Ellie. :slight_smile:

#6

Exactly. And the song at the end of the movie is kinda depressing even though it is upbeat. You realize how far Muntz has fallen from an adventure hero to a killer. Scary.

#7

I don’t get what you mean.

#8

This is one of those rare movies in which all of the characters - and I mean all… antagonists included - are so well-crafted and full of depth; so much that I just cannot narrow down a sure favorite. (With the exception of WALL•E. Absolutely every character in that movie is downright amazing and brilliant.)

I would probably have to say that out of all the cast in this film, Carl and Russell are my favorites. :laughing: “Well, duh, they’re like the main characters… you’re supposed to like them…!” Haha, well, that’s not even half the reason why I love them. :wink:

For one thing, Carl Frederickson is essentially my grandfather in cartoon form. Look, attitude, style of speech, sarcasm… just everything about him is my grandfather! When we first watched the trailers for Up, my mom was the first to exclaim, “Oh my goodness, that is so my father…!” And a notable occurance was when we were leaving the theatre for the first time after seeing this movie. We took my grandparents with us (they loved this movie, by the way!) and as we were leaving, I heard a young lady behind me say, “Did you see that old man…? He looked just like the old man from the Pixar movie!” I knew without a doubt she was talking about my grandfather. :smiley:

One of the things about this character that just grabbed me was his love for Ellie and the relationship they shared. You don’t see very many marriages nowadays that last longer than a year, and I think the fact that Carl and Ellie were married throughout their entire lives, despite the circumstances they faced on their journey, is a beautiful thing. Often times we see couples divorce when finances are tight, a job is lost, a tragedy occurs in the family, or things just don’t go as planned. But the fact that Carl and Ellie remained strong and let their love for each other - as well as their vivid dreams - remind them that all was not lost touched me genuinely.

Russell is a truly endearing character in that he is the perfect image of a normal eight year-old boy. For some odd reason, I expected him to be a rather “shallow” character; meaning he was a rowdy, curious eight year-old and that was it. But to learn that he is far deeper than that really caught me by surprise. (I don’t know why… I mean, this is Pixar we are talking about…!) I think that by revealing that [spoil]Russell is dealing with his parent’s divorce, never sees his father because of it, and is forced to live with a “new mother” (Phyllis)[/spoil] really helps to draw the audience in emotionally - not just adults, but children as well. So many poor children [spoil]go through divorces[/spoil] and can probably relate with Russell and the pain he is feeling. I find it touching that Russell speaks of the situation from his point of view, although it is expressed so simply; in the best way a child can explain.

As has already been mentioned, Muntz was really a surprising villain. He was a lot darker than I expected; almost to the point of scaring me while watching the film. [spoil]The way his demeanor changed so abruptly while Russell spilled his guts about Kevin was really what made my heart begin to pound. His manner of speech and the way he knocks the mannequins off the table, as well as the dim lighting of the scene, succeeded in giving me slight chills.[/spoil] With the film being a lot more thematic than previous Pixar productions (with the exception of The Incredibles), I thought that [spoil]his death in the end[/spoil] was an appropriate (although most certainly shocking) resolution for his role.

Dug had to be one of my favorites as well. I just loved his innocent personality, and he was such a perfect reflection of how dogs think and act in general. :wink:

Hmm, can anyone tell by now that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie…? :laughing: Everything about it was just… ahh, too good for words. I, the queen of adjectives, can’t even come up with ones adequate enough to even begin describing this film. <3

little chef

Mods: I wasn’t sure if what I wrote in my paragraph on Carl and Ellie needed spoilers. I tried to keep what I was writing about as general as possible. If there are any need of spoilers please let me know. :wink:

#9

It’s so hard to choose a favorite! This is the first film where I feel emotionally attached to the vast majority of the characters.

  1. Russell: He’s too adorable for his own good! I really loved how his story line was handled. He gave me many laughs… and a few tears.

  2. Dug: Super lovable. I absolutely love Bob Peterson as his voice; totally made the character for me. He’s such a loyal, fun loving dog.

  3. Carl: I could really feel for Carl. I enjoyed his story line a lot as well. His transformation was the most touching for me. I also like how he interacted with Russell, Dug, and Kevin.

  4. Kevin: I just love Kevin. She’s such a quirky bird.

#10

Kevin, every time he* was on screen I smiled from ear to ear. :slight_smile:

edit: she*

#11

Me too, Geoff! :smiley:

#12

1) Russell - With the exception of a tender, rather depressing moment that takes place in his life, Russell is basically a representation of my sister and I when we were kids. I love him as a character as it is, but I also relate to him on several levels. His enthusiasm, his tenacity, his desire to please, and his buoyant personality are all things that I touched base with in my earlier years. Plus, he’s just adorable. I’ve seen many a cute Pixar character but I didn’t think they could overdo it…

2) Dug - I ended up loving Dug way more than I thought I would. His mannerisms and overall personality are absolutely charming.

3) Carl - A character with so much depth it’s almost tangible, Carl takes the third spot on my list. His subtle emotions, resilient attitude, and tender history makes him altogether appealing and relatable. You can’t help but sympathize with this character.

Additionally, I also liked the personality of Muntz. He became a pretty intimidating individual at one point, and I only wish that we could have been further acquainted with his evolution.

red - I still say that we’re related. Our viewpoints and history are so similar, it’s not even funny. I mean, my grandpa looked like Carl and everything, too. Gee whiz. Are we twins?

Concerning Russell, I always thought that he [spoil]lived with his original mother, not Phyllis[/spoil]. Perhaps not?

Heheh. Don’t worry. You’re good. :wink:

– Mitch

#13

Hmm, I’d have to say Dug. Simple as that I guess :laughing:

#14

Carl get’s my vote. Muntz second.

#15

Mitch, I agree with your interpretation. My impression was that [spoil]Russell lives with his Mom, whom we saw at the Badge Ceremony. His parents are divorced, Dad has moved out, and is now living with his new wife/girlfriend, Phyllis. When Russell calls his Dad’s new home to talk to him, Phyllis often answers the phone, and says Russell is bothering his dad too much. I think the scene where this is revealed is great, because Carl assumes that Russell lives with both his parents, who are happily married to each other, Russell doesn’t realize that Carl assumes this, and they’re both sort of talking at cross purposes until Carl finally catches on.[/spoil]

#16

Wow, I thought it was pretty clear that he is adopted/ a foster kid. Why would Phyllis be his Dad’s girlfriend? I think that his Mom died and didn’t want his Dad to have custody over him.

#17

[spoil]My favorite by far was Ellie. She was so funny and high spirited in the beginning and I really just loved her. I felt so bad when she died, but it was really sweet how she put her “Adventures” with Carl in her book! [/spoil]

I really wish we saw more of her character!
:smiley:

#18

karly05 - Yes. Spot on. That’s my exact same assumption. I also love that particular moment in the film; the manner in which the dialogue is handled – in such a delicate and clever way – makes it feel that much more natural. It’s such a beautifully executed sequence.

Buy-N-Large - [spoil]It never really occurred to me that Russell was adopted, and I still don’t think that that was the case. Based on pure assumption, I always took it for granted that Russell’s mother was still living, as he mentions her early on in the film. There is a moment where Russell annoys Carl to the point where Carl asks if Russell would like to play a game called “see who can be quiet the longest”, to which Russell replies, “My mom loves that game!” True, he could have been adopted, but the manner in which he refers to his parents doesn’t make me think so.

If you’re suggesting that Phyllis is Russell’s foster mom, why would Russell call her by her first name and then proclaim outright that she wasn’t his mother? Taking previous information into account, we know that Russell’s mother is still living, so Phyllis has to be someone else. As karly05 stated, we do see an Asian woman at Russell’s Awards Ceremony at the end of the film, clapping as Russell shows off his last badge, so it’s logical to assume that this is his mother, in which case – and judging by the hints we’re given throughout the film – he is living with his mother.

I’ll admit that Russell’s backstory confused me the first time around, as I figured that there could have been several explanations as to what his history really was. However, the assumption that his father and mother are divorced, that he lives with his mother, that he hardly ever gets to see his father, and that Phyllis is probably the new lady in his father’s life, seems to make the most sense; at least, to me it does.[/spoil]

– Mitch

#19

[spoil] Well I was just talking with my mom about Russell’s family situation and I think that his mother and father are divorced and Russel is living with his mother. His father probably is too preocuppied or neglects Russel now that he has a new fiance, girlfriend , or even wife (Phyllis I’m assuming is that person, since Russel does not seam too fond of her and calls her by her first name, saying she’s not his mother.). Or that Phyllis doesn’t really like Russel and whenever he calls tells him to stop it and that his dad is getting annoyed with him. Like she doesn’t want Russell or Russell’s fathers ex-wife to be part of his life anymore and is being a bit selfish.

I do think that the asian women at Russell’s ceremony is his mother because they are of the same ethnicity and he smiled at her and she clapped for him. [/spoil]

Thats just what I got out of it.

#20
  1. Carl & Russel- They’re just such lovable characters. Probably Now my favorite Pixar Characters behind Woody, then Buzz, then Carl& Russel. :slight_smile:
  2. Ellie
    3.Dug
  3. Muntz’s dogs
  4. Charles Muntz
  5. Kevin