All of the dogs are collectively my favourite character. I like how they [spoil]are suddenly friendly when not under Muntz’s orders[/spoil]. Even when someone else is talking in the scene I have to watch the dogs [spoil]spilling the wine all over the place and stuff[/spoil]. They are so charming.
Muntz is an awesome villain. He was so likeable at first and suddenly becomes scary when we see his darker side. He really made me nervous.
Kevin was just ridiculous, in a good way. This is random but her head is really cute.
About Russell, when I first saw the movie I assumed he [spoil]lived with Phyllis, but then I realised it makes a lot more sense if he lives with his mother (since he mentions her a few times at the beginning)[/spoil]. I do think they should have made it a little clearer.
I liked the running joke of [spoil]referring to Russell as the Small Mailman[/spoil], as well as the way that Alpha would [spoil]phrase things, in this formal-to-the-point-of-sounding-awkward way. One of my favorite lines in the movie is still the way he says, “Why do I not have a surprised feeling?” when he finds out that Dug has lost the bird.[/spoil] Also, the fact that the worst fate that can befall them is [spoil]the Cone of Shame![/spoil]
Kevin, because how she [spoil]never really left them[/spoil] and how she [spoil]saved everyone’s life[/spoil]. Plus she looks awesome.
really, i love her so much, that on june 7th, i took control of one of my dreams, summoned Kevin, and met her in the flesh. she was scared of me though.
Carl and Kevin are kind of equal for me. I just love them both so much. Carl I sort of always knew I’d probably like, but Kevin was a real surprise! And my third favourite character is Muntz.
What the, why have I not posted in this thread yet?
Carl - His development, arc, personality, everything is just great about him. He’s such a grumpy character, but at the same time, you deeply sympathize with him, and you can’t help but root for him the whole way. I don’t understand how anyone could make a character with as many flaws and negative qualities to be so favorable and likable at the same time, it’s absolute genius.
Ellie - Another example of creating a character that does the previously-thought undo-able, [spoil]She’s in the movie for 5 minutes, but you instantly fall in love with her, she just oozes personality and appeal, and she’s adorable to boot![/spoil]
I think I’ll just copy what ffdude just wrote, swap the #1 and #2 positions, and add Kevin to complete my top 3:
Kevin deserves that spot because [spoil]she is one of the most adorable and funny movie characters ever, that does not have any dialogue[/spoil].
I like Kevin almost as much as the Totoro clan, the soot sprites and the catbus (all from “My Neighbour Totoro”), and that is saying something.
Though I loved all the characters, Carl Fredericksen tops the list. His character is just so original and effective. His grumpiness provides many opportunities for laughs but also draws sympathy. We get to watch his entire life go by, an amazingly emotional part and his personality is just so lovable.
high fives Majesticstorm took the words right out of my mouth! Carl’s a fantastic character, I love it when people say he’s their fave. I’m not usually partial to main characters, but Carl is my favorite, possibly my favorite character from anything! They really did an excellent job with him, I don’t think there’s a single moment in the movie you don’t like him, or sympathize with him.
#1 Carl. Really connected to this character, anything this guy did entertained me, or really made me feel for him.
#2 C.F. Muntz. A really interesting character, [spoil]before he gets angry and goes into desperation trying to catch Kevin. Hearing him talk about his past life before leaving to Paradise Falls was fun. I believe he mentioned playing a game with Roosevelt? That bit got a kick out of the older audience in the theater.[/spoil] Yeah, I realize that’s an unusual choice for #2, haha.
#3. Probably Russel. Just everything about him really. He’s adorable, and Mr. Docter reached his goal of not having a “phony” sounding child actor.
#4. Dug & Kevin. These two are tied. They both do or say enough kooky things to really make them stand out. I can’t pick between the two.
#5. Ellie. She remains throughout the entire movie, whether it be in spirit or memory, and really helps drive the emotions of this movie home.
So, there are my top 5 spots. I like all of these characters a lot, so there really isn’t much difference in being #1 or #5 on my list.
He’s ended up being my #2. (I probably still have to stick with Dug as #1, for the sheer cuddly, lovable, made-me-want-a-dog factor.) I love that bit with Muntz talking about [spoil]playing gin on safari with Roosevelt, because it’s one of our first real glimpses into his “dark side” - good grief, this was presumably a casual game played to pass the time, and 70 years later, Muntz is still fuming mad about Roosevelt cheating![/spoil] Yeah, he is not one to ever let go of even the least of slights, which is how he got himself into this situation to begin with.
While I seriously love them all, I’ll have to go with Russell.
He’s so cute. I mean, just looking at him makes me feel all happy. I dunno. AND this is kinda weird since I usually have an unfair bias against kid characters… but for some reason I really liked Russell. Perhaps because he is so believable. The one moment he’s like ‘LOL Imma assist u nao’ and a moment later he’s like ‘I’m tired, I have to go to the toilet, my knee hurts, bawwww’
and when [spoil]Carl and he were sitting under the house and he asked Carl to protect Dug and Kevin and to cross his heart, I cried ;-;[/spoil]
Carl, Dug, and Kevin get honorable mentions too, they’re all so awesome. Carl was really an amazing character. And [spoil]when Ellie died[/spoil] was so sad, I really felt sorry for the poor guy ;-;
I didn’t want to start a new thread, and since we’re talking about Russell, this seemed like a good place to post this:
I feel like I just had a real-life encounter with Russell. There is a pack of Boy Scouts selling popcorn door to door in my neighborhood, and I just bought a tin of popcorn from a couple of them. They were about Russell’s age, and they were the neatest kids and reminded me so much of him - not in looks, but just in their earnest and enthusiastic personalities. One in particular (who was the more earnest and “Russell-like” of the two, and actually was a tad round) was a great salesman; I asked him what he recommended, and he pointed out different things in the brochure that he liked, or that they sold a lot of (I bought a tin of “triple delight” popcorn with chocolate, toffee and yogurt drizzle - Kevin would go ga-ga!). I’m kind of like Carl, in that I’m not used to being around kids, and not always sure how much I like them, but these two won me over.
I have four favorite characters from this film actually
Carl- What I like about him is that he’s one of these grumpy old man types and it makes it kind of funny. He’s someone who has lived for a long time and has seen alot during that lifetime but he does remind me of some teachers I had from time to time. I’m sure that every person in one point or another has met someone like Carl
Russel- I like how he is a sweet kid but he does remind me of some of my friends growing up, especially my best friend. She came from a divorced family and sadly, her father was a man of broken promises. It seemed like everytime he would arrange for them to meet or promise to chat with her on the phone, one way or another these kind of promises always ended up broken resulting in my friend feeling very hurt. I remember that on her thirtheenth birthday, we waited up ALL night for her father to call and wish her happy birthday, she insisted that he promised but with every passing hour, it became obvious that it was just another broken promise once again. I at that age tried to make up excuses for him, telling her that maybe something came up or that he had realized that he forgot but that it was too late to call and would do it in the morning. I was trying to make up excuses for a man whom I had never met, that I didn’t know that well, and probably in the end did not deserve my sympathy. Even when morning came, he had never called, another broken promise that left her feeling like something was wrong with her when in reality that wasn’t the case. When they had the scene of Russel to recieve his badge, while he stood there alone for a few seconds, once again it reminded me of my friend. During our senior year, we were both in marching band and they did this thing for the seniors where we would stand out on the field and be there with our parents while they said our names. Everyone there was with their parents, parent, grandparents, etc except for her. My best friend stood alone there and couldn’t help but cry as they called her name. Her mother couldn’t go to the game, her grandmother was in the restroom and didn’t realize that they had called her name at the time, and her father who once again made another promise that he would be there had never showed. It’s nice to know that Carl was able to be the father that Russel’s father could never be. Russel is a very sweet kid who, like my friend, doesn’t deserve to have a man of broken promises for a father.
Dug and Alpha- I’m an animal lover but out of all the dogs, these two were my favorite because they remind me so much of my own two Sam and Dash. Dug is similiar to my dog Sam, loveable and quite prone to being distracted while he also isn’t the most brightest crayon in the box but still a loyal dog. Alpha reminds me of my other dog Dash, very smart and intelligent, you can always tell just by looking in his eyes that behind them is a very intelligent brain and that the gears are always turning. The breeds chosen for the two also seems to fit them as well. Dug being a golden retriever shows that he is one of those kind of silly playful types while Alpha being a doberman represents a form of leadership and dominance, you know just by looking at him why he’s alpa male and pack leader, it was a place within the pack that he had earned.
One of my favorite physical/animation bits involving Dug, ever since I saw it in a promo before the movie even came out, is how, in the “SQUIRREL!” bit, his tail starts wagging before his head turns back to Carl, to show that his body is already relaxing out of the Squirrel alert well before his brain is ready to let go of it - it just feels like such a true “doggy” moment.
Princess_Darkness - Regarding the comparison of your friend’s situation to that of Russell’s history, that’s such a sad and tender story. It’s such a shame when parents neglect their children in that way – the kids really want to spend those precious moments with their parents, and it must be painful to see them go through life with a lack of guidance or support. I’m sure she really appreciated the fact that you were there with her to comfort her, though. It’s great to have a friend to talk to.
karly05 - I also liked this action of Dug’s that the animators incorporated into the film. They add such a level of realism to their characters while still keeping it fairly cartoon-y.
Well, I know I mentioned this before, but after almost a year it’s… undoubtedly clear that Russell is now my favorite Pixar character of all time. This kid is just… the cutest thing since… dental wax or something. Pixar has a knack for creating adorable characters, but, in all honesty, I think they crossed the line here. There is no way that a character could be this cute. Normally, my infatuations don’t last this long, so either something is seriously wrong with me or Pixar just didn’t know how adorable they made this kid.
I love Russell to the point where I’m on the verge of writing Pete Docter a letter saying how cute I think this character is – in fact, I’m gonna do it. And, again, I don’t love Russell in that way; in all honesty, it’s in an, “Aww, look at the puppy dog!” kind of way.
Carl I sort of always knew I’d probably like, but Kevin was a real surprise! And my third favourite character is Muntz.