Your Up Reviews

Pixar's Feature Films Up
#97

Well, I just watched Up this morning, and once again, Pixar has done it! I can’t believe it, ten hits in a row, and counting, there’s gotta be something special about this company… but then, we all knew that, don’t we?

The thing about Pixar films is that it’s just so hard to hate any of their films, they’re just so charming and their characters so interesting. It is also very difficult to write a definitive review of any one of their films, and each bears repeated viewings to form a clearer opinion (I have not written a review for Wall-E for example, because there’s just too much for me to talk about in a few hundred words). Having said that, their films can be enjoyed on all level, whether you’re in for deeper meanings or just there for the ride.

And Up has got to be the ultimate thrill-ride of the year, whether animated or live-action! I will attempt to summarise my experience, but bear in mind, this is a kind of ‘flow-of-thoughts’ review, since it’s very difficult to condense great movies in the usual ‘Cast, Characters, Storyline’ review format.

I will start with the characters, since that appeals to me the most from this movie. Up has also got to have the most endearing characters I’ve ever seen from Pixar, period. More so than even Cars perhaps, and close to the level of Wall-E. It’s very difficult to find faults with any one of them. Even the villain, [spoil]Muntz, has a certain charisma to him, until he went mental towards the end, at least[/spoil]. My favourite remains Kevin, whose goofy outer appearance disguises her true intelligence as a perceptive and fast-thinking bird. Dug is just loveable as the ‘runt’ of the pack, picked on by the others, but remaining steadfastly loyal to his ‘masters’. Carl and Russell, as the two main protagnists, have one of the strongest character backstories I’ve ever seen in a Pixar film, that is revealed just through their mannerisms and speech. Great metaphors abound, [spoil]Carl locking up his house and ultimately his heart to everyone, Russell’s strong desire for that “last badge” to see his father again, Muntz being a reclusive hermit driven to obsession to clear his name.[/spoil] The heroes and baddies mirror and parallel each other (like any good movie should), [spoil]Carl being the opposite of Muntz, living reclusive lives in the hope of fulfilling their different dreams, Russell helping Carl come to terms with his desire of adventure through his boundless enthusiasm, bringing to mind Carl and Ellie’s youthful optimism…[/spoil]

The action sequences are tremendously imaginative, our heroes [spoil]steering the house through a thunderstorm, outrunning a pack of dogs through a collapsing canyon, and the heart-stopping grand finale a few thousand feet above ground.[/spoil] The frustrating and exciting thing about Pixar’s stories is that things have a habit of going pear-shaped very quickly, and if something wrong might happen, it most likely will. And trust me, Carl and Russell go through a lot of mishaps throughout their adventures. The final showdown is one of, if not, my ultimate favourite from the entire Pixar canon, purely for its sheer action-packed awesomeness. I mean, we got a [spoil]daring rescue, swordfight, dogfights (both aerial and canine) and even a shootout[/spoil] all within the space of a few minutes! The highlight for me has got to be [spoil]poor Russell hanging on for dear life from the firehose Die-Hard style![/spoil] :laughing:

Overall, this is another winner for the annals, a rousing adventure and stunning tour-de-force that grabs you from the first frame (which was similar to [spoil]The Incredibles and Ratatouille[/spoil]'s opening sequence, by the way) and doesn’t let you go till its bittersweet end. I didn’t connect with it on the level of say, Wall-E or Ratatouille, but I don’t remember a greater emotional roller-coaster than this for a long time. It’ll make you cry (I teared in the opening scene) one minute and laugh the next, break your heart, then melt it into a puddle, and it’s amazing how long since a movie did that to me. Pixar just keeps raising the bar, and this time, it has delivered a meditation on the finiteness of life, the true meaning of being a hero (“going above the call of duty”), and how sometimes the greatest adventure is in actually beginning one. And all wrapped up deceptively in a rollicking, exhilarating, h*ll of an adventure movie.

I thought I’d never say this, but to get an idea of how highly I think of this movie, I would rank it second after Wall-E and above Cars. This is truly a masterpiece of cinema, and one of the best films of the year. :slight_smile:

#98

Well, this is mean that I can wear my Partly Cloudy sig back? :stuck_out_tongue:

#99

Uh, if you ask me, I’d rather not. :neutral_face: Firstly, I haven’t watched it yet, cos’ it wasn’t shown at my screening. Secondly, even if I did watch it, there are people in other territories like the UK who have not had a theatrical release, so it’s not just me you should shown concern towards.

I don’t know… I really hate to sound like a bad guy, and I understand your enthusiasm for PC. But can you at least wait till 5th December when at least Japan has had a chance to see it theatrically? :confused: I’m not going to stop you from wearing it (partly because it has already been spoiled for me, and partly because I don’t have the right to impose my rules upon you), but there are a lot more less-spoilerific sigs you can wear, so I’m wondering why it has to be this one…

I hope you don’t take this the wrong way… again, I feel very bad for reprimanding you this way, but that’s my honest opinion. :frowning: Hope you understand.

#100

Excellent review TDIT, I loved reading it, even teared up a bit at how well you nailed some of the moments in there. I’m really glad it’s taken a top spot in your list. I wasn’t as partial to the action scenes in the movie as you were, I enjoy it much more for the emotion and the overall story, but that’s great that the action sequences got to you so much. :wink: I take it you plan on going again?

#101

This isn’t an Up review, but I’m going to have to agree wholeheartedly with thedriveintheatre. Someone (I forget who) chose to wear a signature wth an image from Partly Cloudy where the stork is [spoil]wearing the football helmet and chest protection[/spoil], at least I’m pretty sure it was this forum that I saw that image in someone’s signature. Why??? would you choose to wear a signature that gives away the end of a short that not everyone on this forum has had the chance to see?!

It kind of ruined it for me because before it even got to that part of the short in my showing, I’d already put 2 + 2 together. Next year I’ll resolve to be even stricter with people wearing signatures and avatars that give away more than you could find out in the trailer. I know you want to express your fandom, but not everyone lives in the US and gets to see the short and feature at the same time as you might.

#102

Just saw it for the 2nd time at the dollar theater.I had a good time just like how I did the 1st time. :smiley:

Movies - both new and old
#103

Today I was in the “UP” 3D (ger. “Oben”), and the short Movie “Parttly Cloudy” (ger.“Teilweise Wolkig”) is really funny! The money was worth it!
My girlfriend and I found it sad and very funny and really exciting. We look forward to the DVD, which will be purchased in any instance, and buy something other than the Special Edition we do not! :smiley:

#104

I just saw UP the other night for the first time and i was impressed!!

I never really knew what exactly the story line was until i watched it and it put me at a loss of words.

The beginning was surprisingly sad, as well as a few parts in the middle of the flick including the bird getting trapped, but the way it all ended was just awesome!

The relationship between Russell and Carl was just amazing. Russell is definitely a character that grows quickly on the audience.

I don’t want to make my review too long, so ill leave it short and sweet for those that haven’t seen the movie yet.
:smiley:

Typical Pixar masterpiece.

#105

You speak out of my mind ^ ^ :smiley:

#106

It’s sort of hard not to love Pixar anymore. I think I trust them about as much as I do my own family at this point. After watching UP it’s quite easy to see why as well.

They make all of these great stories seem effortless, and i think the main difference between Pixar and every other animation studio lies within the execution. Anyone could come up with these ideas, but not everyone could pull them off. In another universe UP would be a confusing mish-mash of lots of different styles of movies. But for some reason it all works perfectly and just seems to make sense.

This review will seem very muddled and disjointed. But it’s 2am and my head is killing me with its aching, but i still feel a need to give this movie a positive review.

I think it’s a shame that this wasn’t released in the summer for England because it had all the things that were missing from my summer, personally. It had a real sense of adventure and the sort of escapism you come to expect each year which was sadly amiss this summer. But more importantly it has a genuine hero in Carl which is another thing that any other movie I saw this year seemed to be missing. Someone who I could cheer for with out conflicting emotions of beliefs based on the character.

The film even made me cry, quite easily.

With that i think i’m just going to leave the review. I seriously need some sleep

But I did love the film.

#107

Kind of a shame you were in such a tired state typing that, but oh well. I agree. They work their absolute minds to death on creating these stories, but they’re so consistently brilliant, it’s like clockwork to them, it fascinates me to no end.

And yeah, Carl is one of the most consistently lovable characters in the movie, but it’s so incredibly subtle. He’s so irate and grumpy, but at the same time just oozes charisma, and you never cease to find a reason to dislike him in the slightest. How you can create a character with such flawed and negative qualities, and still have him be the best and greatest character (in my eyes at least) in the entire movie is absolute, unequivocal, and raw genius. I think for the most part, it stems from the beginning of the film, and from there, you just have an understanding of why he is how he is, and from that, comes a love and sympathy for him. It’s remarkable how PERFECTLY it works, and it makes the film so strong.

#108

I wish everyone would agree on this, but I have read newspaper reviews complaining that Carl came across as too grumpy to be likable.
Something like that always puzzles me, especially if you can’t even blame it on bad voice acting (Carl’s voice sounds quite good in the German dub).

#109

I enjoyed reading your review, Mark-E, even if you think it’s disjointed. Your love for the film really comes across.

My review might be quite long…I have a lot to say about this film. :laughing:

Having seen Partly Cloudy, I will say that at that moment, I was perhaps a little disappointed. (I’ll go into that in the Partly Cloudy thread, though my concerns seem to be similar to others’ who have made similar points). But the opening montage of Up stopped me from having any more worries. I loved meeting [spoil]Ellie, who came across as such a boistrous, forceful yet loveable character. Even though she didn’t have much time in the film, her personality was so vivid that it’s easy to see why Carl was so affected by her death.[/spoil]

Obviously the way the film looked was spectacular throughout, though I’m not sure if the 3D added much. I’m seeing it again next time, so I’ll compare the two. But as per usual with Pixar, it wasn’t the look of the film but the story and characters within it that really shined.

A lot of the storyline took me by surprise, especially as showing certain bits to very little kids might raise a few questions. One bit that, for some reason, really shocked me was when [spoil]Carl hit the guy’s head, the one that was trying to fix his broken mailbox. I wasn’t shocked by what Carl had done- he was under such stress that it’s understandable- but more shocked by the fact that Pixar decided to show it, and to show how those in the world who are innocent can still be easily prosecuted and put into a situation where you can’t help but lash out.[/spoil]

As for the characters, I fell in love with most of them, mainly Carl and Kevin. Carl is such an adorable, sweet man and I love how he kept [spoil]talking to Ellie throughout the movie. He learns so much about moving on from the past and having your own adventures, and I love that despite his age, he does learn so much.[/spoil] And Kevin’s just awesome. I had a feeling I’d like her from the trailers, but I had no idea just how cool she is! I love how she is both intelligent but clearly bird-brained, and how her key motivation is to [spoil]get back to her kids (which also ties in nicely with the whole Carl/Russell relationship.)[/spoil]

Muntz was also a surprise character for me. I had no idea where he fitted into the story, but right from that opening montage where we see [spoil]how he’s rejected by his peers and has lost the respect of everyone he knows, I could tell that he was going to come back later on in the film and mess things up. I keep questioning why he spent so long trying to find Kevin, and why he didn’t stop- didn’t he have any family? Did the respect of his peers really mean that much to him? [/spoil] He could’ve been explored more, though I do understand why he wasn’t. After all, the focus of the movie is Carl, and what Muntz represents is basically a [spoil]fallen role model that he once looked up to.[/spoil]

Oh, and Dug is awesome too. He obviously represents a few key things, like [spoil]not being afraid to be different and doing what you think is right[/spoil], but Dug really comes into his own with that amazing humour.

The story flowed well, and I kind of like how it becomes more and more psychadelic as the film goes on. The ending was satisfying, and I like how there wasn’t a feeling of, “oh, that’s the end of the film so that’s it.” The idea that [spoil]Carl and Russell go on another adventure of sorts means that though the film still evokes that sense of closure, it’s easy to imagine the two of them carrying on and doing so much more after we see the ending credits.[/spoil]

I wish I could end the review there. :laughing: But, unfortunately, I don’t think it’s all good. Don’t get me wrong- this is a great Pixar movie, and in comparison to most other movies around it’s almost a work of genious- but I had a few gripes.

It’s probably a personal thing, but I just didn’t like the character of Russell. I warmed up to him a little more when he reveals that [spoil]he doesn’t really have a father figure and something’s happened to his mother (though it’s never really clear what the situation is, just that she isn’t there). And he does grow as a character throughout the movie, starting off as a kid with the sole aim of getting his assisting the elderly badge, but then we find out why it matters so much to him and he reveals his own loving side when it comes to his attachments to Kevin and Dug. But…I don’t really know what it is, but despite all of this he still seemed a little flat. And a bit annoying. :laughing:[/spoil] It’s difficult for me to quantify, but perhaps it’s because in comparison, Carl is such a deep, deep character, that even though Russell does have some depth, it’s never going to be anything near the depth achieved with Carl.

Also, the story was good- very good- but part of me does feel that it comes across as just an extension of an idea. So the main, original idea was [spoil]guy lives life but doesn’t embark on the adventure of his dreams, ends up doing so at an old age and ties lots of balloons to his house and goes somewhere very far away. Which in theory sounds like a great idea, but much like with Partly Cloudy in a way (“okay, so let’s think of where babies come from…storks…clouds! And now let’s create a story around this”) the story that comes out of the idea perhaps isn’t as concise or as satisfying as previous Pixar movies. Like, with every Pixar movie there’s a key idea (toys come alive, monsters are real, fish loses his son and tries to get back to him, etc.) but the story that evolves around each key idea has to be well developed enough to be convincing. Carl wanted to go on an adventure because he hadn’t done so before and had promised Ellie he would, fine. But the whole Muntz trying to track down Kevin thing just seemed like an unfortunate sideline created to introduce strange and curious creatures, and perhaps also to offer an alternative viewpoint (Carl=letting go of past=good, Muntz=not letting go of past=death). And I’m pleased that they did what they did. It’s just it perhaps doesn’t flow as well as I thought it would.[/spoil]

All in all, there’s no doubt in my mind that this is an amazing Pixar film, one of their best. I left the cinema feeling great, knowing that I’d just seen something quite spectacular. I think it has its flaws, more in execution than in anything else, but the heart of the film is perfect. It sends out a great message without being preachy (something Pixar are getting to be experts at!) and is really quite an emotional ride, moreso than I expected.

Plus, for me to be going to see it again in the cinema, it has to be good because I never do that. :laughing:

I’ll shut up now!

#110

I think your review was completely fair Lizardgirl it certainly comes across that you loved the film and its only natural to have a few problems here and there!

Now that i’m in a much more lucid state, I think i can praise the movie a little more :laughing:

I’ve had some time to think about it at great length and hopefully i’ll have another chance to see it again.

But i particularly liked the theme of dedication that was apparent with all the characters through the movie, and the lengths they would go to in order to remain dedicated to their individual cause. It felt like a very human thing to do in my opinion which means that sometimes our judgment is clouded due to our own emotions.

Carl was clearly dedicated to upholding his wife’s dream, Russell was dedicated to assisting Carl at any cost along with making sure Kevin stays safe, Kevin was dedicated to getting back to her children, Charles Muntz was clearly quite dedicated on getting his reputation back at any cost, and capturing the bird. Then there was Dug who was clearly endlessly dedicated to pleasing his master, whoever that may be at the certain time.

But there are lots of positives about UP to go through, particularly the colour pallet used throughout the whole movie. There was a particular scene involving Carl, the house, and a red sky in the background that made a most stunning visual image of their silhouettes. It made me take off my 3D glasses just so that I could get a look to see the image in all of its glory.

There were a few surprises in the movies tone which surprised me a fair amount as well [spoil]The blood, the obvious depressing death of a baby as well as Ellie herself[/spoil]

But the movie altogether has a really downbeat attitude about itself despite being completely uplifting. For me, it has the same degree of Melancholy that i think is what i like about so many of the other Pixar movies. All of their films seem to give you something to ponder about, and that something is never a positive. Whether it be the fear of being neglected, the acceptance of the mundane within everyday life, or even the perils of destroying our own planet. Pixar always seem to include something downbeat that never makes their movies overly sappy or optimistic to a point where everything just seems too pleasant.

It’s movies like UP that reminds me why I dislike Dreamworks animated efforts so much. You just get the feeling that if they would have made UP the movie would have been quite possibly a real disaster when the end product was given to us to watch.

I sometimes wonder if Pixar know quite how strange it is to all of us that they seem to have the winning ingredients every time to make these instant classics, which is a term i don’t use very often…but i think they apply. UP just like so many other Pixar films is timeless and filled with a great story, real emotion, and they make it all seem so effortless.

But it also makes me worry about the future, I can’t help but feel as though there will soon be a hurdle that they won’t be able to jump. I fear that the increasing amount of sequels that seem to be getting released could end up with a bad result in the long run.

It’s the originality of things like UP that makes us come back to Pixar and hail them so highly as possibly the most trustworthy movie studio in the world. I think it’s completely understandable to fear that the incoming flow of Sequels might soon end their impressive run of features over the years.

But i’m straying off topic a little and I suppose i’ll end this little ramble with another small reminder that I really like this movie and will be happy to watch it again and again for years to come.

#111

Me likey! I’m going to pretty much echo LG’s review. So yeah 4.7/5

#112

Great, thoughtful reviews, Mark-E and lizardgirl! I enjoyed reading your comments.
I agree with ffdude, that the opening scenes do such a great job of establishing Carl (and Ellie) as characters that we will follow Carl through anything. Also (and I think this is a mix of the writing, animation and Ed Asner’s vocal work), we understand that when Carl is grumpy/angry, it’s because he’s hurting, and we get the emotion behind his behavior.

Tossing in a thought about Muntz:
[spoil]In the DK “Up: the Insider’s Guide” book, they make the comment that Muntz is more interested in his own “fame and prestige” than anything else, so I could see him becoming that obsessed with his reputation, and proving that he was right about his “monster.” I like Muntz, but I think that even in his younger years, he was a self-absorbed so-and-so. :wink: [/spoil]

#113

Nice full review, Mark-E! You’re right, it’s definitely a film that can be watched over and over again.

Thanks, karly05! And that’s interesting about Muntz…Hmm, seems like he has always been like that. Though I can’t help but wonder why, in the same way that I can’t help but wonder why [spoil]no-one actually seems to care that he’s been gone so long, like his family and friends…But then again, just because we don’t see that in the film doesn’t it mean it didn’t happen, I guess. It just seems odd that someone can disappear for so long without it having an effect on anyone else.[/spoil]

But now I’m straying off topic. :laughing:

#114

I’ve thought about that: [spoil]Whether anyone ever did try to find Muntz. The way they set up Paradise Falls in the newsreel, it is a remote, dangerous, inaccessible place, so there probably weren’t many people capable of looking for him (or maybe willing to take the risk). And if someone did find him, and tried to talk him into giving up on the bird and coming back to civilization, it’s a pretty sure bet that unfortunate person ended up dead. :open_mouth: This is wandering off into Fanficland, but I’m sure there were people who cared about what happened to him; we just don’t know about it because it’s not part of the story.[/spoil]

#115

Very true, karly05, I have to agree with you there. Still, it’s interesting to speculate.

I saw Up again today (was going to see it on Wednesday but got one of those 24-hour colds) and it was definitely a better viewing than the first time round. Instead of just tearing up when [spoil]Ellie passes away[/spoil], I cried properly and so did my mum, which I thought was sweet seeing as she’s never really reacted to a Pixar film like that before (especially at the cinema, as she’s deaf so most of the time doesn’t get a chance to keep up with all of the details of the story. The [spoil]wordless montage at the beginning[/spoil] was therefore as hard-hitting for her as it was for everyone else). But it all just seemed somehow…better this time. I think with a second time viewing you get a chance to sit back, relax and just let the film wash over you without worrying about whether you’ll like it or not, and I definitely found that with Up.

I think I’ll leave it at that for cinema viewings (not sure I could afford anymore, haha) but I’m pleased I went to see it again.

#116

I thought Up was superb the chemistry between the old man and the boy scout was both touching and funny. I really liked the way the house just took off with all those balloons.