Review of Up! (1976) by Matthew O — 22 Jun 2016

When you think about the basic premise of this movie, it's a pretty strange one. An old man taking his own house to South America of all places by lifting it up with balloons. That is very bizarre, but also very original. And Pixar is known for coming up with these very unique ideas, so it was interesting to see what they could do with this concept.

Once again, Pixar had shown us that they are one of the best in the animation industry. Not only did it have very likable characters, beautiful animation, hilarious jokes, and a unique story, but man is it emotional. Pixar is also known for being able to really tug you at the heartstrings, and they really do it in this movie, particularly the first 10 minutes. Two children who are polar opposites, Carl is a shy and polite little boy and Ellie is a energetic and fun-loving little girl, immediately befriend each other due to sharing their desires of going on adventures. In a matter of minutes, we see their whole life flash before them. They get married, they work together, they wanted to have a child but are sadly not able to, they continue to realize their dream of visiting Paradise Falls by saving up money, but constantly have to spend it on other needs in their life, and continues on until they reach old age right before (SPOILER ALERT): Ellie meets her inevitable death. All of this is done without any dialogue, just in mime, visuals, and Michael Giacchino's beautiful music. He earned that Oscar. This scene is probably the best and most emotional thing that Pixar has ever done, or perhaps any film has ever done. It just gives everyone the idea of what life is. So, what else can I say about it that has already been said so many times? Well, what I can say is that I first saw this movie when I was ten years old. Since I was a kid, I couldn't relate to it that much and wasn't emotionally devastated like everyone else. I didn't know what to make of it. But now, of course, I understand. It's a huge tearjerker, everybody loves the opening scene of the movie.

And that's only the first 10 minutes. How's the rest of the movie? Some complain that the rest of the movie is just okay when comparing to that incredible opening scene, it doesn't ever reach the same level brilliance. I can understand that and I do kind of agree. After the opening, the movie becomes a fun and happy adventure with the old man and the boy that he gets stuck with, and meets a few other characters along the way, including his hero Charles Muntz, (SPOILER ALERT): who is actually the villain. But, don't you think they would need that fun adventure because of that heart-wrenching scene in the beginning?

And plus, I love the adventure that the characters go through. For one thing, the landscapes of Paradise Falls are absolutely beautiful to look at. And the characters they focus on are so likable that you want to stay with them throughout the entire movie, and they do! I love the growing bond between Carl and Russell, I really feel a genuine friendship between them. I love how they give so much personality to the animals, like the bird and all of the dogs. I want to see the bird get back home to her babies, and they absolutely nailed the personality of the dogs by giving them a voice box, which led to a ton of hilarious jokes. My favorite being the high-pitched voice box on the menacing Alpha dog. And even though it's kind of obvious that Muntz is the surprise villain, it makes sense why he is the main antagonist. He's been hunting for this bird all his life, and his desire to capture it has driven him insane over the years.

There is actually one scene that I think is almost just as powerful as the opening, and that's when Carl looks through his adventure book and sees all the photos with him and Ellie together. It shows that they weren't only trying to save up to go to Paradise Falls like what we saw in the opening, it shows that they've had a fun and happy life together. The moral of that scene is so meaningful, that it's okay that life might not always end up the way you want it or expected it to. Your life is full of adventures that can be treasured, especially the ones that are shared by the people you love. That last quote perfectly illustrates the moral, "Thanks for the adventure - now go have a new one! Love, Ellie." I'll admit, sometimes I get a little teary-eyed at that scene.

In conclusion, the film gives us a fun and surreal adventure with very likable characters, beautiful animation, and a perfect amount of pathos that so many people can relate to. Even though I personally don't relate to it as much as something like TOY STORY, THE INCREDIBLES, or INSIDE OUT, I perfectly understand the poignancy of it. Overall, UP is a wonderful film, and I give so much credit to director Pete Docter, he really knows how to direct a great Pixar film.

Grade: A+.