Review of Up (2009) by Cathy C — 18 Jun 2015

When you think about Pixar, you will instantly picture a creative, colorful and beautifully animated film about a peculiar world; you normally wouldn't think about a human drama about normal people but that's exactly what "Up" is about.

Carl Fredricksen is a shy and naïve boy who loves adventure, he meets an energetic girl named Ellie and once they grow up they get married. They enjoy a happy marriage until their senior years due to the death of Ellie. This event scars Carl so much that he decides to go into a real adventure in the place where his wife and he always wanted to see: South America.

Judging by the premise, you may think that this is Pixar´s simplest film as it's not about superheroes or an ironic mixture of stories, but about normal human beings; but if you believe that, you are dead wrong. "Up" has memorable, excellently design and extremely likeable characters that are ultimately one of the greatest creations of the studio; the story is so sympathetic and filled with sentiment that you will remember every detail of it, it has numerous surreal ideas that make a beautiful world, the comedy is childish but it always works, the relationships of the characters are genuine and the very heart and soul of this film, some of the visuals are unforgettable, Pixar´s greatest love story (I really doubt that they will ever made something better than this), the South American environment is gorgeous, the pacing can go from sad/tearful to happy/whimsical, the drama will absorb you and make you feel a variety of emotions, it has the greatest character arcs of any Pixar film to date, an unforgettable musical theme, it has the greatest opening act of any animated film I have ever seen, it has a little bit of darkness within this colorful world, the running time is well used, the bizarre settings never overshadow the story (unlike certain Pixar film), and of course the animation continues to be jaw dropping.

"Up" is a surprising surreal drama in the form of an animated film (It's not for nothing the second animated film to be nominated for Best Picture). For me, this is the greatest film the studio has made (at the time this review was written) as it's something more than an animated film, it is an adventure in every way possible. The ultimate masterpiece of a studio that almost always hits their target.