Up (2009)

In my eyes, Pixar can do no wrong in both their short and full-length films. Even their film Cars, which was good but not great, is way above most animated films that come out of rivaling factories. The quality that makes them stand out amongst the rest is their great storytelling ability that spans across all ages.

Up stretches this characteristic to the utmost by having its two main characters be an old widower and a persistent young boy scout. Oppressed by loneliness and life, the elderly Carl (Ed Asner) picks up his life (literally) and flies his home with helium balloons to a place he’s always wanted to visit. What he does not plan for is an adventure that comes in the form of a stowaway and a land full of creatures… both familiar and unusual.

I don’t think Up surpasses other Pixar films, but it succeeds in being innovative, yet not too unfamiliar. It’s so rare to see elderly main characters and the director, Pete Docter, uses Carl as an emotional center that encompasses life that any adult can relate to. To say that I just teared up a couple of times would be an understatement. Just when you are hit at your emotional core, the film whisks you away to a land of humor, action and entertainment that you just can’t find in one place.

Up had just enough moments where I felt like I was watching an animated children’s move and not a film, but it has to be one of the stronger movies I’ve seen this year. One thing you can ALWAYS guarantee with a Pixar movie is a fun time, and as ticket prices continue to go up, it’s great to have that security as a moviegoer.

I give Up 4 out of 5 talking dog collars.