"Hey, I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, "I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead." Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead."
Carl (Asner) has always longed for adventure. As a child, he followed the career of Charles Muntz (Plummer), a world renown adventurer. When authorities question Muntz's latest discovery, he goes to clear his name... and Carl meets the woman of his dreams, Ellie, over a mutual admiration of Muntz. Both long for adventure and plan to follow in their heroes path.
Fast forward a few years, Carl and Ellie are married, but never get around to starting their adventure. When Ellie dies unexpectedly, Carl is heartbroken. The only thing that matters to him is keeping the house the way it was when Ellie was still around, but a contractor wants to remove his home and send him to an assisted living facility.
But before that can happen, Carl rigs hundreds of balloons to his house, making the entire house take flight. He wants to take the house to Ellie's dream location, at the top of a secluded waterfall in South America. Along the way, Carl discovers he picked up Wilderness Explorer Russell (Nagai), who just wants to help an elderly person so he can get the last required badge and move to the next level of exploring. Together they locate the falls and a pack of talking dogs... including the lovable outcast Dug (Peterson), and a strange chocolate-loving bird that Russell names Kevin.
Once again Pixar has yet to steer me wrong. The story was complicated enough for an adult to be interested (and relevant), but fun enough for kids to be completely hooked. The story, animation, music, everything was spot on!
The film opens strong as Carl's life is unfolded through a series of snapshots and minimal dialog. You care about him, and are moved by Ellie's death (this isn't a spoiler as this fact was covered by any trailers and basic plot synopsis for the film). Even as a crotchety old man, you still cheer for Carl. The relationship between Russell and Carl was also well done.
Other reviewers complained about the talking dogs, but they were my favorite characters. Dug is adorable and endearing (the quote above is a discussion between Carl and Dug),
The other dogs are a bit on the rough side, but still make you laugh with their interesting speech patterns and names for things: the cone of shame, calling Russell a "small mailman." Of the pack, the leader Alpha was my favorite (the voice gets me every time).
I can't see small children liking this film... some of the action sequences are a bit intense (to a little kid). Otherwise, this is a great family film. Thank you Pixar for once again making a quality family film, that is well made and entertaining. Keep up the good work!
Up (2009) 96 minutes
Rating: PG for some peril and action.
Director: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
Starring: Ed Asner as Carl Fredricksen
Christopher Plummer as Charles Muntz
Jordan Nagai as Russell
Bob Peterson as Dug / Alpha
Delroy Lindo as Beta
Jerome Ranft as Gamma
Fast forward a few years, Carl and Ellie are married, but never get around to starting their adventure. When Ellie dies unexpectedly, Carl is heartbroken. The only thing that matters to him is keeping the house the way it was when Ellie was still around, but a contractor wants to remove his home and send him to an assisted living facility.
But before that can happen, Carl rigs hundreds of balloons to his house, making the entire house take flight. He wants to take the house to Ellie's dream location, at the top of a secluded waterfall in South America. Along the way, Carl discovers he picked up Wilderness Explorer Russell (Nagai), who just wants to help an elderly person so he can get the last required badge and move to the next level of exploring. Together they locate the falls and a pack of talking dogs... including the lovable outcast Dug (Peterson), and a strange chocolate-loving bird that Russell names Kevin.
Once again Pixar has yet to steer me wrong. The story was complicated enough for an adult to be interested (and relevant), but fun enough for kids to be completely hooked. The story, animation, music, everything was spot on!
The film opens strong as Carl's life is unfolded through a series of snapshots and minimal dialog. You care about him, and are moved by Ellie's death (this isn't a spoiler as this fact was covered by any trailers and basic plot synopsis for the film). Even as a crotchety old man, you still cheer for Carl. The relationship between Russell and Carl was also well done.
Other reviewers complained about the talking dogs, but they were my favorite characters. Dug is adorable and endearing (the quote above is a discussion between Carl and Dug),
"Won't you please be my prisoner, please please please!"
The other dogs are a bit on the rough side, but still make you laugh with their interesting speech patterns and names for things: the cone of shame, calling Russell a "small mailman." Of the pack, the leader Alpha was my favorite (the voice gets me every time).
I can't see small children liking this film... some of the action sequences are a bit intense (to a little kid). Otherwise, this is a great family film. Thank you Pixar for once again making a quality family film, that is well made and entertaining. Keep up the good work!
Up (2009) 96 minutes
Rating: PG for some peril and action.
Director: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
Starring: Ed Asner as Carl Fredricksen
Christopher Plummer as Charles Muntz
Jordan Nagai as Russell
Bob Peterson as Dug / Alpha
Delroy Lindo as Beta
Jerome Ranft as Gamma
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