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| Movie: Up * Trailer * Official Site | In Theaters: May 29, 2009 |
| Runtime: 96 minutes | Directed by: Pete Docter |
| MPAA Rating: PG for some peril and action |  Gecko Rating: |
My daughter and I have this running joke about how I can find something to cry about in every movie. I didn’t think that would be the case with “Up,” but sure enough, I got a little weepy a few times! But I was also uplifted and enchanted, too. Pixar has rolled out another winner with “Up.”
The movie starts with two young kids, Carl and Ellie, who are both completely fascinated by a daring adventurer named Charles Muntz (voiced by Christopher Plummer). He roams the jungles of South America, bringing back bones of animals previously unknown to man. But when he’s accused of being a fraud, he flies off to South America, vowing never to return until he can bring back living creatures to prove he’s indeed the real thing.
Carl (Ed Asner) and Ellie vow to one day see this South American area known as Paradise Falls for themselves. In the meantime, we see a beautiful montage of them getting married, turning a rundown house into their dream home, and growing old together. They save their spare change in a big jar for the future trip, but as so many of us can relate to, real life gets in the way. Home repairs, car repairs, and medical bills eat up all of their savings.
All of this takes place in the first few minutes of the film, but the movie is really about Carl’s life after Ellie. He becomes reclusive, refuses to sell his home to developers, and does his best to get by. I couldn’t help but think of Clint Eastwood’s character in “Gran Torino.”
But Carl finally figures out a way to get that adventure he and Ellie had been planning for all those years. He rigs the house to be carried to South America by thousands of helium balloons, and at long last lifts off for the trip. He doesn’t count on the stowaway who comes along for the ride – an overachieving Wilderness Explorer Scout named Russell (Jordan Nagai). I appreciate that he’s really just a sweet kid, and not some smart-mouth brat, as is so often the case with movie kids.
What Carl and Russell encounter in South America will surprise you, and the two have quite the exciting adventure together that involves lost worlds, dogs with translating collars (including a funny one named Dug), and someone who turns out to be much different than anticipated.
The beauty of “Up” is that it has something for all ages – a fantastic adventure, bright colors, cute characters, and a sweet story of friendship and growth. It’s a beautiful film with a great message for both kids and adults.
Images: ©Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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[...] lovely Disney/Pixar film “Up” hits DVD and Blu-ray on Nov. 10, 2009 (read my review here), and I had an opportunity to catch up with writer-director Pete Docter (pictured), who talked [...]
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