Pixar's most mature and bravest effort to date...

Rating: 8/10 (11 October 2009)

By now it is somewhat passé to mention Pixar's track record as a film studio; the effortless consistency of their output shames virtually all others in the film industry, whether animated or live action. Since their inception with the seminal Toy Story (which, I would argue, remains their best film), Pixar has seen meteoric success with virtually every consecutive release. After the daring and audacious WALL-E, Pixar had a lot to live up to with their next effort, and while Up is a little more routine, it is still another valuable entry into the animated canon with all of the heart and soul that you would expect.
Up revolves around Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner), an old widower who, after having a violent outburst against a construction worker who broke his prized mailbox (which he built with his late wife), is forced to move into a retirement home to live out his days. However, he's not about to go quietly; he attaches hundreds of helium-filled balloons to his home, causing it to take flight, with sail set for Paradise Falls in South America, a trip he had been planning with his wife Ellie, but she died of old age before they could go. Things become more complicated when Carl realises that Russell, (Jordan Nagai), a young Wilderness Explorer, has stowed away on the "ship", becoming Carl's unlikely sidekick.
If judged solely on its first reel, then Up is the film in Pixar's canon that can legitimately challenge Toy Story's claim to supremacy. The film begins with the same daring promise that made WALL-E one of Pixar's best films; it features an uncharacteristic (and dark) opening that cleverly traces the several tragedies and injustices of Carl's life, while remaining vague enough not to upset children. In the prologue montage, Up observes the problems that many couples are faced with, such as the difficulty to conceive, and of course the universal inevitability of death and of being alone, and the fact that Pixar chose to even glance over this at all is a testament to their artistic integrity. This isn't an easy film to market as a result, and the fact that there aren't many Carl Fredricksen figures in toy shops is all the more power to their stature as tellers of powerful stories rather than manipulatively cute animations mechanically rendered for profit. As Pixar have proved with the Toy Story films in particular, they care about their predominantly young audience, and won't condescend them. As beautifully realised as it is heartbreaking, Up provides one of the best prologues in any Pixar film, and exemplifies that they're capable of dealing with humanistic themes directly through human characters, as well as through anthropomorphised animals.
While Carl does often pore over pictures of his deceased wife, and there are frequent reminders of the inevitability of death, Up is also replete with the exuberant charm and visual brilliance that one expects from Pixar, although in this stead it does also become a more familiar adventure romp. Of course, genuine charm oozes out of every frame as Carl and Russell arrive in South America and meet a host of weird and wonderful animals, but it's clear that the chance for greater depth has been squandered for fear of not tinkering with the success of formula. This isn't so much a complaint as it is an observation; as a clever kids film that's going to entertain tots and their parents, it is tactful enough to allude to mature issues while also not veering too far from the comfortable norm. It's not that one expects pomp and profundity, but given how much Pixar have gotten away with here with a U rating, it would have been nice to see them totally go for broke.
Although not nearly as ambitious as WALL-E from a visual perspective, Up is a stunningly rendered film, and those watching the 3D presentation in particular will doubtless marvel at the exhaustive attention-to-detail and resplendent character design. For all of its aesthetic flair, though, what really holds Up together is the earnest voice performance of Edward Asner, whose nuanced vocal work forms the film's heart and soul, making this irritable old coot with a broken heart seem animate beyond his rendered bounds. If the Academy is prepared to consider voice performances, he would certainly be among the first in line to earn a nomination. While the film itself may earn a Best Picture nomination under the revised 10-film category, Up isn't Pixar's best. Nevertheless, it delivers the goods and boasts expectedly incredible visuals. Not to mention, Carl is among the more relatable and personable characters in the Pixar catalogue, and it's difficult not to become entranced and captivated by his heart-wrenching story. As such, it's easy to argue that this is Pixar's most mature and bravest effort to date.