Up: Just Fine

Rating: 7/10 (1 April 2010)

Pixar's newest and arguably most well received film, Up swept the world with its mix of comedic and dramatic elements. Positively received by critics and crowds alike, it comes with a daunting reputation.
Carl Fredricksen is a curmudgeonly pensioner, living alone in an increasingly urbanised environment following the death of his wife. When construction work damages his DIY mailbox, Carl strikes out, and is condemned to a retirement home as a result. Unwilling to leave his home, he uses thousands of balloons to lift the house away and fly to South America, as he once planned with his wife.
The first ten to fifteen minutes of Up have become amongst the most famous scenes in recent cinematic history. Conveying a life of love and loss without words in such a short and simple scene, Pixar may well have accomplished their best work here. It is endearing, emotional, and engaging, immediately allowing us to forgive Carl's gruff exterior and meanness. After the involving start, however, things begin to follow a standard formula, with wicked villain, threatening henchmen, catchphrases and general conventions of children's films. This may be appropriate, given that the film is just that, but the potential purveyed in the opener unfortunately goes largely untapped. The remainder of Up, following its strong start, simply fails to live up to what it might have been. Jokes are mildly amusing, plot is insufficiently entertaining, characters are less than enduring. Though it functions just fine as a children's movie, it leaves a sense of disappointment behind it.
With a strong start, Up promises much but fails to deliver the best. Entertaining despite this, it works as a way to pass the time and entertain the kids. Its beginning taken as a short might have made Pixar's best film, but as a whole it keeps the audience happy, if not thrilled.