Believe the Hype

Rating: 10/10 (25 January 2016)

Going into this review, we've all heard about the first ten minutes of this movie and how no one will escape them with a dry eye. Some of us might have heard that this is Pixar's crowning achievement, surpassing the likes of "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo". Regardless of the buzz surrounding "Up", the film remains, quite simply, one of the finest animated movies of recent history, if not of all time. Yes, the first ten minutes are extremely compelling, and I have never seen a movie achieve its exposition so well in such a subtle way; it's something beyond remarkable. The life of Carl Fredrickson is played out to show the love he shared with his wife, Ellie, and how they had some big dreams that never quite came true. The rest of the movie is a beautiful testament to how love and the spirit of ambition take new forms as life goes on, as Carl befriends Russel, an enthusiastic young scout, Dug, a talking dog, and "Kevin", an inappropriately named tropical bird. The way this film tackles heavy issues like loss and grieving is so profound and yet simple enough for any audience member to understand. There's enough laughs to keep the kids interested, enough touching moments for adults, and an amazing sense of adventure for the kid in all of us. I can't really name a favorite movie, but if someone held a gun to my head and forced me to decide, this would certainly be one of the first to cross my mind. Absolutely essential viewing. Perfect.