"Up" Is Another Animated Masterpiece from The Geniuses at Pixar

Rating: Null/10 (16 May 2010)

One of the more surprising things about Disney-Pixar's "Up" is that it shows how Pixar is closer to the old Walt Disney classics than the modern Disney animation films could ever be. "Up", being Pixar's 10th film, pretty much shows how Pixar manages to stay consistent with top-notch storytelling, great characters and wonderful visuals. They're a far cry from most modern animation, as they care about the story and the characters. "Up" proves this once more. The sky was the limit once Pixar released "Ratatouille" and "WALL-E". Those two films proved that Pixar could take any concept and make it work.
"Up" tells a story in its first five minutes. If you were to take the first five minutes of "Up" and release it as a short, it would've taken home numerous Oscars. It's one of the best opening sequences to an animated feature. It immediately draws you into the story and the character of Carl Fredericksen, and his motivation for turning his house into a makeshift aircraft. From there, "Up" becomes a rollicking and fun-filled adventure, but the emotional side of the film remains there throughout.
If anything, "Up" is a fantasy film that has a lot of imagination feel. Who wouldn't marvel at an adventure in the South American jungles with plane-flying dogs, giant colorful birds, paranoid 100-year-old explorers and flying houses? It shows that Pete Doctor (the director) and Pixar's writers have an imagination, and that's much better than anything DreamWorks has churned out over the past 10 years or any other "big" animation studios.
"Up" soars when it comes to action sequences. Otherwise, the film is hilarious. Dug was probably my favorite character, as he stole the show. The emotional side was beautiful. When I saw this in theaters on its opening weekend, I really connected with the opening (Since my grandfather died two months before the film came out), and I also could connect with the scene where Russell implies to Carl that his parents are divorced and his father is a dead- beat. I like when animated films use these themes. It shows that Pixar makes films that can appeal to anyone of all ages.
The animation in this film was great as well, very stylized. It had a more cartoon-y feel to it, and it worked. The artwork and design was beautiful, especially with the South American Tepui. The film has the feel of a really good action film.
The film breezed through its 96-minute runtime. I thought it could've been longer, but I think the film was supposed to be an emotional but fun-filled adventure. I remember when "Up" was announced, they said it was about a 78-year-old and an 8-year-old fighting exotic beasts in the wilderness. That idea intrigued me, but I think it was used just gear people up. The film turned out just fine. Just a thought, though.
In conclusion, "Up" is one of Pixar's darker films and it definitely works with its strong story and characters, and its sense of imagination and fun. It's a great mix of all kinds of things. The great Walt Disney once said, "For every laugh, there should be a tear," and "Up" perfectly fits that quote. This is why I'm a devoted Pixar fan.
A 10 out of 10.