Good but not great (A little surprised by all the superlatives used on this film )

Rating: 6/10 (12 January 2010)

Up was definitely a good, quality movie. The visuals and landscapes were very bright, defined, and full of wonderful detail and description. Easily the best aspect of this movie, story-wise, was the early montage showing Carl moving through life from a young child, to marriage, older adulthood, up through the death of his wife. Though you didn't know this character too well at this point, you felt for him rather deeply by seeing his life progress, start to end. This flow of life from childhood to old age is an immediately identifiable aspect of the movie. Anyone with a depth of personality and a reflective side, can identify with this. It is Film-making at it's best. We all know the feeling. The vibe and feel one gets when at weddings, graduations, funerals and any place at which one can be witness to the fast flowing nature of life and the reflection that naturally comes with such moments.
Unfortuntaley the rest of the film did not live up to the emotional weight that this scene created. The movie took turns for the inane and silly, without enough in place to "ground" it to the worthy beginning. The bird Kevin was sort of random and odd, as was the talking pack of dogs. These 2 plot creations would seem to be mainly geared towards the child audiences that any animated film is sure to garner. The weight and meaning from the beginning was lost in these campy moments.
Carl's hero, Mintz, as an aged, obsessed, evil, egomaniac seemed to be out of nowhere as well. It appeared to be like something out of a week-day cartoon. The movie again lost its direction and focus during these parts, particularly as Carl was attempting to get his house over to the falls. Once you make it within eye sight of the falls, you're there! As the film ended, some emotional, weighty moments did occur, culminating in Carl's friendship with Russell and the pictures shown during the end credits. There were not enough of these moments and too many moments that went for the "silly", specifically scenes with the dogs, the birds, and, Mintz.
I definitely understand the affinity for this film, yet I do not feel, when taking into consideration the loss of focus and random/silly moments in the film, the drive to describe this movie as one of the best Pixar movies of all time. Ratatouille, Wall-E, The Incredibles, for starters, were all more complete and quality films with more of a consistent flow, from cover to cover.