"UP", up and away! Pixar has produced another masterpiece/instant classic; the year's best (so far) and a lock for Oscar's Best Animated Film!

Rating: 10/10 (1 June 2009)

UP (2009) **** (VOICES OF: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger) Pixar continues their streak of instant classic animated fare outdoing themselves in arguably one of their very best: widowed codger Carl Fredricksen (voiced with gruff yet lovable zeal by Asner) finds himself being forced to vacate his life-long home and instead decides to (finally) go on a promised adventure to Venezuela by tying literally thousands of balloons to his home and aloft from its mooring sail away to Paradise Falls. Along for the ride is stowaway Russell (Nagai in an affective vocal turn for a youth), a 9-year old Wilderness Scout wanting to assist the elderly for his final badge of honor, much to Carl's chagrin. Written and directed with flair, style, humor and most importantlyheart, by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (who provides hysterical voice work as Dug, a 'speaking' dog the duo encounter, who steals the movie), the film transcends all ages and truly inspires magical moments that will have you feeling like a kid again while crying through your laughter (the early montage of Carl and his wife-to-be Ellie is for the film vault that ranks up there with any Chaplin flick; silence is golden). My pick (so far) for Best Film of the Year and hand's down Best Animated Picture come Oscar time; one of the year's very best films and one you should see immediately!