I really can't understand the fuss!

Rating: 5/10 (4 February 2013)

OK, so this is a Pixar film. So the animation is going to be spectacular, yes?? Yes, the animation is without doubt fantastic, the film looks amazing, as you would expect with any Pixar film. Maybe it's unfair of me to just expect that of Pixar and not give them enough credit for it. Possibly. But what can I say - they have set the bar so high that it is not a surprise when they fosbury flop right over it. The animation is 10/10 or maybe even an 11/10 in reverence to Spinal Tap. In short the animation is top notch.
Now, we move on to the story. The story, where do I start? It's got everything you'd expect for this type of film, a strong moral, triumph over tragedy, action, adventure, a flying house, talking dogs, an evil villain (is he evil, or just misunderstood?!)....... Maybe it's just me, but I thought the story was too confused, too jumbled, had too many things going on and just too, well, silly I guess. Yes, I know I said silly, what did I expect, Shakespeare? But, for me it crossed the line. All genres of films have a line of silliness (for want of a better phrase) they shouldn't cross. Of course, the line is in a very different place for an animated film compared to say a historical drama. But, nevertheless - there is still a line. And, in my mind Up crosses the silliness line for an animation.
There are elements in the film that are very good. The talking dogs are very funny, there is a great moral to the story and did I mention that the animation is fantastic? But, I just didn't feel it hung together as a film very well. For me, a case where the whole is LESS than the sum of the parts.