A Surrealistic Adventure Full of Sentiments

Rating: 9/10 (28 November 2009)

The boy Carl Fredrickson is a dreamer that idolizes the adventurer Charles Munts. When he meets the girl Ellie, who also worships Munts, they become close friends. However Charles Munts falls in disgrace, accused of forging the skeleton of the monster of Paradise Falls, and he travels in his blimp to South America to bring the monster alive and he is never seen again. Carl and Ellie get married and they promise to each other to travel together to Paradise Falls and build a house there. Many years later, Ellie dies and the lonely Carl refuses to move from their house despite the offers of the owner of a construction company. When Carls hits one worker that damaged his box-mail, he is sentenced to move to a retirement home. However, he uses many balloons to float his house and travel to Paradise Falls. While floating, he finds that the boy Russell, who is in the Wilderness Explorer Training trying to get his assisting the elderly badge to be promoted to senior, is a stowaway on board. They travel together to South America where Russell finds a weird bird that he names Kevin and the talking dog Doug. Then they meet the insane villain Charles Munts that spent his life in the forest trying to catch Kevin with his talking dogs. But Carl and Russell decide to protect Kevin and they have the adventure of their lives.
"Up" is a surrealistic adventure full of sentiments, where the heroes are an old widower and an annoying fat boy. The first point that impresses is how touching this story is with the dramatic situation of the elder Carl after losing his beloved Ellie, lonely and forgotten by the world that is changing. I slightly recalled the situation of Walt Kowalski, performed by Clint Eastwood in "Gran Torino". The annoying Russell is responsible for most of the funniest sequences, especially those with Kevin and the talking dog Doug. There are many details and layers in this beautifully sad tale. Further, it is also impressive how Disney and Pixar succeed in releasing one excellent movie after another like "Wall-e" or "The Incredibles". My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Up – Altas Aventuras" ("Up – High Adventures")