Heartfelt and very imaginative.

Rating: 7/10 (9 July 2015)

Pixar's Up is a heartfelt and very imaginative animated film, where 78 year-old Carl Fredricksen makes a promise to his carefree wife Elle that he will travel to Paradise Falls in South America. Faced with being sent to a retirement home, Carl seeks to fulfill his promise to Elle and journeys to South America up in his house, pulled by tons of balloons, with a wilderness scout stowaway in tow.
The animation is bright and brilliant and the story will tug at your heart strings, especially during the first part of the movie where we see Carl and Elle's love and bond for each other, and then years later when we see an aged Carl facing loneliness and moping about in his house. It makes you feel for the elderly and makes you think of your own family.
The second half of the movie is more adventure and action oriented, with overly imaginative elements like talking dogs with beeping collars. While I know this is a fantasy movie, the talking dogs do overshadow the heartfelt element and slows down the story quite a bit. I felt that it turned into just another animated movie about animals at times.
But, what's also wonderful about the movie is the relationship between Carl and the scout stowaway, Russell. He's the all-around innocent and inquisitive kid who wants to help Carl to earn his helping-the-elderly badge. But, their interaction with each other grows into friendship throughout the movie and is heartfelt.
Overall, it's a movie that will have you reminiscing and missing the "good ol' days" but will also cheer you on in search of new adventures.
Grade B-