My kids loved it, but it's not a Pixar classic.

Rating: 8/10 (9 June 2009)

My kids loved it, but it probably had a lot to do with the fact that they saw it at the drive in. It was their first time, and they were wrapped up in the adventure of the whole "outside movie" thing.
The movie has all the Pixar staples -- great animation, lovable characters, and a compelling story. However, it seems to be lacking in some areas. For instance, they seemed to stretch reality a bit, and I'm not talking about the flying balloon house. Talking dogs, two old men that started out DECADES apart in age but ending up about the same age by film's end, dogs flying airplanes, an extinct bird... None are a problem per se, but the story never explains WHY any of these things are happening. One a film establishes the rules, it should just stick with those rules. It just seemed that the creative team came up with some "cool" ideas and ran with it. Granted, they were cool, but it made the story seem a bit disjointed.
With my adult brain, I saw problems. But with my kid brain, I had a blast. Thanks Pixar!