A must see, brilliantly told tale....

Rating: 10/10 (13 December 2009)

I'm unashamed to admit that Up wrecked me. It didn't earn a stalwart man-tear. It didn't make my lip quiver. It didn't even assault me with the usual warm-n-fuzzies. No, dear readers, it absolutely wrecked me. It's not often that I'm reduced to a pile of thirtysomething tears and sobering sniffles, but Pixar mainstays Pete Docter and Bob Peterson created such a touching tale, such a rousing adventure, such a gorgeous masterpiece that I was completely enraptured by everything that graced the screen. From an early, heart-wrenching glimpse into an old man's dashed hopes and hardened heart to his eventual embrace of something far greater than he ever imagined, Up is as much an emotional experience as an entertaining one; as much a multi-layered character study as a rewarding animated journey; as much a stirring story of love and loss as a thoughtful, nuanced examination of friendship and devotion. Before I exhaust all the glowing adjectives in my vocabulary, I suppose it's best to start at the beginning. After earning critical and box office success with the help of several unlikely animated heroes -- a box of aging toys, a bumbling ant, a pair of closet-haunting monsters, a neurotic fish, a family of outlawed crime fighters, a cocky race car, and a cooking rat -- Pixar proudly introduces Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner), a bitter widower who decides to relocate his house to a remote South American locale using tens of thousands of helium balloons. His motivation? A decades-old promise he made to his late wife, Ellie (Elie Docter), when they first fell in love. Of course, things don't quite go according to plan. Carl finds a young Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai) stuck on his now-soaring front porch, inadvertently flies into a storm, lands short of his intended destination, and meets an elderly recluse named Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) who just so happens to be his childhood role model. But before he has the chance to get his bearings, Carl finds himself at odds with the arrogant explorer, building a genuine relationship with Russell, and rediscovering the man his wife always knew him to be.
Up opens with a staggering sequence that introduces Carl and Ellie, follows their budding relationship through childhood and adolescence, finds them sharing vows at the altar and, eventually, growing old together. But as heartfelt as it all is, it never grows saccharine. Carl and Ellie struggle with finances, reevaluate their dreams, learn they can't have children, and discover that Ellie has cancer. Inevitably, we watch as Carl attends the funeral of his one true love, roots himself in his house, and reacts accordingly when land developers want to take it away from him. It's in these opening scenes that Up establishes its identity, its thematic power, and its poignancy. Carl isn't merely a grumpy hermit, he's a sympathetic romantic; a lovelorn victim of circumstance whose brow furrowed the moment his cornerstone was ripped from his grasp. His whirlwind adventure doesn't reek of rip-roaring randomness or Saturday-morning silliness, it's bolstered by very real, very familiar pain that drives him forward and pushes him to be a better man. His South American quest isn't about selfish pursuits or cantankerous whimsy, it's about love; the kind of love that burrows deep and never relents; the sort of love that haunts the hearts of widows and widowers the world over. Carl's simple glances at a picture frame will bring tears to your eyes. His desperate attachment to his house is more about holding onto Ellie than a home. His adventure is driven by his fading memories, not a cluster of balloons or a pack of chatty dogs.
Despite a great many challenges, Docter and Peterson manage to flawlessly transition Up's tragic opening into an undeniably entertaining second act. They tap into a variety of rather standard gimmicks -- an awkward kid, talking animals, midair battles, and physics-defying hilarity, among others -- but infuse each one with enough patented Pixar magic to ensure the film never falters or fails. Russell is as endearing as young characters come: his intense curiosity, short attention span, and fledgling self esteem are masterfully paired with Carl's embittered disposition, making the pair's relationship one both young and old viewers will enjoy watching unfold. The floating house is a character in its own right: a rickety incarnation of Ellie and a symbol of Carl's undying love, it's used to remarkable effect throughout the tale to evoke regret, heartache, and longing. Muntz is a complicated, believable antagonist: a washed up icon determined to prove his worth no matter the personal cost. Even Dug and Kevin, the film's oh-so-helpful animals, are welcome additions to the narrative. They provide infectious comic relief, sure, but they also highlight the mystery and wonder of Carl and Russell's jaunt through the jungle. Together, these seemingly disconnected elements work brilliantly, granting Up even more depth, spirit, and fun than it already has.
As far as I'm concerned, Up is a triumph for all involved. It makes other animated films look positively childish, yet will win the hearts of kids and adults. I'm not sure how young children will handle some of the film's weightier scenes -- despite the semi-silent nature of the Carl and Ellie montage -- but it has plenty to offer families and animation fans alike. While I certainly won't guarantee you'll adore Up as much as I did, I can safely say the film will be remembered for quite some time. More than an animated adventure, more than a heartwarming story, more than a colorful trek, it's the best animated film of the year, one of my favorite animated films of all time and, hands down, one of the best films of 2009. It's a must-see classic in every regard.