Pretty good overall.

Rating: 7/10 (30 May 2009)

But it's just another Pixar movie--I liked it fine, Ed Asner rocks and the whole Kirk Douglas as baddie routine is a riot-you see that a lot for some reason in toonland nowadays--but it certainly hits all of it's Generic Obligatory Pixar Plot Points(TM) right where you expect-the frantic chase(blimp vs doors, say), the little fight between the leads, etc. Personally I think a movie showing Asner's character and Ellie on a balloon trip like this together would have had Acres of possibilities too. She was pretty good. But of course they kill her off- This sounds like I'm disappointed or didn't like it. Far from it. All the good stuff is there in spades-voice work, characterization, animation, gags, heartfelt stuff, you name it. A good time to be had by all.
But don't be surprised if you have bit of a deja vu feeling while watching it--cuz yeah, in ways, you HAVE seen it done before.
It's still the best movie to come out this spring/summer so far.