I Have Just Met You, and I Love You!

Rating: Null/10 (4 June 2009)

Rarely does a film studio continue to produce such amazing films, and with the exception of Cars and A Bug's Life, Pixar has done just that. Year after year, Pixar has crafted masterpiece, after masterpiece. Certainly Up is no exception. My love affair with Pixar started with their first film, Toy Story. Pixar has never made a bad film and despite A Bug's Life and Cars not being amazing, they were still entertaining and being called the worst Pixar, is certainly no insult. Up is a masterclass in animation, it's a perfect film and definitely a big candidate for the best of the year. I would be hard pressed to see this leaving my top 5, let alone top 2. I can only see one film topping it, and it's going to take Thirst being another Park masterpiece to overcome Up.
There's a very beautiful sequence at the beginning, it shows Carl, our hero of the story, growing up. I won't reveal any of the story, but at times it got me choked up. It's the kind of storytelling, and human emotions that a lot of filmmakers can't create. We next meet up with Carl, when he is much older. He goes about his morning routine, and there's a construction crew creating apartments outside his house. Carl returns to his home, after getting the mail. Soon after he settles down in his favourite chair, a little boy named Russell knocks at his door. Russell is a lovable character. He is very adorable, and newcomer Jordan Nagai does a wonderful job voicing him. Anyways, the next day, Carl unleashes his balloons and he leaves the city in hopes of traveling to South America, a childhood dream. Russell unexpectedly turns up on Carl's doorstep. When they arrive in South America, they meet Dug, the dog. Dug can talk because of the collar that his master built for him. Dug is amazing, he's probably one of the best characters Pixar has ever created. I still can't believe how much I laughed and fell in love with Dug, he was certainly a pleasant surprise.
The film is a visual treat, the backgrounds are so full of detail. The film is just so colourful and so vivid. Though this comes expected of Pixar, and they certainly don't let down. The screenplay is brilliant, there are so many instances of bizarre humour, and there are so many different emotions. The film has it's share of depressing moments, but you before you become completely depressed, another moment lifts you up, and evokes a lot of joy in you. The voice work is excellent, Ed Asner is just as perfect as I thought he would be. There's just so much emotion in his voice alone, and the character design of Carl, fits Asner's voice perfectly. New comer Jordan Nagai is, as I said before, tremendous. He adds such a charm to Russell, an big adorable element if you will. Bob Peterson's voice work as both Dug and Alpha, had me side splitting laughing. He was perfect in every stretch of the imagination. With Monster's Inc and now Up under his belt, Pete Docter is one of the best Pixar directors. It's hard to decide between the big three, Andrew Stanton, Brad Bird and Pete Docter. They are all equally amazing, and Pixar is a better studio for just having them on staff.
Up is amazing, it's a movie I would see over and over again. Go see it now if you haven't, and if you have, see it again. It's the first masterpiece of 2009. A perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect movie, have I mentioned it's perfect? It would be easy to say the Oscars should take a break from Pixar, that is if Pixar would just stop producing so many masterpieces.
10/10