SYNOPSIS:
Carl Fredricksen, a retired balloon salesman is part rascal, part dreamer who is ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, Carl sets off to the lost world of his childhood dreams. Unbeknownst to Carl, Russell, an overeager eight-year-old Wilderness Explorer who has never ventured beyond his backyard is in the wrong place at the wrong time - Carl's front porch! The world's most unlikely duo reach new heights and meet fantastic friends like Dug, a dog with a special collar that allows him to speak and Kevin, a rare 13-foot-tall flightless bird. Stuck together in the wilds of the jungle, Carl realizes that sometimes life's biggest adventures aren't the ones you set out looking for.
MOVIE REVIEW:
A house floating with balloons, talking dogs and an old man as the hero of the story, it doesn’t get any more imaginative and audacious with the story premise and that’s what Pixar did again with UP. They achieved yet another great film for everyone in the family.
The first sign of their mastery in storytelling is evident in the first 11 mins of UP. The filmmakers managed to make a do what many other filmmakers couldn’t and that’s create an endearing lifetime of companionship and love into an 11mins bittersweet introduction montage. It’s quite a touching introduction to Carl, the grumpy old man and it makes the viewers get behind the eventual fantastic adventure that he set out with his house.
After the unforgettable setup, this show went on a madcap adventure that involved an elusive flightless big blue bird, a young Wilderness Explorer and the process of walking a house at the picturesque Paradise Falls. It’s a crazy blend but in Pixar’s hands, it flowed well and kept viewers engaged. It’s simply impossible to predict what’s going to happen next and it’s a joy to let the filmmakers take us on a grand tour of an old man’s odyssey to self discovery.
If it’s breath taking adventure that you are looking for, there’s plenty exciting aerial chases involved. If it’s comedy that you are looking for, there’s nothing that top the Alpha dog with a high pitch chipmunk’s voice and the cutesy antics of Russell (that young Wilderness Explorer). If it’s touching moments that you are seeking out, the first 11mins and the final arc are the hallmarks of human emotions translated on animation. It’s simply an adventure that you wish it would never end.
And when it’s ended, there are so many things to ponder upon. Does age stops one from going on an amazing adventure? How do we honor our departed love ones? Can you teach old dog new tricks? There are so many aspects of this movie that one could contemplate about. This is one movie that could get repeated viewing and it would still be entertaining.
To sum it up, Up is one film that invokes a sense of discovery and renew the ties that bind. The kids will loved the funny antics and galore of exciting actions. The adults will love the sensibilities and touching human emotions. It’s simply one of the best movies of 2009.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
Partly Cloudy -
This theatrical short film that was shown before UP is another proof that the folks at Pixar are masters at the art of storytelling. In that short time frame, it delivers a captivating and imaginative story about imperfection in life and tolerance to one another. This short film should be an automatic shoo in for the Oscar awards and it comes highly recommended.
Dug's Special Mission -
For folks who can’t get enough of Dug, this segment plays like a deleted scene of what Dug was doing before he encounters Carl and Russell. Hilarious slapstick comedy and yet touching in it’s own strange ways (specially when you relate how things would turn out in the feature length film).
Adventure is Out There -
A documentary about the crew taking an actual trip down South America to visit Tepui, the location that became the basis of Paradise Fall, a destination that Carl was heading with it’s balloon house. The crew shared with us their experience during the visit and how it was worked into the film. It’s an amazing and enticing documentary for folks who are already swept by the feature length animation.
The Many Endings of Muntz -
This segment is another sign that this is not your usual formulaic film. The filmmakers came together to explain that in reality, how no one actually set out to be evil and how that’s the origin of Muntz. They gave a little breakdown on his 'evil' motivation and how they came up with various ways to 'defeat' him. This segment went on to show the storyboards of different endings scenes of Muntz and how each endings didn’t work. The crew also gave explanations to why the final ending was chosen over the rest. An rather education piece for filmmakers wannabe.
Director’s Commentary -
The directors of Up gave one of the most delightful commentary that could be found in a DVD extra feature. They gave insights to the story and technical details that are astounding to learn (whether you are a fan of the film or love to learn more about movie making). The directors shared with us on the rationale behind their choices and how it would affect the storytelling process. They even shared about the goof with the number of balloons that had been depicted to lift a house. This segment is simply filled with useful and interesting information and this segment is a prime example to those who want to learn about film making should just pick DVDs like Up up instead
AUDIO/VISUAL:
This DVD gave a fine visual and audio presentation of UP. The exotic landscapes looks inviting and the audio component are able to drum the excitement when required.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Richard Lim Jr
Posted on 13 December 2009
|
