Pixar's Up - MiceChat Reviews!

[Wotan]

In addition to the dogs playing poker, I also loved the scene where they all had their heads out of the windows on the zeppelin.

Doug was great, comic relief that wasn't overdone.

As much as "Wall-E" reminded me of Chaplin, this movie made me think of him even more so. Yet, I'm not sure why yet. Certainly, Pixar and it's chiefs know one thing many still do not--it's all about the story, and everything comes from there. Anyone else would have gone wild with 3D tricks, but not here.

It's another great movie, and an instant classic.

We got to see the short, "Partly Cloudy", and while we both really liked it, I still think "Presto Change-O" was better. Still, a terrific job all the way around.

[aashee]

What a great movie!

When I think of Pixar the most emotional scene ever was Toy Story 2 when Jessie was sent to the Goodwill because she was no longer wanted. I must say this movie had that much emotion and then some.

Bravo Pixar, 5 stars!

[Coheteboy]

Correct spelling time! Dug (not doug).

My favorite scene is still the first 5 minutes.

[dland_lover]

I was very sad. We didn't get the Princess and the Frog trailer.

But, I LOVED this movie! I'm not going to get all philosophical here, but it definitely plays with your emotions. Granted, not as much as P.S. I Love You does, but it certainly had me crying a couple times. And laughing, too.

The animation was stunning, the 3D gorgeous, and the development of the characters was incredible! I connected with the characters completely- there was such heart and warmth!

Great job, Pixar! May you continue to have many more successes after this!

EDIT: Oh yeah- I voted 5 stars!

[Flickering Bulb]

the first 5-10 minutes were really beautiful! that was the art of storytelling.

[disneytim]

From my blog:

'Up' Full of Laughter, Tears and 20,000 Balloons

Disney/Pixar guru John Lasseter says, "Along with the humor, you have to have heart. Walt Disney always said, 'For every laugh, there should be a tear.' I believe in that."

If ever there was a movie that captured that mantra, it's Pixar's tenth animated feature "Up," opening nationwide this weekend.

"Up" introduces us to Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner, perfectly grouchy), an elderly curmudgeon who sets his home aloft with thousands of balloons to escape a dreaded future in a retirement community and to fulfill a lifelong promise to his late wife. He's unexpectedly joined on his adventure by Russell (Jordan Nagai), an 8-year old Junior Wilderness Explorer with dozens of merit badges, but not a whole lot of skill. Their travels take them to the jungles of South America where they encounter a long lost fellow adventurer, a pack of talking dogs and a rare exotic bird named Kevin. It's a funny and whimsical flight of fancy, full of action and derring-do, but it's also a touching look at human ambitions and relationships that proves life's destinations are never as important as its journeys.

Borrowing a page from "Wall-E," "Up" establishes this theme early in a sequence where not a word is spoken. It's a beautiful montage of Carl's romance with Ellie, the love of his life (and another spunky Pixar redhead in the mold of cowgirl Jessie and Mrs. Incredible). We learn their hopes and dreams, and experience the triumphs and tragedies of their lifetimes in a few brief minutes. Sentimental, but never saccharin, it showcases Pixar's and director Pete Docter's ("Monsters Inc.) gifts for conveying deep emotion in the simplest human terms. It makes Carl less a grumpy old man that annoys you and more a misunderstood hero you root for. By the time Carl launches himself skyward and gives the raspberry to a community ready to push him aside, you want him to get back his spirit of adventure and realize the dreams he didn't even know he had.

Once again, Pixar's animation is a sight to behold, even as they move away from the photo realistic styles of "Ratatouille" and "Wall-E" and embrace a more simplistic, cartoony look. Carl is a collection of boxy shapes that suggests an older Spencer Tracy, while Russell is pretty much an egg with short, stumpy legs wrapped in a scout uniform. The South American jungles and mesas they visit are lusciously rendered, but unlike "Ratatouille" and "Cars," they never overpower "Up's" fun and tender story.

And then there's the balloons. How many do you think it would actually take to carry a house to South America?

Steve May, supervising technical director figures, well, a lot. "We're not physicists," he says. "But one of our technical directors calculated that it would take on the order of 20 to 30 million balloons to actually lift Carl's house. We ended up using 10,297 for most of the floating scenes, and 20,622 when it actually lifts off."

That's 20,622 balloons, each with their own strings that react to the external forces in the movie (wind, gravity) and to each other. It's a credit to the animators that as unlikely as it is for a house to be carried off by a massive number of balloons, it somehow looks real and totally natural. We should all own that many helium tanks.

But, that's just the technical approach to the movie. As the best of Disney and Pixar have always shown, it's that delicate balance of laughter and tears that truly makes the film. Docter understood that, even in "Up's" early development: "We came up with this image of a floating house held aloft by balloons, and it just seemed to capture what we were after in terms of escaping the world. We quickly realized that the world is really about relationships, and that's what Carl comes to discover."

www.disneynewsarchive.com

[Gone2Disneyland]

The opening title sequence montage was outstanding and made me cry at the very end of it. But it became "zany" as some posters here have correctly said, zaniness mixed with many more outstanding writing, acting, and animation of smaller tender "boring" moments as the film continued. Kevin's (the bird) personality was over the top for me, and I think it pulled me out of really embracing the film after such a believable opening. And I guess I'll never be a great father because Russell's impatience really got to me, lol. But the film has a lot of laughs, a lot of slapstick, a lot of tenderness, a lot of adventure and a lot one can learn from. I wanna go make me a scrapbook now.

[ZeekSlider]

Originally Posted by Gone2Disneyland

And I guess I'll never be a great father because Russell's impatience really got to me, lol.

Even a few of the parents didn't like Russell at first. The joke where Carl suggest the "Let's see who can stay quiet the longest" game? I actually heard a parent say the following:

Russell: "My mom loves that game!"
Parent sitting next to me: (laughing) "I bet she does."

[Wendygirl]

I just loved this movie. Laughed, cried, smiled. Many here have written wonderful things about this movie and I agree with them.

Now, where's that Adventure Book of mine.

[migitmouse88]

After attempting to see the movie in 3-D last night, I finally settled for the regular version of Up. 3-D or not, this movie did not dissapoint. I would rank the movie right up there with Wall-E. Again, Pixar has achieved meaningful art through their work on this movie. The characters were amazing, the story was great, and Carl may just be the action hero of the summer. Overall, a brilliant buddy movie, that eventually turns into something more.

[March Hare]

I loved the movie! I especially was impressed with the way that they animated Kevin with so much emotion and personality but with the totally expressionless bird-eyes at the same time. I of course also cried at the begining and when Carl discovered the new scrapbook pages, and my hubby-to-be and I almost laughed ourselves out of our chairs at the old man fight. Overall, I think this is the best pixar movie so far. =)

[Wotan]

The other thing I loved about this movie, that I forgot to mention, was the colors. The balloons, the jungle, Kevin, all were just fantastic.

Now DLR should have vendors along Main St with huge collections of multicolored balloons!

[mycroft16]

Saw this last night, and gotta say.... incredible movie.

Pixar took a big risk with this film and really delved into some very adult topics. Death, loss, grieving, regrets. There are some fairly heavy themes being dealt with in this movie yet Pixar manages to do so in a way that keeps children entertained as well as the adults.

The opening scenes of the movie manage to compress a lifetime of emotion and memories into a bare 8 minutes, yet you feel like you know Carl completely. The theater we were in was left without a dry eye after that scene.

I think Coheteboy said it best... this films is reminding us that it's not the destination or the goal that matters, but how we get there. Life, and how we live it is the true adventure.

[Gregmh48]

Did anyone happen to find A113 someplace in the movie? I saw the Pizza Planet truck in the parking lot right at the end.

[Coheteboy]

D'oh, i completely forgot to look for A113! But is that something in every pixar movie? John Ratzenberger and Pizza Planet truck are the only things consistently found.

And having watched it in 3D just now, I think it's better on a traditional projector. The colors seemed brighter than the 3D, which feels very dark to me.