Vaughn On Movies – The World's Toughest Movie Critic™

It’s not unusual for Disney-Pixar collaboration to be of high caliber, but I feel like I was the only person in America not enamored with Wall-E. It was preachy, short on script, lapsed in logic, and much of its dialogue could be recounted by a toddler. Fortunately, with Up the duo has returned to form by matching visuals with the script.

Up follows the elderly Carl Fredricksen, voiced by Ed Asner, as he copes with the issue of leaving his house. Developers want him gone, but he’s not comfortable with a life of confinement to a retirement community. He takes his love of balloons and pairs it with his lifelong ambition of adventure, taking his house to new heights, literally elevating it above the city. Carl’s goal is to reach a mythical land in South America, which was sought by his childhood idol and his beloved wife. To Carl’s surprise he finds a stowaway, a young boy named Russell who is a (insert generic boy scout term here).

Attention to slight details is something Pixar has spoiled us with from the beginning. For instance, one of the nurses who come by to escort Carl has a tag sticking up past the collar of his shirt. That happens to me on occasion. Though it’s not important to the story, it’s refreshing to find subtle things in animation; a medium where nothing can happen on accident. Granted, Up does not shoot for photorealism. Carl and company are artistically interesting, and their entanglements appear correct when animated. For instance, a CGI composed protagonist encountering an imaginary creature, probably looks better than having an actor find the same. For the latter circumstance, that happy creature would have to look so uncanny, that almost no effort would be satisfactory in conveying the tone sought by director Pete Docter because the audience has to raise the “that looks fake” issue.

Up runs the gamut with everything it can hope to achieve. Trust me, I have not spoiled a thing by omitting word of the amazing adventure set pieces. Comedy even comes through, with brilliant writing. Every character says and does the appropriate. Russell keeps to his childish, almost annoying charm. Carl speaks like an elder gent, but both the young and old evolve through their interactions. I also like Dug, a talking dog they discover on their adventure, which is easily distracted.

With Up, the technical mastery of the artisans at the computer lab is matched by those who wield the pen… actually both are probably done at the computer, but you get the point. Deconstructing everything, it seemed that Carl’s house was not but a few hours hike away from the intended destination. I suppose that the twist, which creates the antagonist, was believable though I’m uncertain real people would behave that way. On that note, it is great that Pixar finally get’s the villain role right by fleshing one out for a change and providing a motive.

Since I’m obviously endorsing Up and forcing you to watch it, here are some suggestions to keep in mind. The first ten minutes will hit you with a level of sorrow that most will not suspect. Don’t expect to come out of this looking like John Wayne. If you have a large family, skip out on the 3D. The tickets are more expensive, and the effects were unnoticeable. I’ve seen many of these new 3D films, and I honestly didn’t see a difference in this one, as it looked flat compared to the trailers shown before it. Judging from what I saw, it appears that Pixar was in a rush to get the 3D label on it, to compete with the offerings of rivals. The option to see a 2D version may soon be behind us, and in this economic climate I’d rather you entertain the whole family than consider passing “up” this wonderful movie. ****