Up where it belongs

As of now, Pixar is 10 for 10 at developing and producing animated movies that aren’t just blockbusters, but true cinematic events. They are highly anticipated. They are culturally iconic. But what’s more important, they have solid audiences. These films get a lot of bums in seats.

Their popularity with both children and adults alike comes because of their entertainment value and spiritual enrichment. You heard me. Just think of the treasure chest that this one company has amassed already — Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Wall-E. These are films with lessons about the importance of family. Also they exist in the collective consciousness over the ages, even though they have only begun to scratch the surface of gaining respect from the industry they hold up.

That being said Up is a stellar effort but it’s no Wall-E. It is about a grumpy old man named Carl Frederickson (Ed Asner) who says goodbye to the world in the most peculiar but light-hearted way — he inflates 12,658,392 balloons and lets his house float off of the Earth.

Of course, he’s not really saying good-bye to the world. He’s off on an adventure, one that he held onto for his entire life. He’s on a quest to explore South America and embark on the same mission as his childhood hero — Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) — who went off decades prior in search of an elusive bird.

The sight of Frederickson’s house lifting off and wrenching away from its moorings is a grand spectacle, for sure. He hoots and hollers in a manner unbefitting the grump he really is. This is the cartoon version of Gran Torino, with a Clint Eastwood character bereaved of his lifelong love learning to be human again thanks to the help of a young Asian boy. Russell (Jordan Nagai) inadvertently tags along on the lift-off and becomes a stowaway to the proceedings. Of course he becomes integral to the old guy rediscovering his happiness.

Pixar is great in so many ways but usually its hallmark quality is the ability to tell a rich and compelling story. That is its gift. That being said, its writers are also masters of emotional manipulation. The movie starts off with a 10-minute segment about Carl and his wife. They never realize their dreams of living at the apex of Paradise Falls where Muntz made his stand. Sadly, they were unable to bear children.

This is supposed to be a kids’ movie, but Pixar always introduces advanced and mature subjects to children without them really knowing about it. The commercials don’t even really touch on the entirety of the plot, just the interesting highlights, like an endearing talking dog. They don’t even have to sugar coat the life-affirming message.

This is also Pixar’s first 3-D feature and sadly, it doesn’t hold up. The story and its imagery were not conducive to the strenuous effort of conversion to digital 3-D. There really was nothing visually enhanced by having to wear the glasses. Save yourself a couple of bucks and go see the 2-D version. That way, maybe Grandpa or Grandma can go with the grandchildren. It would be perfect for both generations to spend that time together.