I was surprised when I got to the screening of Up and discovered it wasn’t going to be shown in 3D. Movie companies have certainly jumped on the 3D bandwagon, and if the movie is available in 3D, that’s how they like to screen it to the media. Due to some technical issues however, the screening for Up was going to have to be in good old-fashioned 2D.
To be honest, I was glad for the technical difficulties, it was refreshing to be able to sit back and enjoy watching a movie without having to wear 3D glasses for one and a half hours. Even though I know Pixar would have done 3D amazingly well, I don’t think I really missed out on anything, besides sore eyes, by not seeing it in 3D.
That’s because Pixar know the secret to their success is in the story, not a flashy presentation – not that they don’t do flashy, they do it very well – it’s just that they don’t rely on it. Pixar don’t do just any old story either, they employ a great deal of imagination and originality, then they infuse their creations with a warmth that sooths your soul, creating a masterpiece that sends giggles through the entire audience, young and old, and leaving an impression that puts a smile on your face fro a long time after.
Up is right up there with the best of Pixar, who knew that a story about a grumpy old man could turn out to be such a magical experience. In reality, it’s not about an old man, but the adventurous spirit that we have as kids, that is forced into hiding when we ‘grow up.’
But I’m getting ahead of myself, Up is about a shy boy named Carl Fredricksen and the girl who stole his heart, Ellie. They grow up together with dreams of being great adventurers like their hero Charles Muntz, then they get married and settle down, promising each other that they would save up for their dream adventure, but instead finding that the money keeps getting eaten up by unexpected bills. Soon Carl and Ellie are old, and soon Ellie passes away, leaving Carl with a lifetime of memories on unfinished dreams.
One day something snaps inside of Carl and he decides to throw caution to the wind, and sets off no his long awaited adventure, in honour of Ellie. Tethering thousands of helium filled balloons to his house, he literally floats away on an adventure without leaving home.
Along the way he meets a small cast of characters, learns some valuable life lessons, and finds peace.
It’s been since I saw any of Pixar’s earlier stuff, the films that set the movie industry alight and spawned an increase in children’s animated films, but I’m confident in stating that Up would be in the top three, best Pixar films ever. It’s simply that good. It eclipses anything they’ve done recently and further solidifies them as the worlds leading animation studio.
Beautifully rendered with careful attention to details, Pixar don’t let the art outshine the story, rather they create a world that the story lives in and invites the viewer into that world, creating in our minds a believable fantasy where you can tether balloons to a house and fly away.
Up is an exciting feast for your eyes, mind and soul. Reviewed by: Jonathan Read Starring: Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Edward Asner, Paul Eiding, Jordan Nagai Directed by: Pete Docter Genre: Family, Comedy, Animated, Adventure Duration: 1hr 36mins Rating: [G] suitable for general audiences Origin: USA [ad#filmguide-1] Going Deeper: (may contain spoilers) Up’s major story is all about adventures, but in the story, Up takes a look at two different ways you can have an adventure. The first being Ellie’s acceptance of her life, comfortable in the knowledge that she is unlikely to get to explore South America. Ellie is a wonderful woman who decides from day one to enjoy the life she has, to make each day her own adventure, and to be satisfied with what she has. She is an awesome role model that our consumer focussed lifestyles could learn a lot from.
The second perspective on adventure is from Carl, who does get to South America, but doesn’t see the adventure until he rids himself of all his worldly possessions that have literally been holding him down. It’s a far subtler message than that of Wall•E, but in essence it’s the same; our pre-occupation with our need to have, blinds us to what we already possess, and as such miss out on the adventure right in front of our eyes.
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