Written by Bob Peterson
Directed by Pete Docter & Bob Peterson
“You got a ‘run away in terror’ badge?”
“No.”
“Time to earn it!”
Up opens with a 20 minute sequence of wordless brilliance.
The story of Carl & Ellie Frederickson, played out as a memory film…from childhood meeting to married life to the life of lonely widower. It made me laugh, and it made me weep. It’s a combination of pure Disney-style nostalgia, Bugs Bunny-style comedy (the sequence with the stair-climbing chair reaches heavenly heights of sublimity)…and ends with terrible, heartaching sadness and melancholy.
In fact, the exploration of grief, misdirected rage, and defeatism is more adult than in any movie I’ve seen in some considerable time. It probably shot way over the heads of the kids in the audience…but the kids that are MY age will definitely appreciate the sophistication (which is pretty much par for the course in a Pixar film). The scene with the mailbox & Mr. Frederickson’s assault on the construction worker could be the most disturbing and frighteningly realistic moment in any Pixar film. It was much appreciated.
The rest of the story tends to be a near-standard run-around of action, adventure, fun…and talking dogs. The talking dogs (SQUIRREL!) almost deserve a movie in their own right…especially the Alpha Dog with the broken voice box. An evil Doberman, issuing evil commands, with the voice of an evil Alvin the Chipmunk, must be seen AND heard to be believed.
Actually, watch it again…it’s not only pastiching fun action-adventure films, it’s doing one in particular. Running around with a fedora and survival gear? Action inside of - and on top of - a giant zeppelin? This is the Pixar version of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade…but they’ve replaced Harrison Ford with a CGI resurrected Spencer Tracey. This last achievement is worthy of an Oscar in its own right.
It all concludes with more melancholy, more love…and a happy ending that is in no way sickly sweet, but warm and wonderful. I cried once again…what more can you ask for? Even Russell the annoying little boy wasn’t annoying in any way at all!
There isn’t much else I can offer. In my experience, 99% of Pixar films follow a similar pattern of moral messaging mixed with out and out fun…and that’s perfectly OK in my book.
Up doesn’t break the pattern, but it does manage to follow it with exhilarating grace and skill. It’s not quite on the same mythic level as WALL-E (which remains the pinnacle of Pixar’s achievements — animation & storytelling that is up to Michaelangelo’s standards), but it can hold its head high with the likes of Finding Nemo and The Incredibles.
I laughed like an idiot, I blubbered shamelessly, and I came away completely satisfied. Perhaps not Michaelangelo…but definitely Rembrandt…with a side of Looney Toons. :D
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