Up

2009

Dir: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson

 
No one brings a tear to the eye quite like Pixar. They recently had grown men reaching for their tissues during the brilliant Toy Story 3, and they have done in plenty of times before. But whilst previously the eye floods have been stimulated by the traumas of plastic, furry and lately robotic characters, Up is the first film by Pixar to feature largely human lead characters, and wouldn't you know it, they had me sniffling like a hay fever sufferer at the Chelsea Flower Show.

From directors Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, Up is the tale of old Widow Carl Fredricksen, who, following the death of his beloved wife, decides he is going to live out the adventure they always dreamed of and move their house to the fabled Paradise Falls in South America. And when I say move their house, I mean it quite literally, as Carl’s talents as a balloon salesmen come in handy, flying around the world in a colourful contraption right out of the Roald Dahl James and the Giant Peach playbook. Unfortunately for Carl, intrepid young Wilderness Explorer (basically a Scout or Cub to us Brits) Russell decides to tag along for the ride, bringing with him more trouble than our elderly hero had planned on.

Let’s get one thing straight, the opening of Up is absolutely phenomenal. It follows the relationship of Carl and his wife Ellie from childhood right through to old age, and it is one of the most heart warming and yet heartbreaking sequences you will ever see. Pixar are like the Beethoven (the composer, not the bloody dog) of the cinematic world when it comes to emotion; they hit all the right notes. Up is uniquely special in their brilliant catalogue due to the tears being pushed for right at the very start of the film. If that isn’t talent, if that isn’t the sign of a group of filmmakers at the top of their game, then I don’t know what is. Forget about building up an emotional attachment to these characters, we’re just going to have you weeping within the first two minutes. It’s a wonderful achievement, and it makes the rest of the film seem like an absolute blast. With the gut wrenching opening, it’s impossible not to root for Carl in his mission to live out his wife’s lifelong dream, and even the token American kid becomes enjoyable, as his youthful oafishness plays so energetically off the cranky old protagonist who we know from the opening credits was once as wide-eyed and full of life himself.

The ‘talking’ dogs are a nice idea that could possibly have been explored further, and Christopher Plummer’s menacing turn as Carl’s not-so-perfect hero Charles F. Muntz brings that sinister quality that Pixar needs from their villains; the character that always seems good to begin with, until their true colours are revealed.
Up might not be, uh, up there with the Toy Story trilogy, or even the likes of recent efforts such as Wall-E and Ratatouille, but as far as I’m concerned Pixar can do absolutely no wrong, and Up is a worthy addition to their untouchable anthology of excellence, and a genuinely deserving recipient of Pixar’s first ever Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. It’s a crying shame it didn’t win.

**** ¼ / *****