Having mastered the anthropomorphic, Pixar’s attempts to bring people to life have always been so-so. Sid from Toy Story was far less lifelike than his plastic co stars, and it took until The Incredibles for the artists to realise that full on realism was to be avoided, instead going for a kind of Muppet influenced characterisation that was rounded out in Ratatouille, and is finally perfected here.
Carl Fredricksen – voiced wonderfully by Mary Tyler Moore Show stalwart Ed Asner – is a masterclass in character building. He’s cantankerous and grumpy, but eminently loveable throughout, each of his curmudgeonly tics making you warm to him more. The main reason for this can be found in one short, very sharp sequence. Carl’s a widower, and a magnificent montage is employed to show how he got that way. Economical but touching and never blasé, it traces Carl and wife Ellie’s entire life together, from childhood all the way to Ellie’s death. If you’re taking children to see this,then tissues will be required for these few seconds alone, as we’re given a 3 minute crash course in their hopes, dreams and even unfulfilled travel plans which ultimately drive the very funny plot.
Determined to finally make it to the table-top mountain he’d always promised Ellie they’d visit, Carl employs some basic engineering -and several thousand balloons to make his dream a reality, but unfortunately brings badge-hungry wilderness scout Russell along for the ride.
It’s a perfect odd-couple set-up with adventure thrown in, so it’s a surprise that the film jettisons this fairly quickly, instead dropping our heroes off for an odd little tale of flightless birds and packs of talking dogs that’s nevertheless hugely entertaining, if not quite reaching the figurative and literal heights of the first act.
Monsters Inc Director Pete Docter has a fine line in absurdist humour, with some very funny dogs competing in aerial acrobatics, their thoughts playing out hilariously via electronic dog-collars that never quite work, and while it loses some of the sophistication it’s still overblown family fun throughout.
On reflection, it’s something of a shame, as the amped-up wackyness seems like a placating measure after dealing with relationships and mortality so early on, but it doesn’t stop Up from being one of the most satisfying movies to emerge from Lasseter’s house of mouse offshoot yet. An emotional and well rounded animation, amusing and imaginative that has as many ups and downs as the protagonist, but remains hugely watchable.
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It does look quite nice this, but didn’t it come out in the states MONTHS ago?
aye, May 29th I believe, but doesn’t hit Europe until next week! I am presuming the Hollywood execs are worried incase we don’t have old people, or can’t grasp the concept of the scout movement, despite having invented it. Actually, come to think of it, we had old men before the Americans as well…
The British are however not known for their love of wacky misadventure.
Really? Then that must have been some other Cap’n I saw doing a handstand on top of Style’s Wolfmobile last Thursday…