We saw 50 minutes of Pixar’s “Up” back at New York Comic Con this year, were intrigued and impressed but also slightly worried. That chunk of the Pete Docter movie was just so filled with stuff – a wordless prologue that set up the relationship between Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) and the love of his life, Ellie, from childhood to old age; a house lifted high into the air by billions of balloons; a talking dog named Dug (co-director Bob Peterson); and a jungle landscape as alien as the moon, populated by a nine-foot-tall flightless bird. It was funny, for sure, and at times achingly beautiful, but where, exactly, was this going to go? And was it going to coalesce into a solidified whole?
Well, those fears should have been put aside.
Without giving too much away, the movie really takes off after the 50 minutes of set up we saw earlier this year. After Carl gets his house down to that South American jungle, and he and his Wilderness Explorer sidekick Russell (Jordan Nagai) befriend the talking dog and Day-Glo-colored bird, things rocket from one hair raising action set piece to the other, showcasing Pixar’s ability to up the ante in a way reminiscent of Robert Zemeckis in his heyday. Also, in that second half of the movie we get introduced to Charls Muntz, the villainous former adventurer (and now obsessed monster hunter) played with great gusto by Christopher Plummer.
The movie is beautifully looking, for sure, taking “The Incredibles” route of eschewing reality for a kind of streamlined stylization – Carl is absurdly blocky, while Russell is more or less an egg. When the house takes flight, your jaw will drop. It’s simple, yes, but no less powerful. They’ve tapped into a kind of gentle Miyazakian fantasy. And in 3-D this fantasy is even more impressive (Unlike some animated features that are given the 3-D treatment, losing that extra dimension will not dull the movie’s visceral oomph).
Docter’s last movie for the studio, 2001’s “Monsters, Inc.”, was not the most refined looking Pixar movie, but his sense of comedic rhythm was truly noteworthy. Here, his evolution as a filmmaker is a profound one – not only does he keep up his distinction as being Pixar’s funniest director (in truth this may be Pixar’s funniest film yet), but his directorial skills have been heightened too. He directs the action sequences and comedic moments with subtlety and finesse, making you care about both deeply.
It should also be noted that Docter got a great score out of Michael Giacchino, fast becoming this summer’s MVP composer. Like the rest of the film, Giacchino handles the score with a light touch, adding just the right amount of melancholy to the largely buoyant tale. It’s a testament to the composer’s extreme versatile talent that he could provide the epic orchestral bombast to “Star Trek” and turn around and deliver a score as emotionally resonant as this.
And that’s what’s really great about “Up” – how sweet it is. Not saccharine, mind you, or cloying (unlike that other kids’ movie in the theater, the mostly odious “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”), but genuinely sweet. Pixar has never been interested in “edgy” humor or a pop culture references galore (like another animation house), but instead of telling a great story. And they do that here. Those that were turned off by the somewhat biting satirical nature of last summer’s “WALL•E” will walk away refreshed (it also lacks that film’s restless experimentalism, but that’s okay).
In conclusion: Pixar has done it again. Pete Docter and Bob Peterson’s film is easily one of the best, most accomplished, and most beautiful movies of the year. It’s equal parts slapstick comedy, ode to the lost magic of flight, old age drama, and breathless action adventure. And it juggles all of these elements with a fearlessness and dexterity that will leave your jaw on the floor… especially if you see it in 3-D. [A] – Drew Taylor