Ever since they released Cars, Pixar has been going down a more and more unmarketable road. A rat who cooks and a post-apocalyptic robot are not easy sells to children. Even harder to market, one would assume, is an elderly widower. If I had been given a window to the future a few months ago and had seen that Up, Pixar's tenth feature, had become their lowest grosser yet, it would not have surprised me. Having now seen the film, I can't imagine it not being one of their bigger hits. Filled with adventure, humor, bright colors and likable characters, this is one of the most accessible Pixar films to date.That said, you take the good with the bad. For all the fun to be had, it feels like a slight creative step backwards from both WALL-E and Ratatouille. The story and the thematic arcs are just as good as those films, but it seems to have a heavier emphasis on the action than those two did. Up comes very close to finding that balance between entertainment set pieces and character development, but the scales ultimately tip towards the former. Which is fine if that's what you're looking for, as there are some breathless moments to be had (especially in 3D).
The film opens on a sequence that ranks right up there with the best things Pixar has ever done. We follow Carl Fredricksen from childhood - where he meets the love of his life Ellie - through to her death. In ten minutes we get their entire life story, the struggles and hardships, the laughs and joys. It's a daring way to give us insight to who Carl is, but it really works. From there Carl decides to take that trip he and Ellie always dreamed of: to Paradise Falls in South America. So Carl ties thousands of balloons to his house and sets sail. Only catch is Russell, a local child, is on his front porch. The two set out on a quest to find Paradise Falls, but the story takes some surprising and silly turns from there.
When the film wants to be serious, it is. Carl is a complex and fascinating character, and even Russell has some great development. But the film has a strong sense of humor, found largely though the animals the characters encounter along the way. A pack of talking dogs are responsible for a lot of goofy moments (the talking is dealt with in a way that makes sense in the world these characters exist in), including a scene in which dog fighting takes on a literal meaning. And as the film progresses we get bigger and bigger set pieces, culminating in one very vertigo inducing fight scene that had me tense throughout. But always hanging over the characters' heads is that house of Carl's, there to remind him and us of why he came there in the first place. While the film can be silly, I liked that no one spelled out what the film is about. That's a bad habit a lot of family films have, even WALL-E, so that touch of subtlety was greatly appreciated.
Visually this is another Pixar stunner. Director Pete Docter uses color and depth of field to convey how confined Carl's life has become, and how much it flourishes when he leaves home. There are moments where we simply see the house floating along that are breathtaking. And the character design has become so good, I forgot these were animated characters. Pixar has wisely realized that animated humans are more sympathetic if they aren't too realistic looking, as they avoid any uncanny valley issues by stylizing their human characters. At the same time, the aforementioned dogs are almost lifelike and very adorable. Up embraces a slightly more cartoony visual vibe, and it really suits the story.
I certainly enjoyed Up quite a lot, and I really can't blame Pixar for trying to reel themselves back in a bit after two challenging pictures. They've certainly earned the right to let loose and have a little fun. When this film wants to challenge you, it does, and when it wants to have fun, it does that too. My tastes tend a bit more towards the quieter moments, but kids will definitely love the fun moments a lot. It's certainly the most widely appealing film they've made since The Incredibles, and I can't imagine anyone not having a good time with Up.
