By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.
I remember seeing the teaser for this months ago and thinking, "How can they do it? How can Pixar make a movie about a grumpy old man and balloons a hit?" They succeeded, in fact, they made one of their best movies. After the initial introduction to the movie, there's about a minute of no dialogue, just animation and music which describes the course of 40-odd years. It's brilliant. The next hour that follows is funny without trying. There's no unnatural gags or set-ups, just naturally humorous situations and conversations, which is perfect considering the movies' message of embracing the simple pleasures in life as the most significant. The voice work is excellent (my personal favorite is Dug the dog) and the soundtrack, though repetitive, fits perfectly. This is the kind of movie that proves animated films are just as credible as live-action, and, after seeing Bride Wars on cable the over night, much more credible. It's a story for those who have lived life and experienced its joys and pains. When I saw in theaters, there was a very young child in the audience, and I found it interesting her parents were enjoying the movie more than she (she got bored and starting singing to herself and chatting). "UP" is definitely one of Pixar's masterpieces.
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