Review of Up (2009) by Hugh N — 12 Dec 2018

Up.

Since its release in 2009, Up has stood as a beautifully animated adventure film that holds its ground against Pixar's best. Up's premise of an old man following his dreams in a balloon-propelled home is children's animation gold; yet, it's so much more than a simple children's movie. Through heavy hitting emotional sequences and compelling visual storytelling, Up conveys a powerful message about building relationships when recovering from tragedy. Though its simple narrative doesn't always resonate with the central theme, this film beautifully weaves together imaginative adventure and grounded personal conflict into a timeless masterpiece.

The brain child of directors Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, Up's surface features are flawless. Its visually stunning animation still holds up in current times. Michael Giacchino's expertly composed score adds a light, adventurous tone to the narrative. However, what takes Up above and beyond the Pixar Standard is the voice acting. Pixar has shown countless times the incredible stories they can convey with visuals alone, but Up crafts its narrative around Ed Asner and his phenomenal voice acting. Ed Asner, best known for his character Lou Grant on the Mary Tyler Moore Show, plays the old man Carl Fredricksen. Over the course of the film, Carl experiences the full gauntlet of emotions; tragedy, joy, youthfulness, regret, anger, love. Conveying such a complex character with merely a voice would challenge any accomplished voice actor, but Anser makes it look easy, stealing the show with his lively, emotional, realistic depiction of Carl.

The movie's open shots depict Carl as a shy, mild boy entranced with thoughts of exploring the unknown. He stumbles across Ellie, a loud, high-dreams, take-the-wheels personality that foils Carl's quiet, reserved demeanor. They quickly become friends, Ellie sharing her dreams to explore the jungles of South America and experience the majesty of Paradise Falls.

The wordless montage that follows is some of the strongest storytelling put to animation. As friendship turns to love, a married Carl and Ellie go through the life's ups and down. Through a miscarriage, injuries, and other disasters, the couple finds ways to move on together. Spending their time at a local zoo, the couple pursue their childhood dream of visiting the South American Paradise Falls. As the years fly by and they grow old, we see their devotion to each other only grow stronger.

Tragically, right before making the trip to South America, the montage concludes with Ellie passing away. Carl Fredrickson barely copes, calcifying his soft and quiet demeanor in a gruff, unpersonable shell. Spending years in isolation, Carl projects Ellie onto the objects they once shared: the chairs they sat in, her portrait on the wall, the mailbox they built together, the house where they spent their days. Carl's unhealthy mental state becomes apparent after he clashes with a urban construction worker attempting to move his mailbox. It's clear that Carl's defense for the mailbox could easily have been a defense of Ellie herself. Without people to help him cope, his outlash was inevitable and serves as a poignant lesson about the dangers of isolation after personal trauma.

With an impending conviction and his world ready to come crashing down, Carl decides to pay last tribute to Ellie by navigating his home to Paradise Falls uplifted by thousands of multicolored, plastic balloons. Though Carl has every intention to journey alone, this proves impossible as Carl is unwillingly beset by three unlikely companions. Immediately after lifting off, Carl discover a terrified Russell (Jason Nagai), a chubby, enthusiastic Wilderness Adventure Scout, clinging to life on Carl's porch. When harsh storms force Carl and Russell to escort the floating house on foot, they encounter Kevin, an impossibly vibrant, flightless bird. Soon after, they encounter Dug, a golden retriever whose every thought is voiced by a metallic collar (in writer Bob Peterson's voice, no less).

As the journey to Paradise Falls brings new relationships for Carl, the audience slowly sees Carl's gruffness melt away, exposing his former, lovable self. Yet, this second act windup falls flat in comparison to the powerful, emotional storytelling of the first act. The narrative's exceptional beginning, as well as the conclusion, outshine the body of the film, making it feel as if the middle only exists as a lackluster bridge between the two superior narrative segments. This isn't to say that it doesn't provide value to the film. Each member of the small band journeying to Paradise Falls is suffering from an inner, unshared emptiness: Carl is struggling with the death of his wife; Russell is trying to cope with parental separation and conflict; Dug is a social outcast in his pack; Kevin desperately wants to return to her vulnerable young. Their union helps them each begin healing.

Another reason I have mixed feelings about the second act is because of the way the villain is introduced. During the journey, Carl meets his impossibly old childhood hero, Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer). After spending an evening dining in the exploring legend's dirigible, he realizes that Charles is obsessed with capturing Kevin to regain credibility in the outside world. On the surface, Charles' role in the film seems weak. He only exists to progress Carl's character arc. Yet, upon further inspection, Muntz's importance lies in his similarities with Carl. Both can't move on from their psychologically isolated worlds. Charles' reckless and impossible pursuit of the unattainable bird Kevin is a sobering lesson for Carl and an allegory to the futility of pursuing our own unrealistic expectations.

When Charles realizes that Carl is harboring Kevin, his friendliness immediately turns to mercilessness. As Charles hunts down Carl, Kevin, and the others, the pursuit comes to a head when Charles sets Carl's house aflame. Carl, forced to choose between saving his new friend Kevin or losing his last tie to Ellie, abandons his friends to protect his home, allowing Charles to sweep in and abduct Kevin.

With his new friends gone, Carl finishes his journey to the edge of Paradise Falls. As he rests, he can't shake off his loneliness. He leafs through Ellie's old scrapbook, recalling the tender moments they shared. On the final page, Ellie left a short note for Carl, thanking him for their life's adventure and urging him to start a new one. Looking back on his recent journey, Carl realizes leaving his friends was a grave mistake. His attachment to physical momentos him from pursuing an intangible, priceless adventure building new relationships. Resolving to save his friends, Carl attempts to lift off, only then realizing that the sagging balloons are no longer powerful enough to carry the encumbered house. In a powerful visual sequence, Carl removes all his heavy possessions from the home, allowing him to lift off and save his friends. In that simple action, the audience witnesses Carl's turning point. By shedding off past tragedy, Carl is able to rise above his grief and pursue life to its fullest.

Concluding with Carl rescuing his friends and returning to the city with Russell and Dug, Up leaves the audience with a moving message about our own journeys through life. Through a lighthearted, yet emotionally resonant piece, the filmmakers warn of fixating on tragedy, proclaim the import role relationships play in overcoming grief, and affirm that loss doesn't have to prevent us from pursuing new adventures. Though the film slackens through the second act, Pixar continues its legacy of conjuring compelling and emotional animated gems. The bar for the gold standard in animation is now set as high as Carl's flying house could take it.