By Malice Intended
Simple stories usually find the most direct root to our consciousness. This is why good children’s stories tend to resonate with adults as well as kids, and why a really good children’s cartoon can find a huge adult audience in today’s marketplace. Good stories can transcend the boundaries of age, genre and medium. When you witness something truly great unfold before you, the superficial limits we place between ourselves and a work of art can erode.
Pixar’s Up is a truly transcendent and ambitious family film. It abandons the loftier motives of Pixar’s recent highly praised efforts (“Wall-E” and “Rattatouie”) and relies simply on telling a whimsical tale. No heavy-handed environmental messages here, just tried and true storytelling, anchored by a sincere emotional core.
Carl Fredrickson, voiced by Edward Asner, is a young boy who has dreams of high adventure. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of famous explorer Charles Muntz (voiced by Chris Webber). He befriends a young girl, Ellie who shares his sense of adventure and hopes to one day build a dream home in Paradise Falls in South America. The two kids fall in love, eventually marrying and building a home together.
They work toward Ellie’s dream of living in Paradise Falls, but a series of setbacks continuously interrupts their plans. Some are comical, while others are heartbreakingly tragic and surprisingly heavy for a children’s film. Ellie becomes ill in her old age and passes away, leaving Carl with nothing but fond memories and unfulfilled plans. His heart broken, Carl becomes the stereotypical bitter, old man.
This transformation is done with elegance and economy of narration. Images and music tell us all we need to know, and hit all the right cues. There is very little dialogue. These factors combine to deliver what will probably be the most inspired stretch of storytelling you are likely to see at the movies this summer.
Carl & Ellie’s house sits in the middle of a city block that has become a construction site. The land developers desperately want to buy Carl out so they can complete their renovation. Carl remains steadfast, refusing to head for the old folks home. His rough exterior is not enough to thwart the advances of Wilderness Explorer Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai), who hopes to earn his merit badge by assisting an elderly person. Carl soon gets into a physical altercation with one of the construction workers, resulting in him being placed in an old folk’s home by the courts.
Carl decides to embark on the journey that he and Ellie had always dreamed about. He attaches thousands of helium balloons to the roof of his house, turning the structure into makeshift blimp and sets a course for Paradise Falls. However, he soon discovers he has a stowaway: Russell!
Russell and Carl land in Tepui in South America and find that they have to walk the rest of the way, pulling the house behind them. Along the way, they get all the adventure they bargained for and then some encountering a pack of talking dogs and Carl’s idol Carl Muntz, who long ago went to the jungles of Tepui in search of a mythic bird that only he seems to believe really exists.
Throughout these experiences, Carl and Russell forge a friendship, and Carl also learns that his love for Ellie doesn’t have to be at the expense of moving on and enjoying the rest of his life.
Up was written and directed by Pete Doctor and Bob Peterson, both of whom have a very firm grasp on what makes for a good fairy tale. The idea of airlifting a house with thousands of helium balloons is, of course, silly. Peterson and Doctor handle it as matter-of-factly as a ship sailing out to sea, which is the way all good fairy tales function. The story floats along but never meanders. It doesn’t rush to conclusion yet emits a sense of purpose with a goal in mind.
The characters and voice acting are consistent and high quality. Ed Asner brings a sense of loss and depth to Carl. Like most “bitter old men”, Carl has a story and a history that such a label belies. He isn’t as hateful as seems, but his disappointments in life have drained him. Asner reminds us that the Carls of the world are human beings. Jordan Nagai is perfect as the rotund Russell. Unlike Carl, Russell’s youth allows him to look at the world through unfiltered and enthusiastic eyes and his youthful energy reignites Carl’s long dormant sense of adventure. This dynamic gives their friendship real dramatic weight.
The character designs are well-suited to the characterizations. Carl looks just like his voice sounds. Russell’s egg-shaped body projects his need to be liked, as well as his overall gentle nature. The Charles Muntz character is an amalgam of the heroes and villains of the old Hollywood adventure serials.
The landscapes and backgrounds are rendered beautifully. They somehow manage to seem “real” without losing any of the cartoonish design qualities, maintaining a true aura of the fantastic. You feel as though you’re walking through a dream, yet everything looks real enough to reach out and touch.
Up comes as close to perfect as these kinds of movies can get. While not flawless, it doesn’t leave one with much to complain about. Up is a full meal of a film. It gives you everything you need to sustain yourself, pleases the pallet and leaves you satisfied.
Out of 5
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