Pixar’s lastest offering, the odd-couple adventure UP, has been bringing smiles to people faces ever since the first trailer dropped, or in my case, when I was treated to a special screening of the first 45 minutes of UP, back in February at the New York Comic Con.
By now most of us are used to Pixar films getting love from both fan$ and critics alike; after all, they don’t hand out those Oscar noms to Pixar every year for nothing. Well, UP is continuing in that proud Pixar tradition: the film is getting praise from some of the movie industry’s biggest critics. Check it out:
Time: “Though it’s not yet summer, we can declare that Up, like WALL-E, will prove to be one of the most satisfying movie experiences of its year.” … “Extending the patented Pixar mix of humor and heart, Up is the studio’s most deeply emotional and affecting work.”
Roger Ebert: “This is a wonderful film. It tells a story. The characters are as believable as any characters can be who spend much of their time floating above the rain forests of Venezuela.” … “This is a story as tickling to the imagination as the magical animated films of my childhood, when I naively thought that because their colors were brighter, their character outlines more defined and their plots simpler, they were actually more realistic than regular films.”
Variety: “Depending on what you think of “Cars,” Pixar makes it either 9½ out of 10 or 10 for 10 with “Up,” a captivating odd-couple adventure that becomes funnier and more exciting as it flies along.” … “proves disarming in its deep reserves of narrative imagination and surprise, as well as its poignant thematic balance of dreams deferred and dreams fulfilled.”
THR: “Winsome, touching and arguably the funniest Pixar effort ever, the gorgeously rendered, high-flying adventure is a tidy 90-minute distillation of all the signature touches that came before it.” … “But what gives Up such a joyously buoyant lift is the refreshingly nongimmicky way in which the process has been incorporated into the big picture — and what a wonderful big picture it is.”
Special thanks to Slash Film for compiling that list of quotes for yours truly to mooch off!
What can I say? Everything those critics say echoes my own experience with UP. The visuals are stunning, the characters real and engaging (and pretty darn funny) and there’s an epic adventure thrown in there just for kicks. If you want to have a good time at a Summer movie that will also allow you to keep your brain turned on (a la Star Trek), then you definitely want to check out UP. Parents, this maybe the one window of true fun for the whole family you get this Summer. Don’t miss out.
Did I also mentioned that UP was filmed in Disney digital 3-D? All those gorgeous visuals are going to be literally jumping off the screen! Fun times!
For those who love the comfort of living under rocks, here is what UP is all about:
Up is described as a “comedic adventure” starring a 78-year man named Carl Fredricksen, who’s “spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest”. Due to his age, he thinks life has “passed him by”. One day, however, a “twist of fate”, and an 8-year old “Wilderness Explorer” named Russell, changes his outlook on life. The pair go on adventures, encountering “wild terrain”, “unexpected villains” and “jungle creatures”.
In case you missed the link up top, click on the link to check out the trailer for UP. You can also check out these clips from UP.
Pixar’s UP opens in theaters on May 29, 2009. Will you be checking it out?
