 If Pixar - as a studio - has any weakness, it's that they have no idea how to make a bad film. Again and again they release entertaining movies with not only a terrific sense of humor, but a level of storytelling that has set a standard for today's films, animated or otherwise. While I was obviously extremely excited to see Up, never did I expect it - or, to be honest, anything else from this year - to reach the quality of this year's first animated film, Coraline (which, along with last year's Bolt and Wall-E, became one of my top 3 favorite films of all time). Well, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Simply put, Up is a perfect movie.
Easily the most emotionally impactful portion of the entire film, the first ten to fifteen minutes of Up are nothing short of beautiful. Using little to no dialogue, the opening "montage" of this film tells the story of Carl and his wife Ellie, and the wonderful life that they share together. Carl is such a lovable character, that you feel for him from the very beginning. Without trying to come off as cliché or anything, you feel the joy that he feels, and when his wife passes away, you feel his loss. By the end of the whole sequence, I was in tears.
This movie is freakin' hilarious. Without a doubt the funniest film that Pixar has ever made, each and every character in Up provides their own bit of humor. Dug the dog (voiced by co-director Bob Peterson) is especially hilarious every single time that he "opens his mouth", and yet still proves to be a key part of this emotional roller coaster ride. The movie also does a terrific job at making you feel a sense of wonder, and you just buy into the adventure of these two characters. Finally, I want to give a special nod to Christopher Plummer as the famous wilderness explorer, Charles Muntz, who is easily my favorite Pixar villain.
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