Up poster & wallpaper

Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai

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 a...( read more  read more... )lone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.

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PG, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson

Release Date: May 29, 2009

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DVD Release Date: November 10, 2009

Stats: 53,963 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (53,963)

  • shortcartoonist
    November 4, 2009
    shortcartoonist
    Pixar's most mature film to date is a wonderful blend of childish humour and adult entertainment. The film is a beautiful example of animation, filled with striking colour and faces that have experienced much. The artistry of the film makes the adventure so fantastical and captiv...( read more)ating to follow; it's themes relevant to any timeframe and it's characters accessible to a broad range of ages. The film is right up there with the best from one of the most consistent studios in the filmmaking industry.
  • jsd35
    October 22, 2009
    jsd35
    Sentimental and Nostalgic at times, Up paints an animated pastiche of old age and family relationships, that leans more heavily on the message than on the humor on occasion. It nevertheless pulls off a great piece of animation.
  • gor41
    October 18, 2009
    gor41
    Dare I say, slightly disappointing Pixar production with a very average second half. Should have stuck with the courage of its convictions outlined seamlessly in the first 30 mins but clearly felt the pressure to 'liven things up' for the kids. 3D adds scale and perspective in so...( read more)me scenes but overall only provides cosmetic improvements. Don't get me wrong, it is still crafted with a love and care that only Pixar can give but like 'Cars' is not quite up to their own stratospheric standards.
  • AgentLexi2132
    October 18, 2009
    AgentLexi2132
    ''I don't want your help, I want you safe.''

    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 ...( read more)Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.

    Edward Asner: Carl Fredricksen

    Certainly it is rather obvious that Pixar has become the most dependable studio out there for producing reliable films that don't simply continue to raise the standards in animation but also at the same time set a level of excellence in story, plot and raising spirits. Up represents another change in style, as significant as Wall-E's shift to photorealism, intricate camera effects and darker themes. Up effectively blends moments of tragedy with almost at times, jolly humour, while showing that their understanding of story structure and pacing becomes more enlightened upon every new project.

    Up is about a 70-something ex-balloon salesman who fulfills a lifelong dream of adventure by tying thousands of balloons to his house and flying away to South America. This trip, inspired by his adventure- loving wife who dies before their dream is realized, is forced when property developers attempt a compulsory purchase on his house and try to move him to a retirement home (Up in a way has similarities with Gran Torino, addressing age and retirement homes). The problem arises in the form of a rather talkative 8 year old Wildness Explorer stowed away on the property when it begins it's ascent. Their adventure focuses on the characters they meet along the way, while our hero Carl is still trying to drag his house to the dream destination upon the top of a waterfall paradise.

    The opening shows the life of Carl, growing from an young boy, meeting his adventuring-loving girlfriend, their marriage and her death just before their adventure starts - it's an incredibly emotional 5-minute intro that is light on dialogue yet heavy on visuals, and caused a great stir in emotion for me. This sequence in particular was certainly reminiscent of voice free parts of Wall-E which deliver their plot punches without exposition or the need for endless sequences that would take twice as long in live action. But this approach doesn't leave the younger audience behind either, and for such a dark start, all I could see in the audience were kids and adults alike glued to the screen.
    I won't give away any more plot details since the film doesn't open for another three weeks, but every scene and character trait is meticulously plotted so that nothing seems too ridiculous or contrived, even for such a fantastic journey. The graphic stylization is also fresh, in the same way that The Incredibles had a very distinct and authentic look. All of this serves to elevate the humour and there are some particularly funny scenes, helped by the way the characters are quickly and believably established.

    This is the second time I've been to Pixar to see a pre-release of a movie and I felt a little scared before seeing this one, wondering if their run of first-class work may have grinded to a halt. On the surface, I didn't really think a story about an elderly chap in a flying house could live up to my favourite film classic Wall-E, yet although the films are as different as they can be, Up is as gripping and entertaining as any Pixar film before it.
    Overall, Up and the little short film included with it, about clouds, are certainly brush strokes of genius. A must see not just for children but for adults too, Up is an exceptional story of life, friendship and the unimportance of materialism. Whether it be a house or a helmet, you can't take them with you, when your time is up.

    ''Thanks for the adventure. Now go have one of your own.''
  • PvtCaboose91
    October 17, 2009
    PvtCaboose91
    "Adventure is out there!"


    In the past, Pixar have tackled talking cars, washed-up superheroes, a rat who cooks and a mute garbage robot in a post-apocalyptic environment. For Up, the revered animation pioneers deliver something unexpected: a melancholy action-ad

    ...( read more)venture concerning a 78-year-old widower and an obese young boy. No doubt on paper this idea seemed impetuous, but the Pixar squad have hit the pay dirt once again; scoring over $400 million at the worldwide box office and garnering the sort of acclaim that Michael Bay and McG could only dream of for the idiotic blockbusters they create. For their 10th motion picture, Pixar have weaved together a strange and shrewd amalgam of comedy and heart-rending pathos in the form of a visually dazzling, high-flying marvel of an adventure.


    At the centre of Up is aging, bespectacled curmudgeon Carl Fredricksen (Asner). Reeling from the death of his beloved wife Ellie, Carl is caught in a mournful stasis; maintaining his curmudgeonly senior citizen lifestyle while an encroaching development threatens his comfortable old house. When Carl is forced to move into a retirement home, he senses the opportunity to pursue the life of adventure that his wife had always dreamed of. Attaching hundreds of balloons to his house to lift it off the ground, Carl travels in the direction of South Africa in the hope of landing near the jungle stomping grounds of his boyhood hero - adventurer Charles Muntz (Plummer). Inconveniently, however, he has a stowaway onboard: pudgy, devout boy scout Russell (Nagal) who hopes Carl can help with the achievement of his "Assisting the Elderly" badge.


    Up is vehemently an old man/young kid "buddy film" transplanted effectively into the animation format - on that note, it's practically James and the Giant Peach meets Gran Torino. Chief among the film's myriad pleasures is watching this unlikely inter-generational friendship take root. It's even more satisfying to watch the relationship blossom given its unpromising and highly amusing beginning. The vocal work is top-notch right across the board. Instead of seeking big names to fill roles purely for the novelty value, Pixar found the right voices. Edward Asner and Christopher Plummer are not unknowns, but neither are they A-list stars. They're perfect for their respective characters of Carl and Muntz, and viewers are not left with the afterimages of their real-life features burned onto the animated characters.


    The brilliance of Pixar is their ability to say more in five wordless minutes than most other films can say in ten pages of dialogue. Pixar understands that this is a visual medium, and the team strongly believe in the old adage that a picture says a thousand words. From an emotional standpoint, the greatest thing about Up is its prologue - running at approximately 10 minutes, it's a masterpiece of economy and could stand on its own as a self-contained short. It tells the story of Carl and Ellie, whose childhood meeting (when they were both adventure-spirited kids) is charm personified. The episode that follows has a certain grace that's seldom seen in a motion picture - it's an emotionally resonant, beautiful montage that exquisitely captures the couple's young love, marriage, hopes, dreams and heartbreaks. But Ellie eventually dies and Carl is left alone in a house rich with memories where every floorboard is imbued with Ellie's presence. It brings a tear to the eye. Furthermore, this is all communicated brilliantly and mutely by the filmmakers who utilise the gift of elegant animation and well-lubed character expressions to lend the audience a glimpse into Carl's stubborn psychology. Through this, a viewer gets to know everything there is to know about Carl... We understand him, and feel with him. His decision to abandon the world and float away seems sensible and right. All the central characters are brilliantly developed; Pixar understands that the action set-pieces are far more nail-biting with likeable characters entangled in the perilous situations.


    Every frame of Up is meticulously constructed to the finest detail, with every behaviour (be it dog or human) carefully observed and replicated. The film is constructed with all the required narrative elements in place, yet the functionality is rarely obvious. There's a villain in the film, as well as conflict, but that's all external. At surface level, Up is the story of an elderly man and his boy scout sidekick wandering through exotic jungles and fighting dastardly air pirates. But in truth, this is the story of Carl coming to grips with the loss of his beloved wife and struggling to find a way to move on. The rest is just window dressing. See, above all else, those who constructed the movie never forgot that entertainment is job one. The film itself is therefore a piece of entertainment which can also be appreciated for what it carries underneath its surface.


    As always, the animation in Up (a marvellous blend of realism and caricature) is breathtaking - especially in 3-D, which is the best way to experience the movie. Pixar have become so excellent at what they do, it's almost no longer a requirement to stop and marvel their artistic efforts. The filmmakers' attention to detail borders on pathological, from the way Carl's beard subtly grows as the days roll by to the vivid candy colours of the beautiful mound of balloons. There are a number of images here that would be considered amazing in any film (animated or live-action). On top of all this, the stunning visual world is set to a wonderful musical score. Composer Michael Giacchino recalls the lushly orchestrated compositions of cinema's golden age; providing ebullient pieces of music perfectly suited to Carl and Russell's lofty adventure.


    One thing's for sure: Up is very touching, but it's also hilarious. There are sequences included here with the inventiveness of a Charlie Chaplin comedy, not to mention an abundance of clever laugh lines with nary a pop-culture reference in sight. One of the greatest pleasures of Up is a bunch of talking dogs. Anyone who has ever spent time with a dog will find infinite pleasures in the spot-on approximations of what might be going through a lovable, slobbery mutt's mind at any given moment. It's comedy gold. Granted, some of the characters feel more like the product of a DreamWorks animation film, but they're grounded with a glorious Pixar sensibility (for instance, if this was a DreamWorks movie, the talking dogs would all carry iPhones and the giant bird would be voiced by Eddie Murphy). In a way, Up does succumb to screenwriting clichés towards the opening of its third act; hatching a break-up-to-make-up scenario that feels alien to the material. Yet this is only a small objection within a film of boundless beauty and gorgeous cartoon buoyancy.


    A motion picture like Up makes it clear that Pixar has moved beyond the point where they need to pander children. Unlike DreamWorks, Pixar allows sophisticated themes and ideas to seep into their movies and they don't feel the need to oversimplify everything. That's not to say Pixar creates family unfriendly art films - Up includes plenty of jokes that kid will get, and its appeal is boundless. To describe the pleasures afforded by Up is ultimately an exercise in futility because it wins you over in so many ways - alternating between solid belly laughs to cliffhanger thrills to gorgeous imagery - that one is simply left wondering what they're smoking over at Pixar studios and why more filmmakers aren't smoking the same thing.
  • tonyapurnell
    November 7, 2009
    tonyapurnell
    This was cute, not as good as I thought it would be.
  • katyh142
    November 7, 2009
    katyh142
    This film is amazing ? x
  • bigdaddydaryl
    November 7, 2009
    bigdaddydaryl
    This was another great Pixar movie,It was very well done and I enjoyed it very much,had alot of well done parts and 2 scenes that will bring tears to your eyes.It also had tones of funny quotes that will make you laugh.The best for me is the dog "Doug" everything he says and does...( read more) is just so damn funny!
  • Lin2321520
    November 6, 2009
    Lin2321520
    Disappointed with Disney. Not a great movie definitely not memorable or "classic" Disney material. Would not recommend it.
  • cmkempf
    November 6, 2009
    cmkempf
    What makes "Up" great is not that it appeals to children and adults, or its uncanny ability to make one laugh out loud, or its charm, or even its wondrous colors and animation. No, even though it boasts all of these traits, all these things have been done before. What sets "Up" a...( read more)part is its ability to invoke just about every single human emotion: friendship, love, fear, heartache, loss, etc. And that's only the first 15 minutes. For the remainder of the movie, you are at the story's mercy, rollercoaster-ing your way through every single imaginative nook and cranny it throws your way: A house carried by balloons? Yes. A giant, rainbow-plumed peacock? Yes. Dogs that can talk by way of translation collars and fly bi-planes? You betcha. And all of it adds to the wonder that is "Up." I dare Disney/Pixar to create a better film.

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Critic Reviews

May 30, 2009
Kurt Loder, MTV

The new Pixar Animation feature "Up" goes boldly where even live-action movies rarely dare. full review

May 29, 2009
Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com

For family audiences looking for heart and laughs , 'Up' soars above the rest as the funniest film of the summer. full review

May 29, 2009
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

Its charms appear to have been applied with surgical precision; by the end, I felt expertly sutured, but not much else. full review

May 29, 2009
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

To watch Up with any attention is to be moved and astonished by the economy with which specific visuals are invested with emotion throughout. full review

May 28, 2009
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Up is a breathtaking ride into the realm of pure imagination. Up shames the pap that now passes for family entertainment (yes, Night at the Museum 2, I'm talking to you). full review

May 28, 2009
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

It's a joy to watch, for any age. full review

May 28, 2009
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

From the title onward, Up is a stratospheric success. It's guaranteed to lift your spirits, and not with a pushy DreamWorks-style gag reel of celebrity voices and committee-processed one-liners. full review

May 28, 2009
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Because the movie's grounded, it's free to fly where it wants, and it does so with an exuberance and poignancy that at times feels majestic. full review

May 28, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Easily the summer's, and probably the year's, most enchanting movie, Up is a buoyant delight. full review

May 28, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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. full review

View more Up reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • maikelbailey
    June 17, 2009
    maikelbailey
    Great movie for adults and kids. I will own the DVD!
  • Baguna
    June 4, 2009
    Baguna
    The first Pixar film to be made for the Disney Digital 3-D format . and much better than Aliens vs. Monsters . and joy to watch any age .
  • nayita23
    May 18, 2009
    nayita23
    quiero verrrrrlaaaaa =)
    ¿y a Venezuela cuando llegará?
  • MovieLover57
    July 8, 2008
    MovieLover57
    REALESE DATE:
    MAY 29, 2009
  • robbiewatson
    August 12, 2007
    robbiewatson
    Comes to cinemas in America on June 12th 2009
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