DVD Review: Up

In June, I reviewed Pixar’s latest film Up. In honor of the recent DVD release, here is that review.

What a wonderful place the Pixar studio must be. Imagine a giant floating factory, with kaleidoscope walls, three or four giant helicopter propellers, and a big slide meandering from the top to the bottom (I like slides). Inside roams talking racecars, living and breathing toys, emoting robots and other wonderful creations, but in the center is a voluminous fan, that draws in the heart, wisdom and imagination of the world. On the bottom is bomb bay doors that open and allow giant birds, pterodactyls and floating houses to deliver reels of film to all the theaters across the land.

Sounds magical enough, but what other place could create ‘Up” -  the best major event release since “The Dark Knight” and the culmination of Pixar’s brilliance in one fantastical film. A film encouraging more hugs amongst family members in the ensuing days and an extra pat or two for the family canine.

“Up” will draw tears before the 10-minute mark, it’s fraught with sentimentality, but the good kind. No emotional manipulation here, no dog torture like “Marley and Me” designed to surgically extract drops from the eyes. The kind Hollywood used to create in abundance before the town was renamed Sequel-ville. Without a word, “Up” tells more about two characters in a single wedding scene than the entire “Star Trek” remake. A simple tent joke is an opportunity to add depth to a character. A film with more heart in a pixel than any flesh and blood offering made this year.

Carl Fredricksen is 78-years-old and alone. His wife has passed and all that is  left of her is a book the two shared as children and a little house in the center of a commercial development. Events play out and Carl is forced to take on his ultimate adventure, the one he’s dreamed of since he was a child and the one he and his wife Ellie shared. Up go the thousands of balloons, the house, and with it goes Carl, a stowaway Boy Scout and more adventure than poor Carl counted on.

Carl is the heart of the story. The decision to center a children’s movie around a 78-year-old protagonist would have caused fainting at any other animation studio in the land, but Pixar isn’t any other animation studio. Carl is the only one who could tell this story. A dreamer and a would-be adventurer, Carl is the greatest generation, the generation before computers, video games, drugs and the rest took away our greatest gift – our imagination. Carl’s dream is to go to South America, to explore and to do those wonderful things kids in his era wanted to do.

But Carl isn’t alone. Along for the ride is Russell, a “Wilderness Explorer” incessantly working for merit badges, he won’t leave poor Carl alone until he can get his last. The two become part of the greatest snipe-hunting joke in history, all before meeting Dug, the loyal dog with a collar that allows it to talk. Proof positive someone on hand had more than a little experience with goofy, but lovable golden retrievers.

The story is well crafted and pure Pixar. Just like “Cars” and its nostalgia for Route 66, “Up” has a lovable historical sensibility, but features a morality tale in the numerous complications that arrive to derail Carl and his adventure. He must choose between his new-found family and his adventure time after time, but neither choice is easy. The heart aches for Carl as he faces obstacle after obstacle.

But those obstacles make for the biggest adventure of all. It’s where “Up” asks what is more important – the adventure yet to be taken or the adventure one can give. Lucky for us, “Up” and it’s giant heart give enough adventure for all.

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