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collars. One is a kinder, gentler, dim-bulb of a dog named Dug and he takes a liking to Carl and Russell, joining them in their crusade against Muntz. During most of the adventure, Carl keeps his floating house firmly secured to his back, determined to plant it in the exact spot Ellie wanted it to be. He’s afraid to let go – in more ways than one. But throughout his jungle journey he slowly learns how to live again.
Up is perfect balance of joyful, silly moments (the way Dug gets distracted by a squirrel gets me every time I see the commercials), edge-of-your-seat suspense (yes, I was on the edge of my seat during an animated movie) and tender life lessons deep enough to get grown-up minds working.
If Carl Fredricksen proves anything, it’s that you’re never too old for adventure – or for a great Disney-Pixar flick.
Movie Grade: A
Second Look: Up in 3D
Review By: Ryan Hamelin
RyanHamelin@TheCinemaSource.com
Movie Grade: A
Pixar can do no wrong. Seriously, it’s getting out of hand. Their new film, Up, proves that these guys won’t settle for anything less than brilliant filmmaking, and I’m starting to believe that they never will. You’d think with a senior citizen for a main character, possibly the earliest animation cliché of talking dogs, a residence in flight due to large amounts of helium, and a roly-poly “Wilderness Explorer” who comments on almost anything, that they’d finally created a story that would be impossible to enjoy or resolve in a satisfactory manner. Wrong. Up is easily among Pixar’s best and follows a lot of the stylistic choices of its most recent predecessor, Wall-E, in its pacing and main story arc. Sure the characters talk more than they did in that film but there’s ample use of stillness and silence to calm even the most figgidy toddler. The movie takes its time, something of a lost art in Hollywood today, and it makes the experience feel even more inspired.
Sensitive viewers be warned, this may also be the “cutest” Pixar movie to date. If you found yourself tearing up in Wall-E, bring a box of tissues as every character has numerous lovable moments that go beyond simple joy or the feeling of warm fuzzies. The dogs are probably the most successful part of the film, and a lot of that has to do with the way they were handled. Instead of the average “talking dog” that we’ve seen a hundred times before, the collars they wear allow them to vocalize their thoughts through a speaker unit. They keep all the same expressions that dogs have, even down to the tongue wagging out when they are particularly happy or excited, but emote in a manner which is nothing short of genius. The writers even incorporate the idea of a malfunctioning collar, which leads to quite a few laughs that I will not spoil here, and I think that Dug, the squat golden retriever with a fascination for squirrels, may ...
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