One of these days, Pixar is going to drop the ball big time. Every year I go to the theater expecting to walk out unimpressed, because no person or group in this industry (especially one under the shadow of the Mouse) can maintain a level of quality that SQUIRREL!

Okay, got that out of my system. I’m happy to say that my pessimism was defied for another year, because Up is a winner. The flick opens with little Carl Fredricksen watching, entranced, as a newsreel follows world-class adventurer Charles Muntz. Muntz, accused of faking his discovery of a big exotic bird, is departing for South America with his giant blimp and pack of dogs to prove his reputation. Meek little Carl then encounters Ellie, a spirited girl who shares his love of adventure stories (and hero-worship of Muntz). The two grow up and get married; and the course of their long life together is shown in a quick but powerful montage, which ends with Ellie’s failing health and death. Widowed Carl, no longer all that meek and no longer enthusiastic about the future, is in danger of losing his house to industrial developers. He decides to escape his situation by lofting the house with balloons and flying himself to Paradise Falls, a remote South American spot he and Ellie had always planned to visit. But he runs into all kinds of trouble, starting with Russell, a chubby, enthusiastic Junior Woods Scout who was on Carl’s porch when the house took off. They get to Paradise Falls without too much hassle, but then they find two unusual animals: a dog named Dug who has a device on his collar allowing him to “speak”, and a big exotic bird. You can probably see where this is going: Dug belongs to Muntz, still alive and still seeking out that bird. Muntz doesn’t have any qualms about destroying an old man or a child if they get in his way either.

Like all the other Pixar movies, Up throws some fairly heavy themes at the audience in the midst of all its lovely suspension-of-disbelief fun. This movie deals largely with loneliness and isolation: Russell’s unseen parents are divorced and his father is getting more and more distant; Dug is an outcast among Muntz’ pack because of his clumsy, sweet nature; Muntz has become so fixated on his one big catch that he can’t even function around other humans; and Carl believes he has failed his love and himself because he never went on a big adventure. Our lives aren’t measured by what we do, but who we do it with, and why. Only when Carl comes to understand this can he save the day. Which isn’t to say the movie lacks humor; Russell and Carl clash off of each other in odd-couple ways that are pretty entertaining, if slightly conventional. Many of the best jokes come from the talking devices Muntz has fitted all his dogs with; they can talk like humans but they still think like dogs, easily distracted and with simplistic views on life. (i.e., Dug to Carl, “I was hiding under your porch because I love you.”)

One of the things I love most about Pixar is the voice casting. In a Pixar movie you tend to get actors who are recognizable but whose voices also actually enhance the character; as opposed to animation studios like DreamWorks whose approach to casting is apparently to throw darts at the latest issue of People Weekly. Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer are the major names here, as Carl and Muntz respectively. Jordan Nagai, apparently in his first movie, voices Russell; Bob Peterson, who also co-directed the film, does double duty as Dug and Alpha (Muntz’ top dog). And of course, John Ratzenberger lends his voice again, as a construction foreman.

We saw Up in 3D; personally it didn’t add or take away from the experience of watching the movie for me. Up wasn’t made specifically for 3D, so there weren’t too many of those “gotcha” effects that one usually gets. The overall picture came off as looking fuller and the color integrity wasn’t lost, which can happen sometimes with movies converted for 3D viewing. I would have been perfectly happy watching in 2D.

On the Pixar scale, I would place Up somewhere a little below The Incredibles and Ratatouille, but higher than Bug’s Life or Cars. 9/10