Up Blu-ray Review

Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner) is a 78-year-old man who lived his life with a very adventurous and lovely woman. After her passing, Carl decided to fulfill their lifelong dream of seeing a canyon water fall in South America. With construction crews and modern developments closing in on his rotting home, Carl devises a plan to escape, by tying thousands of balloon to his home. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn’t alone on his journey, since Russell (Jordan Nagai), a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip. This is the premise in the Disney Pixar animated movie Up, directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, and available in a 4-disc Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack on November 10th.

The adventure begins when Carl and Russell find that travelling in a home carried by thousands of helium balloons is not as manageable as Carl had planned. There are lots of bumps and storms along the way. Their difficulty in the air is only minor, though, compared to the obstacles they find when they finally touchdown in the South American wilderness.

The pair take on a couple new friends right away. Kevin is a rare bird that is being hunted by a strange pack of talking dogs, programmed by legendary explorer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer). The dog that finally catches up with the bird is Dug (Bob Peterson). Dug is different from the rest of the pack in that he is more like a household pet than a trained hunter. The end result is that Carl reluctantly agrees to let Kevin and Dug tag along with he and Russell.

Charles Muntz was Carl’s childhood hero. He was the epitome of adventure. He was excited at the chance to meet Charles after the pack of dogs tracked the group and brought Carl and Russell in. However, after a peaceful dinner, Charles begins to suspect that Carl is just another of the many visitors to the area that have tried to “steal” away the rare bird find that Charles desperately wanted to find.

The perilous journey continues as Charles and his talking dogs try to track down Carl and Russell, who are reunited with Kevin and Dug after their initial escape. The chase leads through the wilderness and in the air. Carl must face the reality that he might not get a chance to settle in for his final days in his preferred retirement destination near the water fall.

Watch “Voice of Russell” Movie Clips

Up is a beautiful animation and an amazingly clever story. The characters are fun and unique. There is plenty of humor mixed in between the people and the animals. The only drawback to the movie, and its not uncommon to Disney animations, is the heightened level of peril. These movies are intended for young children, but often there are moments and scenes that are simply too intense for some sensitive children to tolerate. True, this movie is rated PG, but there is no question it is not a teen-or-adult targeted film. Its for families.

One specific moment involves someone falling from a plane during a midair chase. While the landing is not shown, this is pretty high drama for a kids movie. There was also a hush in the theater as the story begins with the funeral of Carl’s wife. Still, aside from these brief periods of intensity, Up is a clever, entertaining, enjoyable, and adventurous movie that families would enjoy.

Watch Up Movie Clips
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 96 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: May 29, 2009

Movie Review by Neil of Movie Room Reviews

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