Up

Revisiting UP purely on the basis of its ranking as one of the best PIXAR films, original ideas about the film's weaknesses and likeness to WALL-E were intensified. Like WALL-E, UP begins in wordless, light-music assisted quasi-montage, establishing the protagonist of the film, the cantankerous old Mr. Fredricksen (Ed Anser), as a man who's only grown into the stereotypical 'get off my lawn' archetype. Showing the young Carl as an adventurous but soft-spoken loner, we witness a typical but heartbreaking relationship that he develops with Ellie, a rambunctious neighbor who eventually becomes his wife, after their connection over a blimp named "The Spirit of Adventure", led by a famous explorer who found a wild animal in South America's Paradise Falls. As adults, the Fredricksen's dream of one day saving up the money to make it to Paradise Falls is incessantly interrupted by "life". This is not, however, a clichéd weakness, but, in the vein of many American films, embracing of clichés as something that is, however overused, extremely apparent in many people's lives. Thus, the "life happens" conceit is in fact, the strength of the film, embodied in the wordless sequence that so closely resembles WALL-E's opening. Now alone and wasting away, Mr. Fredricksen's house is threatened by industrialism and vague, sunglass-wearing suits who spy on his house. Finally rejecting society, Fredricksen departs for Paradise Falls with a million balloons that propel his house into the sky. The sequence is breathtaking, and further sets up Fredricksen in a complicated situation. In one sense that the film projects, Fredricksen's departure is a welcome liberation, but it is still mired by his selfishness. Once he discovers a boy scout named Russell clinging to his porch, this is shaken up, and the rest of the film that is good continues this idea, bringing Fredricksen to care for Russell. But then the rest of the film that is bad happens, and, like in WALL-E, silliness trumps storytelling. The film eases us into Paradise Falls, which the duo eventually crash into from out of the clouds: first introducing the mythical creature that was alluded to in the opening sequence: a vibrantly colored, tall, prehistoric bird which becomes attracted to Russell and his chocolate candy bars. Fourth to enter the troupe though, is a talking dog named Doug, who dons Fredricksen as his master, and occasionally becomes distracted by squirrels. But the film downgrades itself, eventually resulting in a Star Wars Rogue Leader spoof with more talking dogs driving airplanes. This silliness would be alright in small doses, but it envelops the entire tail-end of the film, and the eight minute, gorgeous opening sequence has to share its poignancy with dogs with fly airplanes and talk. It's a weak denigration, and feels cheap and lame in its untrustworthiness of children, by thinking that they'll need to be entertained by some silly dogs.

2.5/5 Stars (Uneven--Good)