October Issue 2009

Pixar certainly outdoes itself with each successive movie. After the overwhelming success of Wall-E, many wondered how they would manage to improve with their newest release, Up. An extremely imaginative storyline, witty dialogue and characters you will fall in love with — whose faces are geometrically shaped (triangles, circles and squares).

Directors Pete Docter and Bob Peterson have the formula for brilliant animated flicks down pat. A story that is equally entertaining for children and adults alike, Up makes you laugh and yes, at times you will even reach out for that box of tissues.

Carl Fredrickson is an introverted young boy who dreams of going on adventures and closely follows the life of his mentor, Carl Muntz — an explorer. Carl Fredrickson’s best friend and future wife, Ellie, is extremely outspoken and, like Carl Fredrickson, dreams of going on expeditions — especially to Paradise Falls in South America. Fast forward 40 odd years, Carl Fredrickson and Ellie are still happily in love and are shown collecting money throughout the years, but are unable to fulfill their dream of going to South America due to unforeseen expenses such as fixing the roof, which always take precedence. After Ellie’s death, Carl Fredrickson is left only with hundreds of photographs and memories of his wife. A balloon salesman, Carl Fredrickson suddenly finds himself without companionship and his world starts to unravel as development and construction begins around his house and he is unable to fight builders who want to construct higher, newer buildings around his house.

Depressed and a tad bitter, he decides to take things into his own hands: he ties thousands of balloons to his house, sets up a steering mechanism and a compass, and floats away with a house full of memories of Ellie to Paradise Falls. Enter Russell, a young Wilderness Explorer who shows up at Carl’s house, eager to help an elderly person so he can get his final badge and win a medal of honour. In his efforts to help a belligerent Carl, Russell ends up as a stowaway on the front porch of the house.

Together, the two float away to South America where adventure awaits.

Up is pure entertainment from the second it begins. Even the supporting characters, such as the lovable dog, Doug, and Kevin, an extinct bird that is actually a female, are just as colourful and interesting as the main ones. It is definitely one of the must-watch movies of the year.