UP Directors: Pete DocterBob Peterson

Screenplay: Pete DocterBob Peterson

Stars: Ed AsnerChristopher PlummerJordan NagalBob PetersonDelroy Lindo

Running Time:96 minutes

Year: 2009 Country: USA

Balloons are something temporary. They get blown up, shine bright for a short period of time and then wither and fall back to the ground, a stretched out shell of what it once was. A lot of films are like this too. At first they’re great. After watching it, there’s a sense of enjoyment and maybe even excitement. But as time goes by they simply don’t hold their air, forgotten in the mix of new films, dated themes and even hype. Disney Pixar’s Up is unlikely to be such a film, though. Filled with wonderment and intrigue, it tells a timeless tale of adventure and aging that touches on almost every emotion a children’s counselor’s “Feelings” poster covers. While the somewhat dull third act takes some air out of the film, there’s still a lot to applaud. The first 30 minutes of Up is some of the finest storytelling I have experienced in a long time, perhaps since the beach storming at the start of Saving Private Ryan. Up tells Carl and Ellie’s tale in a beautiful montage that is funny, touching and heartbreak-ing all within a five minute span. It does so through carefully constructed images that highlight the most important aspects of their life together from start to finish (at least through the eyes of Carl). This exposes his heart and lays the groundwork for all that fol-lows. Unfortunately, once Carl reaches South America, Up loses some of its momentum.

The film still plods along with great wit and insight into the battle between young and old, however when something starts out amazing and finishes as just “really good,” I can’t help but feel a little let down. Perhaps my expectations got raised a little high, but I suspect it was more because the essential part of Carl’s journey was realized relatively early in the film.

Up is a wonderful film filled with visual marvels, imagination and a great sense of ad-venture. Although the emotional journey plateaus early, it still provides many points to pon-der and celebrate.

A Review by Ryan Cracknell