Up (2009)

Director: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
Cast: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Delroy Lindo, Jordan Nagai
Genre: Animation
Runtime: 96 min

The majority of movie goers agree that Up may be one of the best movies of 2009, for grown ups and kids alike, partly because it's a tale of how to overcome hardships in life and how to let go of mundane things that remind us of what we were, when all along we had the essence of our memories right in ourselves.

Of course children will “get” the more deeper part of the movie rather intuitively, while adults will surely be reminded of old cardboard boxes stocked up in attics, full of throw aways since high school, but all in all, the movie reaches out to all kinds of people, be they first graders, workers or retirees. Up is another Pixar masterpiece, bringing a warm and heartily experience to viewers. It tales the story of Mr. Carl Fredricksen, who is a 78 year old man living alone in an old wooden house. His wife, Ellie, passed away and they had no children. He met her while he was a kid, and drawn to her adventurous spirit, he fell madly in love. Spending his days alone in the house, he gets cranky and moody like any old man. Refusing to sell his house to the nearby real estate developers, he is forced to retire into an elderly center. In that morning, he tricks the people that came to get him and unleashes the brutal force of a gazillion of balloons :), that lift up his house and float it right to South America. Little does he know, that 8 year old Wilderness Explorer Russell was trapped on his front porch when the balloons started flying.

The two of them must now face a journey that goes beyond all their expectations. They meet Kevin, a rare and exotic giant bird that is endangered by a mad scientist, and Dug, the talking dog. Their adventure in a strange and distant place resembles that of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, with all the funny and peculiar characters they befriend. In this animated movie, the little boy isn't the only one that has to grow up, but also Mr. Fredricksen, who must learn how to let go of his wife and carry on with his life.

Music, animation and the beautiful scenery complete this movie. Director Pete Docter did a wonderful job at portraying the animated characters, not letting the story slip into a sugary fairy land. Children feel the peril of the wicked dogs ruled by the evil scientist, and adults feel the pain of poor Kevin who can not return to its chicks, and also the environmentalist message for endangered species.

2009 was a good year for the cartoon industry, because besides Up, we had a movie like Ponyo, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and hand drawn by himself. So how do two very differently produced animated movies can compete against each other? Well, they don't. If you have time, you definitely should watch Up and Ponyo as they are be the best animated movies of 2009. One is a wonderful piece of digital work from Pixar, funny and emotional, and the other is an exquisite example of old fashion animated drawing from a legendary creator, H. Miyazaki, that both children and adults can watch. Ponyo resembles the story of Little Mermaid, but if you want to know more, you can come back next week when we'll review Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. In the meanwhile, check out a small Upisode from Pixar Studios :) . Enjoy!

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