Review: Pixar's Dazzling and Moving "Up" one of the best films of the year **** stars out of 4

On paper, Up sounds like pure cinematic cotton candy. A silly story about an old man who uses balloons to lift his house to an adventure only to find a boy scout stowaway on his porch. In less capable hands, it would have been...but this is Pixar we're talking about. The studio that will not settle for just sugary treats...they want to deliver an entire meal...and Up is quite a feast. Not only is it up to this point, the best film of the year, it may go down as the best film Pixar has ever done...and seeing as that this is the same studio that created Toy Story, Monster's Inc, and last years WALL-E, that is a high compliment.

Up begins by showing a young boy named Carl Frederickson, a square headed dreamer sitting in a movie theatre enthralled by the newsreels telling about Charles Muntz...a famous explorer and Carl's hero. On his way home, he meets a motormouthed redhead named Ellie who shares his passion for exploration.

This leads into one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking sequences in recent years.

We are shown how Carl and Ellie get married, and dream of going to South America. However, life gets in the way, be it medical bills, the news of how they will have a childless existance and eventually Ellie's illness. If you can make it through this entire sequence...especially the last few scenes...without your eyes swelling up, then I'm sorry, but you may not have a soul.

After this sequence, one would expect a narrative letdown...wrong. On one fateful day, two things happen to Carl (voiced as an old man by Ed Asner), the first is that he meets a chubby and energetic Wilderness Scout named Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai), the second is that he strikes a construction worker with his cane and is forced to leave his house. Deciding that it is now or never, Carl, who spent his life working as a balloon salesman, ties hundreds of balloons to his house and launches away on a voyage to South America, a promise he made to his late wife Ellie.

Just as he leaves, he discovers that the Wilderness Scout has stowed away and before you know it, the duo are off in search of adventure. Eventually, they end up in South America where they meet a rare breed of bird, who Russell names Kevin, a dog named Doug with a talking collar and eventually Carl gets to meet his hero Charles Muntz (voiced by Christopher Plummer) and his army of dogs with talking collars (Doug is the black sheep of the group).

Once they get to South America, you would expect that Up would get a little more fancy free and fun...don't worry it does, but the realities of loss and abandonment aren't too far away. However, director Pete Doctor, doesn't let those aspects creep into the film too much, yet leaves enough in to make Up a rich and nuanced film for both adults and kids.

All of the voice actors give great efforts, never sounding too eager or too subdued...they all hit perfect pitches. Lets not undermine the staggering visuals of Up, the scene where Carl lifts off with multiple colored balloons in a blue sky is one for the time capsule. Also, admire the color of Kevins feathers, they are so deep and rich, especially against the green of the South American jungle. However, the real sight to behold is the inside of Charles Muntz' airship, which looks like its own air and space museum. It is a truly remarkable creation that could only come to be inside the imagination of Pixar.

As amazing as the visuals are, never forget what Up is, a movie that lets you enjoy the visuals and fills you with a wonderful story. Pain does exist in this colorful world, but so does hope and joy. In this film, you will shout for joy, and let tears of sadness roll down your face...and you will be all the richer for it. There is not a doubt in my mind that a movie like Up is an experience that can never be duplicated and will easily stand the test of time as one of the greatest animated films ever made.

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