Disney Pixar UP Review

Disney Pixar UP

Own it on DVD and Blu-ray on November 10, 2009
Feature run time: 96 minutes
Rated: PG
Bonus Materials Not Rated in US

UP is a whimsical, charming movie about Carl Frederickson, a grumpy old man stuck in his past and his memories until he meets up with quiet, shy, and overeager Wilderness Explorer Scout Russell, a young boy somewhat like him in his youth. Then the adventure begins.

Carl’s friend was a lifelong one, tomboy Ellie. In time they married and shared everything–hopes, unrealized hopes, dreams, broken dreams. After a long, happy life together Ellie died leaving her husband alone except for their house and their memories together. In his bitterness and pain, he isolated himself from the world around him. Developers wanting his property took him to court, stripped him of it, and convinced the law to send him to a “home”.

Carl acquiesced and made final preparations, but he didn’t say any goodbyes. Instead Carl attached thousands of bright helium-filled colored balloons to the rooftop to the old homestead. Up, up, up the house lifted and slowly sailed away over the city into the unknown. Carl was fulfilling his promise to Ellie; he was destined for Paradise Falls, South America. What he didn’t realize though is that he had brought Russell along for the flight.

In the tropics, Carl and Russell learned about one another and bonded. As they continued their journey to Paradise Falls they saved Kevin, a thirteen foot flightless bird. They encountered a pack of vicious dogs that had sent its outcast dog Dug to spy on them. They met hero Charles F. Muntz who turned out to be an evil, evil man and gave him his due and badly needed comeuppance in life. They reunited Kevin with her three babies. It turns out that Kevin was a girl. Then Carl took Russell back home and became the father figure missing in the boy’s life.

The running time is approximately 95 minutes. Many bonus features including a great short Dug’s Special Mission are also included.
The cast includes Ed Asner (Carl Frederickson), Jordan Magar (Russell), Bob Peterson (Dug, Alpha, and Kevin), and Christopher Plummer (Charles F. Muntz).

Critics applauded this movie when it first was released to the theaters. Almost all its reviews were positive even though parts of the story are truly sad. UP is different, no big “Aah!” moments…it’s real life captured in art. It is being released on DVD November 10, 2009. It truly is this year’s #1 amimated film.

I love UP because it portrays many important life lessons in a way kids can relate to and understand.

Interesting UP facts

* Up has 330 characters and variants.
* The aviator cap is worn eight times in the movie.

Carl

* In Up, Carl Fredricksen’s hometown is Bloomington, PD, which the sharp eye may be able to spot on Carl’s mail. The fictitious location is a nod to director Pete Docter (PD), whose own hometown is Bloomington, Minnesota. The distance from that part of Minnesota to Angel Falls is 3,268 miles.
* Carl Fredricksen’s last name came from relatives of director Pete Docter.
* Carl Fredricksen is so stylized that he’s only three heads high. Most people are about seven heads tall.
* Director Pete Docter animated Carl in the last scene of the film.

Ellie

* Ellie is named after and voiced by Pete Docter’s daughter, Elizabeth ?Elie? Docter. She also drew some of the pictures in the adventure book.

Russell

* One of Russell’s merit badges is the Luxo Jr. ball. He also has a badge for 2D Animation, Toe Touching, Knot Tying, and many others.
* Jordan Nagai was 7-years-old when he was cast as Russell.

Muntz

* Muntz’s jacket is the first time in Pixar history where a cloth garment is made of fur. No CG animals were harmed.

Dug

* Dug’s Greek dog pack name was Lambda.
* Dug is voiced by Up?s co-director, Bob Peterson.

Kevin

* Kevin is 13-feet tall.
* Director Pete Docter voices some of the bird noises for Kevin.
* Pixar created new feather technology just for Kevin, but it’s used three other places as well: Ellie’s parrot, a feather duster, and the feathers on Muntz’s wall.
* Kevin’s design is based on many birds, including an ostrich (legs), cassowary (feather shapes), Monal pheasant (feather iridescence), heron and other large birds (behavior), toucan, quail, and peacock (beak and “dongles” on its head).

Here’s some more information on the movie and it’s extra features.

Blending inspired whimsy with powerful emotion, the hugely successful feature film is an artistic and entertaining tour de force for the entire family. Up is available in a four-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, and a two-disc DVD, which both include DisneyFile, a digital copy of the
movie that can be viewed on an array of electronic devices, as well as enough bonus features that keep the fun coming.

Academy Award?-nominee Pete Docter (2008, Best Original Screenplay, WALL?E; 2001, Best Animated Feature Film, Monsters, Inc.) directs one of the funniest fantasy-adventures of all time featuring a gifted voice cast that includes Ed Asner (Elf),
Christopher Plummer (Inside Man), Up co-director and writer Bob Peterson (Monsters, Inc.), Delroy Lindo (This Christmas) and John Ratzenberger (who has lent his voice to every Disney?Pixar feature film).

Up is the tenth in an unprecedented streak of critical and box office triumphs for Disney?Pixar that includes four Academy Award? winners for Best Animated Feature?WALL?E (2008), Ratatouille (2007), The Incredibles (2004) and Finding Nemo (2003)?as well as Cars, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 2, A Bug?s Life and Toy Story. Up joined each of its predecessors in ranking #1 at the box office on its opening weekend.

BONUS FEATURES FOR UP
? Commentary by director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson.
? Dug?s Special Mission ? An all new original short film that follows the
misadventures of Dug as he attempts to complete his ?special mission.? The short is directed by Up Story Supervisor, Ronnie Del Carmen.
? The Many Endings of Muntz ? Many ideas were hatched about how to dispose of the film?s arch villain, Muntz, and now viewers can see the many alternate endings proposed during story development.
? Partly Cloudy ?The hilarious short film that preceded screenings of Up. Everyone knows that the stork delivers babies, but where do the storks get the babies? The answer lies up in the stratosphere where the cloud Gus is a master at creating ?dangerous? babies, which prove to be more than a handful for his loval delivery stork Peck. Directed by Pixar story artist, animator and voice actor Peter Sohn.
? Adventure is Out There ? This action-packed documentary tells the story of the filmmakers? own trek to the tepuis mountains of South America to research the design and story of the film.

And, only on Blu-ray Hi-Def, hours of features, and behind-the scenes bonus features, including:
? Cine-Explore ? A visual montage of concept art, clips and documentary coverage that illustrates the directors? commentary.
? Geriatric Hero ? A character study of Carl, from research to realization including art and design, rigging, animation and story. It focuses on the issues of aging, ?simplexity?, shape-language and compelling character arcs.
? Canine Companions ? For anyone who ever wondered where CG puppies come from, an introduction to the design, behavior and language of dogs.
? Russell: Wilderness Explorer ? A character study of Russell from inspiration and design to finding the character arc and authentic voice for this wilderness ranger.
? Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin ? Find out how avian research and
development at Pixar helped bring a mythical, 13-foot tall iridescent bird to life.
? Homemakers of Pixar ? Carl and Ellie?s house is an important ?character? in the film. Fans follow the development of the house from story to art to its ultimate realization in the computer.
? Balloons and Flight ? Carl?s house and Muntz’s dirigible presented the
filmmakers with two different problems?how could they make a physical impossibility possible? And, in the case of the dirigible, how would they unearth a fallen giant and let it soar?
? Composing for Characters ? Composer Michael Giacchino returns to score his third Disney?Pixar feature film. See how the Up filmmakers collaborated with Giacchino to create the memorable score and compelling musical themes.
? Married Life ? The original story concept that became the powerful ?Married Life? scene, showing Carl and Ellie?s love story.
? Global Guardian Badge Game ? Players try to locate countries, states and capitals around the globe in a multi-layered BD-Exclusive geography game enhanced by BD-Live.

Up has a suggested retail price of $39.99 SRP (US) or $44.99 SRP (Canada) for the 2-Disc DVD, and $45.99 SRP (US) or $52.99 SRP (Canada) for the 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo pack. A 1-Disc DVD is also available at SRP $29.99 (US), $35.99 (Canada)

Here’s a bonus clip called Talking Dogs.