A Quick Take

I couldn't help but think of Edith's house in Ballard

Well I just finished up Spring quarter at the UW and am starting Summer quarter next week. I have spent the year so far writing over 75 reviews of movies and books we have watched and read. I wanted a break for a week! However after seeing Pixar's latest gem Up I couldn't resist the urge to write a few words, I know my mother in law will appreciate it. By now most people know what it is about so I will just tell you what I thought.

Like most of the world I am a fan of the Pixar brand. With the exception of Cars I have seen all of their movies. In fact after first seeing Ratatouille I instantly entered it into my top 20 favorite movies. While leaving the Cinerama after seeing WALL-E I was already planning my next viewing. I would almost go as far as calling the Pixar brand perfect if it wasn't for this heartfelt article I read on NPR.org about the unfortunate lack of female leads in their movies (go ahead and read it, it's great).

What surprises me the most about Up is how uncommerical it is. It is not the easiest film to put through the Disney machine. I'm pretty sure this Fall we wont be seeing Up lunch boxes at Target and I can almost guarantee no one will be buying an Ed Asner costume this Halloween. The only marketable thing I can possibly see coming from this is a Disneyland attraction where we fly in a house that is being lifted by balloons. Up is a truly original film that doesn't rely on any gimmicks, instead it relies solely on great storytelling.

The first ten minutes of the film are some of the most tender moments I have ever seen in an animated movie. This has caused me to rethink how I approach animated movies. I think there is a tendency to write animated movies off as for the kids and below contemporary cinema (and let's face it, most of them are) but the emotions that I felt while watching the montage of Carl and Ellie's life together is as powerful as most dramas I have seen this year. For fear of overselling it I should just say, it's moving.

The rest of the film is a fun and exciting adventure that takes many detours along the way. Look for a truly inspired gag involving dogs collars that never gets old. We saw it in Real-D which was worth the extra couple of bucks. Instead of silly gags that show off the technology and take you out of the film, what we are treated to is another layer of the film. The best way to describe the experience would be to compare it to looking at a pop up children's book. We loved it!

For those of you who have seen Up and are craving some more balloon action I recommend you check out the 1956 short film The Red Balloon from France. It is the perfect companion to an already perfect film (and if you have kids with attention spans they will love it).