Year Released: 2009
Director: Pete Docter
Co-Director: Bob Peterson
Starring: Edward Asner as Cark Fredericksen, Jordan Nagai as Russell, Bob Peterson as Dug, Christopher Plummer as Charles F. Muntz, amongst others
Studio: Pixar Animation Studios
Distributed by: Walt Disney Pictures

“Sometimes, it’s the boring stuff that I remember the most.“
- Russell

Another Pixar masterpice. Period. This is how I would describe this offering by Pixar. After a stunning production before which was WALL-E, Pixar comes out with a new effort based on a story that has more “human elements” than its predecessor.

I will not spoil the story for you so I guess it would be better to describe the film itself. The way the story is being told is simple. The film introduces the two main characters, Russel, a very enthusiastic member of the Wilderness Explorer group, and Carl, a grumpy old man, through a very simple opening act without the usage of lots of dialogue.

As I have mentioned, the film has lots of “human elements” and these elements make the story excel and connect the viewer to Russel and most especially, Carl. The ending of the film is really a touch of sheer brilliance as Carl character truly shines out in the closing scenes.

The story tells that life is basically an adventure and we have to make the most out of every adventure that we have in our lives because once our age becomes a huge factor and we still have not do anything significant, we will end up regretting not doing anything at all. Relying on Carl’s sidestory in order to build the main story arc, the viewer could not help but to feel in sync with the movie since Carl’s side story is just so humane and also, the degree of realism involved in the story is just truly exceptional. Put Russel in the scheme of things and the film simply lets the viewer take on a stunning ride that can truly be remembered for ages.

Visually, UP looks the best movie ever. Stunning graphics. Add 3D glasses and you get yourself a very gorgeous looking movie. The 3D touched did add some eye candy to the already stunning film though one may think that in some scenes, the need for 3D glasses is absolutely non-existent. Pixar certainly did not disappoint in the visuals department. If Pixar failed in this department, I would have ended up as as very disappointed customer who might be thinking that his allowance ended up on a movie which was awful – for a lack of a better word.

Comparing the film to the visually amazing “WALL-E”, I can say that “UP” is better in terms of the story. UP’s story is simpler and this in turn leads to a better connection between the viewer and the characters in the film.

Though the film has lots of “human elements”, it still has some elements of fantasy involved. One might wonder: “Is it really possible to lift a house through tons of balloons?” Of course, science will tell you that the answer is a no. This may be the only quibble that only purists may find but actually, I do find this okay at all.

As Russel said, “Sometimes it’s the boring stuff that I remember the most,” but this film certainly did not have any dull moment. A film encompassing fun, love, adventure, and simply the good things that we should see in life is certainly one that should not be missed.

Watching the movie gave me this joy that no film has ever given before and that included the critically-acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire. UP is truly another treasure that Pixar has skillfully crafted. A movie with so much realism involved makes it a gem. No other movie can duplicate such feat done by this marvelous masterpiece. Pixar has again done it. In my list of favorite movies, this movie would certainly be located “UP.”