Up Review

Up

Release Date: 3rd September 2009 - Australia

Production Companies

Walt Disney Pictures (presents)

Pixar Animation Studios

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family/

Adventure/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 91 minutes


Budget: $175,000,000

Box Office Gross: $735,099,102 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

A retired balloon salesman/widower named Carl Fredricksen has dreamed of going to the lost world of his childhood dreams, but now he sets off for a high-flying adventure by tying thousands of balloons to his home. Luckily, he isn't the only one when an overeager 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell joins him in his experience when he ends up on Carl's front porch.

The world's most unlikely duo is about to end up at new heights and meet new friends, such as Dug, a dog with a collar that allows him to speak, and a rare 13-foot-tall flightless bird named Kevin. While on their journey, Carl will realise that sometimes life's biggest adventures aren't the ones you seek.

Voice Cast

Edward Asner - Carl Fredricksen

Jordan Nagai - Russell

Christopher Plummer - Charles Muntz

Bob Peterson - Dug/Alpha
Pete Docter - Kevin/
Campmaster Strauch
Delroy Lindo - Beta
Jerome Ranft - Gamma
John Ratzenberger - Construction Foreman Tom
Elie Docter - Young Ellie
Jeremy Leary - Young Carl
Donald Fullilove - Nurse George
Jess Harnell - Nurse AJ
Josh Cooley - Omega

Crew

Story/Screenplay/Director - Pete Docter

Story/Screenplay/Co-Director - Bob Peterson

Story - Tom McCarthy

Additional Screenplay Material/Story Supervisor/
Story Artist (Uncredited) - Ronnie Del Carmen

Associate Producer - Denise Ream

Executive Producers - John Lasseter

and Andrew Stanton

Producer - Jonas Rivera
Production Designer - Ricky Nierva

Character Art Directors - Albert Lozano

and Daniel Lopez Muniz

Shading Art Director - Bryn Imagire

Environment Art Directors - Nathaniel McLaughlin

and Don Shank

Additional Production Artist - William Cone

Additional Storyboarding/Development

Artist - Jeff Pidgeon

Story Consultant - Julie Lynn

Production Manager - Mark Nielsen

Character Supervisor - Thomas Jordan

Sets Supervisor - John Halstead

Animation and Crowds Supervisor - John Pottebaum

Supervising Animator - Scott Clark
Directing Animators - Shawn Krause,
Dave Mullins and Michael Venturini
Director of Photography: Camera - Patrick Lin
Director of Photography: Lighting - Jean-Claude Kalache

Supervising Technical Director - Steve May

Effects Supervisor - Gary Bruins

Stereoscopic Supervisor - Bob Whitehill
Film Editors - Kevin Nolting and

Katherine Ringgold

Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor/

Re-Recording Mixer - Tom Myers

Supervising Sound Editor - Michael Silvers

Sound Effects Editors - Teresa Eckton,

J.R. Grubbs and Al Nelson

Re-Recording Mixer - Michael Semanick

Foley Artists - Jana Vance and

Dennie Thorpe

Foley Mixer - Frank Rinella

Music - Michael Giacchino

Executive Music Producer - Chris Montan

Music Supervisor - Tom MacDougall


Awards

2010 Academy Awards
Best Animated Feature - Pete Docter (Won)
Best Music - Michael Giacchino (Won)
------------------------
Best Picture - Jonas Rivera (Nominated)
Best Writing, Original Screenplay - Bob Peterson,
Pete Docter and Tom McCarthy (Nominated)
Best Sound Editing - Michael Silvers and
Tom Myers (Nominated)

Review

Pixar has consistently shown ongoing stories of heartwarming magic for the young and old over the decades since Toy Story. It was in 1995 when they first introduced CGI features to the world. Upon its release in 2009, UP became one of the studio's last two critically acclaimed endeavours. However, not all of us have responded positively to this charming and colourful modern classic. However, it's too similar to the previous animated feature from Pixar, WALL-E. I'm not so much on the plot. Sure, the characters are interesting, but there's not much to say about the comedy and drama in this movie, as it was predictable.

The film's highlight is the montage scene where Carl and Ellie are married, and something tragic occurs. Not even Christopher Nolan or Steven Spielberg can replicate this moment of poignancy. I understood its message that life is one big adventure and that you should live life to your fullest potential and follow your wildest dreams. Unfortunately, this can't save UP from its mild imperfections. Still, the voice acting iced the cake. Ed Asner did an outstanding job of voicing Carl Fredricksen. Christopher Plummer even does an impressive antagonist portrayal of Charles Muntz better than a few other villainous roles.

That said, UP is a semi-decent animated movie. I can be a harsh critic when there are bad films, as I have viewed and reviewed a few of them. That is if you have had experience with this type of film. It might be more appealing.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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