Post by Eric T. Jones on May 31, 2009 19:38:06 GMT -5
Up
RATING (0 to ****): **1/2
With one of the longest success streaks of any creative organization in recent memory, Pixar has had nine back-to-back hits-- including one sequel-- with innovative premises and equally fantastic execution, and each of them provided something you could savor again and again. In the middle of it all, they even broke the mold and proved they could create more mature fare if they so desired. "The Incredibles" was most unlike their previous flicks, with a darker, more serious tone, and "WALL-E" was the first animated film in a long time to be considered a Best Picture possibility by established critics.
It is inevitable, and I regret to inform you that "Up" is, after a few false alarms, the first true Pixar disappointment. Like their other films, it's preceded by a short, "Partly Cloudy", which takes place in a world where babies (but also cute kittens and puppies) are delivered by storks... and they come from the clouds in the sky who make them. Except the one, dark, but lovable cloud who can't stop making vicious things like reptiles and porcupines, all of which hurt the hero stork.
"Partly Cloudy", needless to say, outstages the feature, but you wouldn't know it in the first 10 minutes as "Up" provides to you the entire life of its 78-year-old protagonist, the enjoyably grumpy Carl (Edward Asner), from the time he met his childhood sweetheart and up. Carl spending the lifetime of unfulfilled promises of adventure with his wife is constantly involving and poignant, and don't be surprised if you burst into tears during this section. It's exquisite and of the most truly mature work Pixar has done.
[based on my audience's reactions, too mature. Pixar is careful to leave it entirely to some facial expressions, but it does leave lots of parental explanations so if you're expecting a quiet theater, you won't get it. On another note, I'd love to see them release an R-rated feature under Touchstone.]
So long as it keeps Carl and his house in the city, with eviction threats to a retirement community abound, "Up" continues to be promising. When it reaches the balloons bursting out of his house-- a concept out-of-left-field enough to love-- you start to wonder how far the helium will take these balloons before it flattens out.
Yes, it does flatten. When it reaches the destination of a South American jungle, it's an adventure that would have bored Carl and his wife in their younger incarnations. A presumably endangered colored bird and dogs that talk via mechanical collars are what's put in place in this tedious landscape, making this the first time Pixar has, sadly, seemed in a search for ideas.
The stakes in this story, as well, are pathetic. Edward and his "Adventure Scout" companion Russell (also lovable) tie themselves to the house as they move it a long, long, long, long, long, long, long (okay, okay I'll stop) way to their destination. It's made clear that you'll have no movie if they don't lose the house, and after the first "attack" made on Carl and Russell, there's no real sense of danger.
"The Incredibles", Pixar's first PG outing, was filled with killings, WALL-E was one inch away from being killed many times, and Mike and Sulley in the previous film of "Up's" director Pete Docter had a fearful consequence not of certain death, but of banishment due to possession of a human child... and just like the other films, it still kept you on the edge of your seat!
Don't get me started on the villain, whose introduction is everything wrong with "Up". It tries anything and everything to keep itself going, and without spoiling too much, I will mention it brings reminders of "The Rescuers Down Under". Keep an open mind, and your memories of one of Disney's sequels might actually be more enjoyable than most of "Up".
When the film reminds us again of Carl's wife, it regains some of what was great. Many may- and have- found it easy to forgive the rest of "Up" for its poignant aspects. I wish I could. "WALL-E", in spite of the predictable outcome, was still an emotional rollercoaster which became more convincing with every minute. That previous film of Pete Docter's, the underrated-by-Pixar-standards "Monsters, Inc.", has a scene near the end which doesn't come close to being about death, but "Kitty has to go" was worth a thousand death scenes.
"Up', on the other hand, is far too uneven to recommend. Considering that it took 10 films for it to happen, that could be interpreted as a compliment.
MPAA: PG (some peril and action)
Runtime: 1 hour, 36 minutes (89 minutes of "real movie")
RATING (0 to ****): **1/2
With one of the longest success streaks of any creative organization in recent memory, Pixar has had nine back-to-back hits-- including one sequel-- with innovative premises and equally fantastic execution, and each of them provided something you could savor again and again. In the middle of it all, they even broke the mold and proved they could create more mature fare if they so desired. "The Incredibles" was most unlike their previous flicks, with a darker, more serious tone, and "WALL-E" was the first animated film in a long time to be considered a Best Picture possibility by established critics.
It is inevitable, and I regret to inform you that "Up" is, after a few false alarms, the first true Pixar disappointment. Like their other films, it's preceded by a short, "Partly Cloudy", which takes place in a world where babies (but also cute kittens and puppies) are delivered by storks... and they come from the clouds in the sky who make them. Except the one, dark, but lovable cloud who can't stop making vicious things like reptiles and porcupines, all of which hurt the hero stork.
"Partly Cloudy", needless to say, outstages the feature, but you wouldn't know it in the first 10 minutes as "Up" provides to you the entire life of its 78-year-old protagonist, the enjoyably grumpy Carl (Edward Asner), from the time he met his childhood sweetheart and up. Carl spending the lifetime of unfulfilled promises of adventure with his wife is constantly involving and poignant, and don't be surprised if you burst into tears during this section. It's exquisite and of the most truly mature work Pixar has done.
[based on my audience's reactions, too mature. Pixar is careful to leave it entirely to some facial expressions, but it does leave lots of parental explanations so if you're expecting a quiet theater, you won't get it. On another note, I'd love to see them release an R-rated feature under Touchstone.]
So long as it keeps Carl and his house in the city, with eviction threats to a retirement community abound, "Up" continues to be promising. When it reaches the balloons bursting out of his house-- a concept out-of-left-field enough to love-- you start to wonder how far the helium will take these balloons before it flattens out.
Yes, it does flatten. When it reaches the destination of a South American jungle, it's an adventure that would have bored Carl and his wife in their younger incarnations. A presumably endangered colored bird and dogs that talk via mechanical collars are what's put in place in this tedious landscape, making this the first time Pixar has, sadly, seemed in a search for ideas.
The stakes in this story, as well, are pathetic. Edward and his "Adventure Scout" companion Russell (also lovable) tie themselves to the house as they move it a long, long, long, long, long, long, long (okay, okay I'll stop) way to their destination. It's made clear that you'll have no movie if they don't lose the house, and after the first "attack" made on Carl and Russell, there's no real sense of danger.
"The Incredibles", Pixar's first PG outing, was filled with killings, WALL-E was one inch away from being killed many times, and Mike and Sulley in the previous film of "Up's" director Pete Docter had a fearful consequence not of certain death, but of banishment due to possession of a human child... and just like the other films, it still kept you on the edge of your seat!
Don't get me started on the villain, whose introduction is everything wrong with "Up". It tries anything and everything to keep itself going, and without spoiling too much, I will mention it brings reminders of "The Rescuers Down Under". Keep an open mind, and your memories of one of Disney's sequels might actually be more enjoyable than most of "Up".
When the film reminds us again of Carl's wife, it regains some of what was great. Many may- and have- found it easy to forgive the rest of "Up" for its poignant aspects. I wish I could. "WALL-E", in spite of the predictable outcome, was still an emotional rollercoaster which became more convincing with every minute. That previous film of Pete Docter's, the underrated-by-Pixar-standards "Monsters, Inc.", has a scene near the end which doesn't come close to being about death, but "Kitty has to go" was worth a thousand death scenes.
"Up', on the other hand, is far too uneven to recommend. Considering that it took 10 films for it to happen, that could be interpreted as a compliment.
MPAA: PG (some peril and action)
Runtime: 1 hour, 36 minutes (89 minutes of "real movie")