Pixar have a knack for making for making audiences relate to the less, well, relatable creatures of the world: a slimy, scaly fish in Finding Nemo, a mangy street rat in Ratatouille, an obsolete robot in Wall-E. I can imagine the Pixar crew, after the release of their most recent success, Wall-E: they’re sitting in their toy-filled tech-heaven creative offices, high-fiving in celebration of their recent success. “Yes! We’ve finally regained our reputation after the disaster that was Cars!” Then it occurs to them: how will they top this? What character can they next shatter all preconceived notions of? What character would a child, in any normal circumstance, relate to… not at all? And then they realise the answer.
An old man. And a cantankerous one at that. It is a testament to the collective talent of those Pixar folk that, once again, we learn to see the softer side.
Up begins by showing us the early life of the soon-to-be-elderly Carl Fredrickson (voiced by Ed Anser), before covering his relationship with the love of his life, their attempts at conceiving children, and later her tragic death. Impressively, this is all established in five minutes, and without dialogue. When his wife dies, Carl becomes bitter, and is soon the stoic and slow moving character from the trailer of the film. When it is threatened with a move to a retirement village – away from the house he built with his wife – Carl does something decidedly childish: runs away from home, with his home in tow. He ties thousands of brightly coloured balloons to his house and escapes to South America, with an eager stowaway boy scout, Russell (Jordan Nagai) along for the ride. On their adventures they must rescue a bird worthy of the title ‘road runner’, outsmart an ambitious and selfish explorer who has, metaphorically, lost his way, and learn that friends can be family, and that ‘home’ is the people you carry in your heart. Oh, and they discover a talking dog.
Since the release of Toy Story many years ago, children’s films have become increasingly adult friendly: sly wit, sneaky references, and subtle sexual innuendo are now the norm. However, one can’t help but feel that the target audience is shifting slightly. Wall-E‘s animation was dystopian and grungy – not the sugar-coated sweetness children are generally attracted to, if candy aisles are anything to go by – and also contained an ambitious ‘silent sequence’ that established the premise. Up also features a silent sequence, although the visuals are a lot more fun this time around. In at least one screening of Up, however, children were clearly bored (and talkative) during the silent sections of the film. I don’t have anything against a more intelligent script, but it will be interesting to see whether the trend can continue. So what does this suggest for the future of animated film: a return to dumbed-down fare, worthy only of being a straight to DVD release? Or animated films that are targeted specifically towards adults? I’m personally looking forward to the latter.
Overall, Up is a fun film, and an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Although not in the same league as Finding Nemo (then again, how many films are?), it is a vibrant, uplifting tale that should engage the young – and the elderly, actually.
Directors: Peter Docter, Bob Peterson
Release date: now showing
