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This is a warning to all 8-year-olds- Never leave your candy bar unattended!Pixar did it again. They completed yet another film that draws in large audiences and leaves them with uplifting (no pun intended) thoughts on their way out. I was pretty impressed with this movie, but not necessarily blown away. It ended up being exactly what I expected in many ways.
The movie starts out introducing a young Carl Fredricksen, a kid enticed by the idea of great adventures. He soon runs into a loud and enthusiastic girl who shares the same interests, and even though she does all the talking, he falls in love with her from day one. They eventually marry, and the movie shows their entire life together in a memorable montage.
From innocent picnics, to saddening news about children, the couple sticks together and never gives up on their goal of one day travelling to Amazonia, their childhood dream. Unfortunately, life gets in the way, so they never quite make it. However, Carl decides it is up to him to see the trip through, so he turns his house into an aircraft with thousands of balloons, and sets out to South America. He quickly realizes he has an unexpected passenger, the 8-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell. At first Carl sees him as a liability, but quickly the kid proves to be loyal and helpful throughout the trip.
The two make it to their destination early in the movie, but that is when the true adventure begins. Kevin, a colorful but highly intelligent bird, and Dug, a dedicated talking dog, meet up with the new travellers and end up getting Carl and Russell into (and out of) trouble. These two characters really make the movie. Dug comes off really well because he says all the things you pretend your own dog says. He gets distracted by squirrels, loves a good game of fetch, and does whatever he can to help his master. He is also quick to love!
Kevin says a lot without talking. S(he) takes a quick liking to Russell, who repeatedly asks Carl if they can keep him. Russell worries what will happen to Kevin when Dug mentions taking him as his prisoner, so he makes Carl promise to help him, cross his heart. Russell's attitude reminds Carl fondly of Ellie, his late wife, so he goes along with him and vows to keep the bird safe. This becomes difficult when the two meet up with Carl's childhood idol, Charles Muntz, whose only goal in life is to capture a bird of Kevin's species to prove its existence to the world.
Once Carl catches on that his idol doesn't match up to his expectations, he and Russell must find a way to escape, save Kevin, and finally make it to Amazonia Falls. Muntz's dog servants were fun to watch, especially the Doberman leader, Alpha. Alpha's collar often gets damaged, causing his voice to come out much different at the amusement of the audience and other characters in the movie. This little bit to the movie just adds to Pixar's genius at really taking "it's the little things that count" to heart.
The only thing that I feel was missing was maybe some more bonding between Carl and Russell. They could have had a chat about Elllie maybe, because Russell is never told directly about Carl's back story. They just become friends because of the circumstances they are in. Other than that, I enjoyed it. I would agree with Orlando Sentinel and give it four stars. It's not Finding Nemo, but it's also not to be missed.
Go see this movie. Go for the colorful palette for the animation. Go for the background 40's musical theme that keeps on throughout the film. Go for the endless laughs from Russell, Kevin, and Dug. Go because everyone in the world sees Pixar movies. Or finally, go see it for the short film before it, Partly Cloudy. You can't help but love the idea of clouds making babies for storks. And focusing on the one cloud and stork team in charge of the problem baby animals? Fantastic.
The movie starts out introducing a young Carl Fredricksen, a kid enticed by the idea of great adventures. He soon runs into a loud and enthusiastic girl who shares the same interests, and even though she does all the talking, he falls in love with her from day one. They eventually marry, and the movie shows their entire life together in a memorable montage.
From innocent picnics, to saddening news about children, the couple sticks together and never gives up on their goal of one day travelling to Amazonia, their childhood dream. Unfortunately, life gets in the way, so they never quite make it. However, Carl decides it is up to him to see the trip through, so he turns his house into an aircraft with thousands of balloons, and sets out to South America. He quickly realizes he has an unexpected passenger, the 8-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell. At first Carl sees him as a liability, but quickly the kid proves to be loyal and helpful throughout the trip.
The two make it to their destination early in the movie, but that is when the true adventure begins. Kevin, a colorful but highly intelligent bird, and Dug, a dedicated talking dog, meet up with the new travellers and end up getting Carl and Russell into (and out of) trouble. These two characters really make the movie. Dug comes off really well because he says all the things you pretend your own dog says. He gets distracted by squirrels, loves a good game of fetch, and does whatever he can to help his master. He is also quick to love!
Kevin says a lot without talking. S(he) takes a quick liking to Russell, who repeatedly asks Carl if they can keep him. Russell worries what will happen to Kevin when Dug mentions taking him as his prisoner, so he makes Carl promise to help him, cross his heart. Russell's attitude reminds Carl fondly of Ellie, his late wife, so he goes along with him and vows to keep the bird safe. This becomes difficult when the two meet up with Carl's childhood idol, Charles Muntz, whose only goal in life is to capture a bird of Kevin's species to prove its existence to the world.
Once Carl catches on that his idol doesn't match up to his expectations, he and Russell must find a way to escape, save Kevin, and finally make it to Amazonia Falls. Muntz's dog servants were fun to watch, especially the Doberman leader, Alpha. Alpha's collar often gets damaged, causing his voice to come out much different at the amusement of the audience and other characters in the movie. This little bit to the movie just adds to Pixar's genius at really taking "it's the little things that count" to heart.
The only thing that I feel was missing was maybe some more bonding between Carl and Russell. They could have had a chat about Elllie maybe, because Russell is never told directly about Carl's back story. They just become friends because of the circumstances they are in. Other than that, I enjoyed it. I would agree with Orlando Sentinel and give it four stars. It's not Finding Nemo, but it's also not to be missed.
Go see this movie. Go for the colorful palette for the animation. Go for the background 40's musical theme that keeps on throughout the film. Go for the endless laughs from Russell, Kevin, and Dug. Go because everyone in the world sees Pixar movies. Or finally, go see it for the short film before it, Partly Cloudy. You can't help but love the idea of clouds making babies for storks. And focusing on the one cloud and stork team in charge of the problem baby animals? Fantastic.
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