With 1995's Toy Story, Pixar forever changed the way we watched animated movies. As great as classic hand-drawn animated films like Snow White, The Jungle Book and The Lion King are they just don't pop off the screen the way that today's three dimensional CGI films do. Though oldtimers might argue, movies today are more visually arresting and immersing than ever before. Pixar has continued to raise the incredibly high bar they set with Toy Story, somehow managing to outdo themselves with each new film they release. Up is no exception to that trend, and the film has become an instant classic and is one of the contenders for the title of best film of 2009.
While most of Pixar's early films were light and fluffy their most recent offerings Wall-E and now Up have introduced more emotional depth. In this latest film the storytelling is so powerful that you will find yourself a helpless passenger on an emotional roller coaster throughout, and you'll feel an empathy for the characters rarely elicited in an animated movie. There were plenty of moist eyes in the theater when I saw this film, and a few people were openly crying.
Don't let that fool you into thinking this film is a downer - it is not. Sure there are some poignantly sad moments, but that is just part of the emotional roller coaster I mentioned above. Like all Pixar films there is plenty of humor as well, and once again they've struck the perfect balance of comedy that will appeal to children and adults alike.
Also, like all Pixar films the voice acting is top-notch. Ed Asner of The Mary Tyler Moore Show fame does an Oscar-worthy job voicing the main character, the once gentle but grown cantankerous Carl Fredricksen, who sets off on an amazing journey to fulfill a promise made to his deceased wife. 9 year old Jordan Nagai is also great voicing Russell, a young wilderness explorer who is swept up in Carl's adventure. Fans of the TV show Cheers will recognize John Ratzenberger's voice. A Pixar movie regular he always seems to have at least a bit part in each of their movies.
Up, like Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Wall-E before it, is a movie that will be enjoyed by viewers of any age, and this clever animated film more than holds its own on the list of contenders for the title of the best movie of 2009.
The author is an avid writer with a passion for movies. Click Here for his list of the Top 100 Best Movies of All Time for more great film picks.