*Prepares to have tomatoes thrown at me*

After the disappointment that was Wall-E last year, I was kind of hoping that Up would restore my faith in Pixar.

Unfortunately, it didn't. I felt this film was waaayyyy too somber. Miscarriages? The wife dying? Carl not be able to let her go? Good god, this is an animated kids film! What happened to the days of rat chefs, superheroes, talking toys? I want my animated films to make me happy, not sad.

That being said, the stuff in South America with Dug, the other taking dogs, and Kevin was superb, and almost made me forget the first 30 minutes of the film. . . almost.

I'm sure this will win the best animated feature Oscar next year, but for the second year in a row, I don't think Pixar will really deserve it.

Grade: B

Pixar has said repeatedly that they are not making kids films. They are making films to appeal to everyone.

Yes, the movie is sad. But, is this movie sadder than Dumbo, a true kids movie?

quote:

Originally posted by LadyHathor25:
Pixar has said repeatedly that they are not making kids films. They are making films to appeal to everyone.

Yes, the movie is sad. But, is this movie sadder than Dumbo, a true kids movie?

I'd have no problem whatsoever sharing this film with a child. The poignancy of the first half hour of this film had me in tears. There was, nothing mean-spirited or dour about it. At it's core is a story of an 'old man' who once again found many reasons to live. And that, is a great message.
Some spoiler alerts would be nice.

quote:

Originally posted by MissyGal:
*Prepares to have tomatoes thrown at me*

After the disappointment that was Wall-E last year, I was kind of hoping that Up would restore my faith in Pixar.

Unfortunately, it didn't. I felt this film was waaayyyy too somber. Miscarriages? The wife dying? Carl not be able to let her go? Good god, this is an animated kids film! What happened to the days of rat chefs, superheroes, talking toys? I want my animated films to make me happy, not sad.

That being said, the stuff in South America with Dug, the other taking dogs, and Kevin was superb, and almost made me forget the first 30 minutes of the film. . . almost.

I'm sure this will win the best animated feature Oscar next year, but for the second year in a row, I don't think Pixar will really deserve it.

Grade: B

And you've seen all the nominees already?

I saw UP today

And yes, Up is a beautiful movie, a much better movie in many ways in comparision with the rest of the 2009 films. But "UP" doesn´t have any artistic and magic moments as WALL-E had ( for Example when Wall-E toched the stars during his travel until the spaceship, or the dancing between Wall E and EVE ) ; still UP is far more visionary than "The Incredibles" or the pretty bad " Cars ".

But you really really know what was the best thing about UP ? ... The Short film before the movie !!!; is a Oscar Winner !!!

My grade of the lastest PIXAR movie
UP : A
Wall e : A+
Ratatoullie : B+
The Incredible : B-
Cars : C+
Toy Story 1 and 2 : A-
Monster INC : A-

I also think people need to get over the idea that animation is somehow a genre. It is not. Animation is a medium. There is nothing inherent in it that indicates it is a kids movie.

I can definitely see why it got a PG rating.

I have seen it twice now. A friend took mercy on me and took me to see it in 3D since I been wondering about it. I can say this: The most receptive crowd to it was the sold-out theatre of college kids I saw it with at Thursday's midnight show. They LOVED it. Loved it more than the kids I saw it with today.

And by the way, 3D is totally unnecessary for this film. I think it added some beautiful depth to the Paradise Falls scenes. And also made one of the action sequences a bit more exciting. But, I don't think it makes up for the distortion in the color palette.

I liked the more somber parts. It made the rest of the movie really resonate. It brought extra depth to the relationship between Mr. Fredricksen and Russell. Very good movie. If the color distortion from 3D is that bad, I need to see it in 2D then.

And it's ok if you wanted more cheerful stuff in the movie. I won't throw tomatoes :-)

To add, I see Carl and Ellie's relationship as a complete success, despite it being, cut short. Up did a great job in portraying that love they had for one another.
Up was full of joy and celebration, imo, with the growth that inevitably happens whenever we journey.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: babypook,

quote:

Originally posted by babypook:
To add, I see Carl and Ellie's relationship as a complete success, despite it being, cut short. Up did a great job in portraying that love they had for one another.
Up was full of joy and celebration, imo, with the growth that inevitably happens whenever we journey.

I agree, the nearly wordless first act was just awesome. That could have been a wonderful short movie all on it's own.

It is too bad it costs Pixar so much money to make their films. A part of me would love to see them try a silent film. The opening montage of Up is so beautiful. And the opening 20 or so minutes of WALL-E are perfect. It would be wonderful if the studio didn't have to worry about making back their massive budgets and could just experiment with stuff.

Somewhat related, I really like the short in front of this one, "Partly Cloudy". I think it is incredibly beautiful.

There's a lot to love about this film, but it's hard not to compare it to other Pixar films, and coming right after "WALL-E," I don't think it ranks as favorably to that film, which I'd call a modern-day masterpiece. There were enough times where I thought, "That plot point could have been done better," or "Why did they go in this direction here?" But there were some elements that I found truly stunning, like the silent film sequence of Carl and Ellie's life together, which was so effective and profound in its depth and simplicity. It was a ballsy thing to do to go to some of those heavy places for a kids audience like that so early on in the film, but I applaud them for that insight. If there were any doubts that these films are aiming as much for the adults as the kids, then they're pretty much erased with this film. That impact also made for a deeply felt ending, which I couldn't help but be in awe of unexpectedly. The visuals were stunning, and I loved the voiceover work done, especially by Ed Asner as old Carl. This idea of a man literally carrying his life on his back while trying to reach this utopia that he and his wife had always imagined for themselves was a beautifully realized sentiment. Loved Elie Docter as young Ellie, and Bob Peterson as Dug might have been my favorite character of the entire film. "I hid under the porch because I love you." I would have wanted Christopher Plummer's villain to be less one-dimensional. There was something there that I didn't think quite worked out with Muntz by the end. The talking dogs became excessive, though I liked the gag with the Alpha dog and the high-pitched voice. The audience seemed to love that, and were laughing so hard whenever he spoke that I wished they'd shut up so I could actually hear the dialogue I was missing due to the laughter. All in all, it's another notable entry to the Pixar canon, and it's the kind of film that could run away with the Animated Oscar win. I enjoyed the "Partly Cloudy" short a lot, and I'd love to see that nominated in Animated Short.

Grade for "Up": B+

quote:

Originally posted by Pucifer:

quote:

Originally posted by MissyGal:
*Prepares to have tomatoes thrown at me*

After the disappointment that was Wall-E last year, I was kind of hoping that Up would restore my faith in Pixar.

Unfortunately, it didn't. I felt this film was waaayyyy too somber. Miscarriages? The wife dying? Carl not be able to let her go? Good god, this is an animated kids film! What happened to the days of rat chefs, superheroes, talking toys? I want my animated films to make me happy, not sad.

That being said, the stuff in South America with Dug, the other taking dogs, and Kevin was superb, and almost made me forget the first 30 minutes of the film. . . almost.

I'm sure this will win the best animated feature Oscar next year, but for the second year in a row, I don't think Pixar will really deserve it.

Grade: B

And you've seen all the nominees already?

Such a smart one, Pucifer. What would the world do without you?

No, I haven't seen all the nominees, but I doubt any other animated film is going to make me depressed when I'm walking out of the theater. I appreciate Pixar thinking out of the box, I just expect more light-hearted fair from a film like this.

The adventure in South America was phenomenal, though. Maybe another viewing will change my opinion of the rest of the film.

I hope so Missygal. That first half-hour, where they render that relationship between Ellie and Carl (I'll have to check out, the real Ellie and Carl...did you notice the dedication to them at the end?) is among, the best captions of a deeply loving partnership. It defined Carl's motivations, and set the tone of the film perfectly, imo.
I wasnt depressed. I was elated. Hope you watch it again.

quote:

Originally posted by MissyGal:

quote:

Originally posted by Pucifer:

quote:

Originally posted by MissyGal:
*Prepares to have tomatoes thrown at me*

After the disappointment that was Wall-E last year, I was kind of hoping that Up would restore my faith in Pixar.

Unfortunately, it didn't. I felt this film was waaayyyy too somber. Miscarriages? The wife dying? Carl not be able to let her go? Good god, this is an animated kids film! What happened to the days of rat chefs, superheroes, talking toys? I want my animated films to make me happy, not sad.

That being said, the stuff in South America with Dug, the other taking dogs, and Kevin was superb, and almost made me forget the first 30 minutes of the film. . . almost.

I'm sure this will win the best animated feature Oscar next year, but for the second year in a row, I don't think Pixar will really deserve it.

Grade: B

And you've seen all the nominees already?

Such a smart one, Pucifer. What would the world do without you?

No, I haven't seen all the nominees, but I doubt any other animated film is going to make me depressed when I'm walking out of the theater. I appreciate Pixar thinking out of the box, I just expect more light-hearted fair from a film like this.

The adventure in South America was phenomenal, though. Maybe another viewing will change my opinion of the rest of the film.

QUOTE "...but I doubt any other animated film is going to make me depressed when I'm walking out of the theatre.."

Sorry for the delayed reaction, but I'm wondering if you've seen Waltz With Bashir?

quote:

Originally posted by MissyGal:
*Prepares to have tomatoes thrown at me*

After the disappointment that was Wall-E last year, I was kind of hoping that Up would restore my faith in Pixar.

Unfortunately, it didn't. I felt this film was waaayyyy too somber. Miscarriages? The wife dying? Carl not be able to let her go? Good god, this is an animated kids film! What happened to the days of rat chefs, superheroes, talking toys? I want my animated films to make me happy, not sad.

Don't ever watch "Bambi", "Dumbo" or "The Lion King".

"Persepolis" is animated. So is "Corpse Bride", "Coraline" and "Pinocchio". I wouldn't classify any of those as "light-hearted", either.

MissyGal, I am curious as to what it is that makes you think that Up was supposed to be a happy, kiddie film. I mean, it sounds like your reaction is similar to a lot of people, in that you thought the film was at points somber and emotionally heavy. It is just that I think somber and emotionally heavy is what Pixar was clearly aiming for. I seem to recall the reviews mentioning how heartfelt, emotional and poignant the film is. And I think Pixar pulled this off beautifully.

I think the opening 15 minutes of the film was totally necessary to give the remainder of the film depth and make the main character one worth rooting for. Otherwise the film would have been about some crotchety old man having goofy adventures in the jungle. The image of him pulling his house along would just be a silly sight gag. As it really is, it is a wonderful symbol of Carl being literally tethered to his past, unable to let go. The opening gave the film an entire extra layer of depth, poignancy and meaning.

How is the film less worthy because it is sad, dark, or scary? That seems to me punishing the film for not being the genre you want, instead of judging the film on its own merits. I mean, I can't say I didn't like Night at the Museum because I wanted it to be a drama. It wasn't trying to be a drama. Similarly, Up isn't trying to be funny, kiddy film.

I hope I am not coming across as antagonistic. Or throwing tomatoes, as it were. Goodness knows I didn't think Up was Pixar's best film. I am just genuinely perplexed as to how a film can be de-valued because it is not the genre someone wishes it to be. That seems to have nothing to do with the actual merits of the film. I guess I am just wondering why animated films should all be happy, light-hearted films? A happy fun comedy is a genre. Animation is merely a medium.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: LadyHathor25,

quote:

Originally posted by LadyHathor25:
Pixar has said repeatedly that they are not making kids films. They are making films to appeal to everyone.

Yes, the movie is sad. But, is this movie sadder than Dumbo, a true kids movie?

Or Bambi for that matter. When I watch a film, I want to see it with heart and emotions. I'm not saying make every film have sad moments, but if it works well to advance the plot, then it should be done. I would choose honoring your dead wife's memory by fulfilling her biggest dream over crazy old man obsessed with balloons wants to fly away any day of the week.

That said, I think UP is my favorite movie of the past few years. Everything worked. The visuals, the dialogue, the characters. It was superbly done.

P.S. Did the trailer for the Princess and the Frog give anyone else goosebumps? Now that is one hell of a trailer.

1) No, I have not seen Waltz With Bashir. Or Bambi. Or Dumbo. I have seen The Lion King, and I did not appreciate the audience manipulation with the whole Mufasa dying bit, but that's not important. I might rent Waltz With Bashir, but I know that film is probably not very cheery. Which is fine. Cause I'm expecting it to be sad.

2) I was expecting Up to have a lighter tone, so I was slightly disappointed that it had all that sadness in it. I guess it was necessary to tell the story. . . kind of. But like I said, once all the characters were in South America, everything was fine.

3) I don't expect all animated films to be happy and cheerful. It's when a film is marketed as such, then I have a small problem.

4) None of what I say matters! Up will make tons of money, and it'll win all sorts of awards next year. Maybe I shouldn't have said it won't deserve awards. For the South America stuff alone, the film deserves lots of praise.

Another masterpiece. Well done, Pixar.
A

quote:

Originally posted by MissyGal:
1) No, I have not seen Waltz With Bashir. Or Bambi. Or Dumbo. I have seen The Lion King, and I did not appreciate the audience manipulation with the whole Mufasa dying bit, but that's not important. I might rent Waltz With Bashir, but I know that film is probably not very cheery. Which is fine. Cause I'm expecting it to be sad.

2) I was expecting Up to have a lighter tone, so I was slightly disappointed that it had all that sadness in it. I guess it was necessary to tell the story. . . kind of. But like I said, once all the characters were in South America, everything was fine.

3) I don't expect all animated films to be happy and cheerful. It's when a film is marketed as such, then I have a small problem.

4) None of what I say matters! Up will make tons of money, and it'll win all sorts of awards next year. Maybe I shouldn't have said it won't deserve awards. For the South America stuff alone, the film deserves lots of praise.

Well, it's a common device: the mother dies (Land Before Time, Bambi, and in the Lion Kings case, the father etc) or the mother and child are seperated (Dumbo).
You know, Walt Disney was one of the original film and tv conservationists, and I love him for that. His compassion was evident in his nature films.
But this gets back to your practice of judging a film by the trailers. I can understand it to a point, when there's so much to choose from. But the trailer's deception for you has nothing to do with the film. When I saw the trailer, I really didnt have many expectations. Boy; was I pleasantly surprised.
I'd love to see your thoughts if/when you ever rent Waltz With Bashir. Personally, I'll never watch it again.
Anyways, thanks for the response. What I took from UP among other things, is that life is worth living, and that joy is always just around the corner.
I'd love to see UP escape the animation ghetto, as what LadyHathor says is so true. It's a medium.