Up Review

Because my dad is such a Pixar nut, we went to go see Up last week. His reigning favorites are currently Wall-E and Cars (which I admit is growing on me), but he said that Up is easily now one of his favorites.

Without trying to sound like a long ass review, I'll try to stick to the points of interest w/o really plot combing, esp. since some of you haven't see the film yet.

--Partly Cloudy short
Answering the grand question of "where do babies come from", this short also showcases cloud technology, mostly physics and of course, character development of said clouds. While not nearly as superbly timed as Presto! (which is my ALL TIME FAVORITE short ever created XD), its still sweet, heart-warming and really, really funny, what with the amount of physical humor.

--CARL IS COSGROVE <8O
Which really will apply to you Freakazoid fans since we all grew up hearing Ed Asner's voice; "Hey Freakazoid, wanna go build a go-kart?" "DO I?!?!" Notwithstanding that Asner is a veteran and is one of the best old man voice talents out there, he really shined in this film. I loved him. XD

--Doug
You know those dogs who are a might slow? The kind who'd chase faked ball throws, or if they were in school, they'd stick crayons up their nose, eat the Play-Doh, and play with snails? The "I'm cute, I'm bouncy, I'm thick/dumb, I've GOT IT MADE!" kinda dogs? That's Doug. You can't help but fall in love w/ him and his mannerisms. Plus the line "I like that joke because the Squirrel got dead" is as golden as his breed.

--Dog animation
Speaking of dogs, the animation for animals in this film is, per usual, top-notch. I found it rather annoying that Beowulf boasted this hyper-realistic animation and modeling, yet their animal animation (esp. the wolves/dogs and horses) was horrendous. Up's canines (and there are a lot of them) are uniquely modeled and uniquely animated (at least the main ones, most of the other dogs are usually in a ragin hellpack, which was additionally well animated).

--Russel
I have a friend who looked just like him. XD He was adorable.

--Delicate issues
Not unlike Finding Nemo and Incredibles, some of the real life issues a child (or parent) may encounter are handled with the upmost delicacy and subtlety. Divorce, death, and even the issue of not being able to have children are shown without even really mentioning the actual words (the conversation about Russel's father between the boy and Carl is dealt with very finely w/o saying the actual D-word). Like the opening of Finding Nemo, be prepared for a rather melancholy opening to the film, and a thread of loss that is woven throughout the entire film.

--BALLOONS
There are a shit load of them, all with wonderful light bouncing off and through them, and they even act as balloons ought to. It'll make you want to buy a bunch when you leave the theater.

--In Real D 3D (wut? XD)
As it was made to be in 3D, for the most part, the film worked in 3D. I don't really feel you'll miss much if you watch the film regularly, but the 3D aspect was fun. Unfortunately the previews for upcoming films in 3D aren't very interesting, but, eh. You're not there to see trailers for G-Force, you're there to watch Kevin bother the shit out of Carl.

--Kevin
I want a bird just like Kevin. It looks like a toy. XD

--DON'T FORGET
To watch the credits. Pixar's been really personalizing their credit rolls lately, and even if there really aren't any teasers or epilogues, it still a treat to look at the art behind the people (my favorite credits rolls are Finding Nemo and Wall-E). Also, keep an eye out for the Animation Badge and the Mac OS Pinwheel of Death badge. I want a whole set of those. T_T

Ultimately: the film is definently worth your time and money, even in 3D. You won't be disappointed (in fact, I was stoked to see a trailer for Toy Story 3), and you'll prolly be back in the theaters to see it again. I know I will. ^^