With Up, Pixar has pulled off something magnificent--and old-fashioned adventure story and an aching comment on aging packaged in a family friendly studio film. Don't get me wrong, Up works brilliantly as a film "for the whole family," sacrificing none of Pixar's inherent charm in order to make a mature film (much like Wall-E, which addressed similarly advanced themes whilst maintaining the slap-stick, love-sick aura of a children's movie). However, what amazed this reviewer the most was the fact that the adult's in the multiplex, my mother included, and the children, my brother included, enjoyed the film equally and non-equivocally; the themes of the film appealed to both the adults and the kids, and both seemed moved, often to the point of tears. (My mom, as well as several elderly members of the audience, were moved to tears by several sequences.)
One can only imagine the excitement the Pixar creative team must have felt when they nabbed the idea of an old fart flying away in his house to escape subjection to a retirement home ("How does the house fly away?" "Colorful balloons." "JACKPOT." "And there's talking dogs too." "My God, what will we think of next?"). It fits the formula of any successful film, and with Pixar behind, this film could not have flopped.
I'm not going to beat the ragged drum and rave about the marvelous opening sequence, or the rollicking adventure scenes, or the hilarious dog scenes...but they are all magnificent.
The impressive achievement of the film, one that sets it apart from all Pixar efforts that precede it, is the feeling of content old-fashionedness (sorry, I invented a word) that coats each frame. The waltzy score is reminiscent of 1940's Hollywood musicals and love stories, brimming with wonder and nostalgia. The adventure strived for is meant as a return to Treasure of the Sierra Madre action, with a clear-cut morality and immorality, the forces of good-nature combating the old figure of greed, embodied by a disgraced adventurer hiding out in the enigmatic Paradise Falls. Much like Raiders of the Lost Ark (I think Allmovieguide made this connection as well), it is a tribute, not a knock-off, of old adventure stories; it attempts a revamp, using adventure films' best characteristics, and discarding or playfully paying homage to their bad ones, to create something entirely new. And, in the case of Up, the ones paying tribute have crafted something remarkably beautiful.
Part of what makes the approach so effective is the sympathy created for the characters--in the widely accoladed opening sequence, the audience is completely convinced of the timeless devotion Carl feels for his wife. There is no doubt that he would go to the ends of the Earth to express his love for her, even following her death. Russel, the stowaway "Wilderness Explorer," is quite possibly the most hilarious and heart-breaking part of the movie. Although the viewer never formally meets his family or glimpses into his home-life, small details are revealed in his gregariously self-conscious dialogue that his life sucks. That would be a minute detail, if Russel's character were not so lovable; his naivete is tragic, but one cannot help but feel as though it is his only saving grace. I, a heartless old wretch (at the staggering age of 17), cried like a baby when Russel discussed his relationship with his father, tinged with longing, as for some reason, his real mother is gone and his father is never around. The only thing he seems to have in his life is his Wilderness Scouts club, and he pursues his badges with hell-bent vigor.
Everything about Up is instilled with an insatiable melancholy, but it doesn't stop the film from being a fun-as-hell ride. The action's great, the comedy's perfect, and the emotional resonance is second to nothing in theaters right now.