Pixar’s past ten flicks have generated more revenue than the Bond movies combined. Granted, that doesn’t account for inflation but that’s all the Bond movies from Dr. No(1962) to Quantum of Solace(2008). Toy Story has been the only film of theirs to generate sequels while the rest have been stand alone features. Despite being owned by Disney, they seem to have rejected the make-a-good-movie-cash-in-on-sequels model (Snow White 2, what the hell?) and while I wouldn’t mind seeing The Incredibles 2 it gives as such fantastic stories as Up.
I walk a fine line in this review. The trailer for Up doesn’t do it justice. I admit I saw this on the merits of Pixar alone and not out of an interest for an old man and his floating house. One of the greatest joys of the film, however, was not knowing what to expect. Like the protagonists of the flick, we sail into the unknown with them and wonder at what we find. So for your own sake I must be vague.
Like many of Pixar’s films, Up has surprising adult themes. Mr. Fredrickson is a childless widower who misses his wife, his little house has become surrounded by urban sprawl, and society treats him like an inferior. Russel is a “wilderness explorer” whose merit badges look eerily familiar and whose father is no where to be seen. When asked why he calls his mother by her first name, he responds that “Phyllis isn’t my mom.” People die, good and bad. Yet I saw this in a theater full of children and they loved it. The movie has charm; you very quickly come to love the good guys and hate the bad guys. There’s scenes reminiscent of old adventure films like Journey to the Center of the Earth and Planet of the Apes. It’s funny. My wife and I laughed with the theater children at Dug the Dog and the Monster of Paradise Falls.
So what is it? Why are these films so fantastic?
It’s the story.
The CG worlds certainly aren’t fairy tales--toys get cooked on BBQ’s, spouses die, families fight--but the morals of those stories are still applicable. Be brave. Be kind. Be humble. Protect the weak. Respect your elders. Pixar takes these principles and places them in a movie that isn’t made of syrup where pixies bring you environmentally friendly toilet paper. Rarely does a movie capture so many nuances or characterize our every day experiences so well only to then make it meaningful. Up does this with the skill of an artisan.
