Last week I watched the 10th Disney/Pixar collaborative film, Up, which features the vocal talents of Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer. And while the idea of a grouchy old man with a cane starring in an animated movie for kids might seem risky, the gamble has paid off. Up opened two weekends ago to earn a whopping $68 million and place as number one at the box office. The Hangover snatched the top spot this previous weekend, but only beat Up by a small $800,000.
Echoing my favorite Pixar film (Finding Nemo), Up begins its story on a sad note. But don't worry; you won't be sniffling for long. Carl Fredricksen (Ed Asner), a grouchy old widower, is determined to do two things: to fulfill a lifelong dream of traveling to South America; and to save his house from demolition. Bright, multicolored balloons provide a dazzling escape from the real-estate-hungry businessmen while launching Carl into a grand adventure. Along the way he is joined by an exuberant wilderness scout named Russell, a talking dog called Dug and a 12-foot bird that looks like a cross between a Dodo and a Velociraptor. Plummer lends his voice as a nefarious explorer whom Carl idolized as a child but must contend with now. Funny, heartwarming and visually stunning, Up is your usual cup of Disney/Pixar tea, which is not to suggest that it's not remarkable. It's just that extraordinary is the norm for these films. Look out competitors, the bar has just been set a little higher. Again.
On a more technological note, Up is the first Disney/Pixar movie to offer 3-D screenings; it's also the first time I've seen a feature film in 3-D. While the sight of thousands of balloons towing a house through the air was certainly enhanced by my 3-D glasses, I'm still not sold on the whole three-dimensional movement. It seemed that in the process of making images pop out, backgrounds became smaller and colors less vivid. But then again, I'm no 3-D engineer, so take my assessment with a grain of salt.
There's more Shade to come so tune in (type in?) again!
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Yeah I saw UP! too and really enjoyed it :)! That beginning sequence with Carl and his wife is so beautiful! And Disney finally features an asian kid (well, not including Mulan) hehe! Yeah, the 3-D thing wasn't that much of an addition. I was kinda annoyed because we had to pay $3 extra for the 3-D glasses. Boo :(.
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