Pixar’s lastest offering, the odd-couple adventure UP, has been bringing smiles to people faces ever since the first trailer dropped, or in my case, when I was treated to a special screening of the first 45 minutes of UP, back in February at the New York Comic Con.
By now most of us are used to Pixar films getting love from both fan$ and critics alike; after all, they don’t hand out those Oscar noms to Pixar every year for nothing. Well, UP is continuing in that proud Pixar tradition: the film is getting praise from some of the movie industry’s biggest critics. Check it out:
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Time: “Though it’s not yet summer, we can declare that Up, like WALL-E, will prove to be one of the most satisfying movie experiences of its year.” … “Extending the patented Pixar mix of humor and heart, Up is the studio’s most deeply emotional and affecting work.”
Roger Ebert: “This is a wonderful film. It tells a story. The characters are as believable as any characters can be who spend much of their time floating above the rain forests of Venezuela.” … “This is a story as tickling to the imagination as the magical animated films of my childhood, when I naively thought that because their colors were brighter, their character outlines more defined and their plots simpler, they were actually more realistic than regular films.”
Variety: “Depending on what you think of “Cars,” Pixar makes it either 9½ out of 10 or 10 for 10 with “Up,” a captivating odd-couple adventure that becomes funnier and more exciting as it flies along.” … “proves disarming in its deep reserves of narrative imagination and surprise, as well as its poignant thematic balance of dreams deferred and dreams fulfilled.”
THR: “Winsome, touching and arguably the funniest Pixar effort ever, the gorgeously rendered, high-flying adventure is a tidy 90-minute distillation of all the signature touches that came before it.” … “But what gives Up such a joyously buoyant lift is the refreshingly nongimmicky way in which the process has been incorporated into the big picture — and what a wonderful big picture it is.”
Special thanks to Slash Film for compiling that list of quotes for yours truly to mooch off!
What can I say? Everything those critics say echoes my own experience with UP. The visuals are stunning, the characters real and engaging (and pretty darn funny) and there’s an epic adventure thrown in there just for kicks. If you want to have a good time at a Summer movie that will also allow you to keep your brain turned on (a la Star Trek), then you definitely want to check out UP. Parents, this maybe the one window of true fun for the whole family you get this Summer. Don’t miss out.
Did I also mentioned that UP was filmed in Disney digital 3-D? All those gorgeous visuals are going to be literally jumping off the screen! Fun times!
For those who love the comfort of living under rocks, here is what UP is all about:
Up is described as a “comedic adventure” starring a 78-year man named Carl Fredricksen, who’s “spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest”. Due to his age, he thinks life has “passed him by”. One day, however, a “twist of fate”, and an 8-year old “Wilderness Explorer” named Russell, changes his outlook on life. The pair go on adventures, encountering “wild terrain”, “unexpected villains” and “jungle creatures”.
In case you missed the link up top, click on the link to check out the trailer for UP. You can also check out these clips from UP.
Pixar’s UP opens in theaters on May 29, 2009. Will you be checking it out?
Source: Slash Film & The Pixar Blog
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7 Comments
A pixar film gets praise? wow, now theres a change….just joking, I love pixar films, but like most films I think I’ll wait till dvd
how is a 3d animated movie “filmed in 3d”? I figure it’s not much of a stretch to make a 3d movie made out of one already animated with 3d models in a 3d environment. I kind of wonder if it wouldn’t be possible to redo all the old pixar movies in 3d.
What I’m impressed at, is that people are talking about the lack of gimmicky “pop-out-at-you” 3D that’s being used.
The only way 3D will be able to establish itself is if directors use it properly, with natural subtle effects.
Between this and Avatar, I’ve got my fingers crossed for 3D to finally get past the gimmicks.
You know, it was weird. Among other things, I’m a Pixar fanboy, and while I had every faith that WALL-E would be every bit as great as it was, I was actually a little hesitant over UP. Nice to see that it’s getting such praise. Now to avoid as much UP press as possible and go be surprised.
@vid
They’re already re-releasing Toy Story 1+2 in 3D, I think later this year.
But as for a 3D film being filmed in 3D, this basically means that 3D was implemented during the rendering process instead of it all being done in post. It’s the difference between, say, The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D and Avatar, the former was done retroactively while the latter is being done from the get go.
Will I be checking it out?
This is my most anticipated film of 2009, followed closely by ‘Star Trek’. May is turning out to be a good month for movie-goers and for movies which seem to be living up to expectations. I’m not entirely sold on Terminator: Salvation yet, but I’m not counting it out, by any means either.
The answer is “yes”.
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