Looking "Up"

I've been a Pixar fan for a long time. The animation studio's knack for creating a truly engaging story out of unlikely premises is essentially unparalleled in today's film industry. And (my apologies to all of you who like the two "Toy Story" movies the best) they've generally just continued to improve.

However, none of their movies have been able to match the perfect blend of good writing, visual impressiveness, humor and message that was concocted in 2004's "The Incredibles." That movie, a tale of a family of discontented superheroes forced to keep their powers under wraps, is sharply written, animated with lush colors, funny at all the right times and able to deliver important messages about the importance of family and the need to keep the world from downplaying uniqueness (it also goes out of its way to pay some fun homages to several comics, most notably "Watchmen" and The Fantastic Four). While Pixar has served up genius both before (the "Toy Story" films, "Monsters Inc.") and after ("Ratatouille," "Wall-E") "The Incredibles," Brad Bird's directorial debut remained my favorite entry in the studio's lineup.

Until, possibly, now.

After the disappointing "Cars" (arguably even after the solid "Finding Nemo," with the exception of "Cars") Pixar has been less about making high-quality family entertainment and more about making high-quality, meaningful movies that will also entertain children. This shift saw the production of "Ratatouille," another Brad Bird movie about the proper treatment of greatness (also about a rat cooking things), and "Wall-E," an almost avant-garde work that belies the importance of human connection in an increasingly digital world. Both were well written and exquisitely animated ("Ratatouille" even received an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay, and I have a quote from that film adorning the top of my blog), but Pixar's latest feature, "Up," manages to not only best the studio's last two outings, but perhaps even "The Incredibles."

I've never quite seen a movie like it. It attempts from start to finish to place one foot firmly in reality and the other just as solidly in fantasy, and it succeeds wholeheartedly. I'll attempt to give a brief synopsis without giving away any too much of the plot.

Carl Fredricksen was just a young, quiet, pudgy boy who dreamed of one day being an explorer in the vein of his childhood hero, a brilliant, fantastical (and apparently discredited) explorer named Charles Muntz. On the way back from a theatre newsreel detailing Muntz's latest exploits, Carl meets a girl who is, in many ways, his opposite: a tall, skinny, outgoing and loud girl named Ellie. Although the two couldn't be more different, they are united by Ellie's unabashed friendliness and a mutual love of Muntz and adventure stories in general. Following this childhood meeting, the film presents a touching montage of Carl and Ellie's life together, including their marriage, a tragedy and the bumps and pleasures of life. Carl is a balloon salesman, Ellie is a zookeeper, and the pair lives in the house in which they met. They are happy. Throughout it all, the couple attempts to save money to visit Paradise Falls, Peru, the site of the most legendary of Muntz's exploits.

Unfortunately, life repeatedly gets in the way of their dreams, and Ellie dies before such a trip can be taken. Carl becomes a grumpy recluse, content only while basking in the memory of his wife. Even this is bittersweet, as he feels just a bit guilty for not taking her to Paradise Falls like they'd always planned. Then, an uncomfortable accident occurs, and people begin to question whether the octogenarian can live on his own anymore, in his treasured house that is the last remaining symbol of his former happiness. It's very heady stuff for an animated film, but it's handled very skillfully here.

However, all of the above lays the groundwork for the actual events of the movie, which manage to simultaneously be one of the more outlandish yet simple stories Pixar has presented: Carl, faced with a nursing home, opts instead to rig a large amount of balloons to his house and fly to Paradise Falls as a tribute to Ellie. A young boy scout accidentally stows away, and the two embark on a series of jungle adventures, Carl most begrudgingly.

Even that brief description belies one of the most striking things about this film: its interplay between fantasy and reality. While Carl's tragedy and personality are presented as very serious and real, the vibrant colors and crazy characters surrounding him recall the Looney Tunes classics of old. He behaves like a man who has suffered real loss, but he attempts physical feats in the film that very few people, and certainly no one his age, would be able to do. So too, is the animation scaled back from the hyper-realism of the last two Pixar offerings. Here, the landscape is unbelievably lush, and the characters' appearances are clearly designed to accentuate personality traits.

However, rather than creating an awkward juxtaposition, the film benefits from the hodgepodge of styles. Carl's adventures serve as object lessons and metaphors for the way his life has turned out, but they also function as tributes to old adventure flicks and classic children's animation. At times, they become almost allegorical, because the film never loses sight of the fact that the real story to be told is the story of Carl's life: the beautiful love of a dedicated marriage, the sadness that comes when that union ends, and a reflection on what is really important. Ultimately, Carl's journey to Paradise Falls reveals to him that he didn't need to become an explorer to find fulfillment; rather, being thankful for what has passed and willing to embrace the future becomes an exciting exploration all its own.

"Up" is truly a well-made, touching film. I even cried during a couple of parts (you'll probably be able to guess where once you see it), and I rarely ever do that during a movie. Do I like it better than "The Incredibles"? I don't know; further viewings may tell.

Either way, it's simply great.