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UP PG, some peril and action 1:36



I must admit when I first learned that the folks at Disney/Pixar were formulating a movie about an old man and a young boy who take off in a house tied to thousands of balloons, I thought that it wouldn't fly with little kids or adults. But then again, these are the same people who gave us a rat as a culinary artiste.

Ed Anser voices Carl Fredericksen, a 78-year-old widower who had dreamt of a South American adventure with his beloved wife, Ellie, whom he had known since they were children. Alas, they had no offspring of their own, and when Russell (Jordan Nagai), a wilderness explorer, shows up to earn a merit badge for aiding the elderly, he ends up a stowaway on Carl's great escape.

"Up" is pure magical fun! There are not enough adjectives to describe the sheer enjoyment I experienced watching this movie. I am always amazed by the genius of the creators at Disney/Pixar. Asner as the crusty Carl is superb. Christopher Plummer voices Carl's nemesis, Charles Muntz, in a great turn of events. And because I adore dogs, I especially love Dug (Bob Peterson, who is the co-director and co-screenplay writer with Pete Docter), the canine who comes to the aid of Carl and Russell.

As a bonus, the Disney/Pixar short preceding the film is itself worth the price of admission. It is a sweet, clever depiction of a stork delivering baby animals, and it is truly fabulous. "Up" is a bona fide classic ----- do not miss it!


All the clever animation in the world is useless without a good story to back it up, and "Up" has it all. The genius of Disney/Pixar has never been more evident than in this brilliant 3-D entertainment.

In the voice over role of a lifetime, Ed Asner stars as old man Carl Fredericksen, a widower who rescues his beloved house from demolition and becomes a father figure to a young wilderness explorer named Russell, featuring Jordan Nagai in his movie debut.. Asner was the perfect choice to play Carl because he practically duplicates the persona that made him famous, namely Mary Tyler Moore's editor Lou Grant on the TV show that bore her name in the 70's. The character of Lou Grant was like a good Italian roll, crusty hard on the outside but soft on the inside, and this aptly describes Carl as he befriends Russell.

There is an especially touching sequence early in the film involving a young Carl and his wife Ellie, with nary a word of dialogue. It is moments like these that set "Up" apart from practically every other movie of its type.

The use of talking dogs, subservient to the evil Charles Muntz (voiced by Christopher Plummer), is a different touch. The 3-D animation is absolutely marvelous, even breathtaking (although a couple of scenes may be too terrifying for toddlers), and the musical score is truly exhilarating.

All you need to know is that John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton are executive producers of "Up". As producer/director and writer respectively, this duo's resumes include classic animated films like Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars and Wall-E. Suffice it to say that Disney/Pixar has another sure fire smash that will satisfy adults as much as younger audiences.

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