43.

Hello.

Had Math paper today, which unfortunately included curved graphs which therefore makes the whole experience shittier than having those Bangladeshi laborers on their cheap-ass trashcan carrying truck thingy drive around and around you with their vile load. Therefore I'm going to try and take my mind off the test and I was left with two options, to read up on Physics or to blog.

After the torrid paper I simply refuse to have to look at anything even slightly related to Maths (and graphs) so I chose to blog.

There's nothing really I've got in particular to blog about so I chose to do a review on UP, which I caught I think one or two weeks back.

I really wanted to do a review (never tried before) back then but couldn't really find the time, so here it is.

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UP

UP marks Pixar's tenth production in the animation industry, and following after its immensely successful predecessor WALL-E, it had some pretty damned big shoes to fill.

If you know me you'll know that I honestly loved WALL-E. I felt it was a stunning movie that portrayed romance much better than traditional trashy romance films (see: Twilight). WALL-E exemplified the old adage "Actions speak louder than words" by telling so much by saying so little (others call this boring. This is also known as not understanding the movie).

And so I gotta say as much as I really liked how UP looked, I definitely doubted that it would live up to WALL-E's standards. I was fortunately proven wrong.

UP opens (well actually there's the traditional Pixar short, in this case Partly Cloudy, that is screened beforehand but you get what I mean) with a ten minute silent sequence showing the old grumpy Carl Fredricksen in his early years where he meets his love and future wife Ellie, who shares his interest for adventure and admiration of famous traveller Charles Muntz. The couple go through marriage and are happily wed. Ellie has a life long dream of living atop Paradise Falls, and the pair try to make this reality by saving up for the trip. Unfortunately financial obligations arise and Carl's job as a toy balloon vendor means Ellie's dream is never fully realized before her tragic passing.

Fast forward to the present day, where Carl is a cranky old man who rarely leaves the house. To cut a long story short, Carl decides one day to set out to realize Ellie's dream to live atop Paradise Falls, and does this by attaching thousands of helium balloons to the house, lifting it off the ground and beginning a long journey to Paradise Falls. This journey, much to Carl's dismay, has to be made with Russell, the chubby Wilderness Explorer stowaway on Carl's flying house, who seeks to earn his "assisting the elderly badge" which, upon acquisition would allow him to become a Senior Wilderness Explorer.

They're in for an eventful journey to Paradise Falls which I won't spoil here because that would be no fun and you'd have to experience it for yourself but what I am willing to say right now is that UP is simply amazing.

From a visual standpoint, UP meets and even occasionally exceeds Pixar's normal high standards. From scarily intense thunderstorms to the brightly colored jungles and Russell's supremely circular shape, the animation in UP is top notch. You just can't find a fault in it, and that to me speaks volumes about the quality of Pixar's newest film.

Voice acting is also superb with Edward Asner and Jordan Nagai performing wonderfully well in their roles as Carl Fredricksen and Russell respectively. In fact, voice acting is great throughout with nothing sounding out of place (apart from one squeaky Doberman).

UP is an audio and visual treat, and in these aspects they cannot be faulted. However, what really sets UP apart from other movies is the movie's strong plot, which mainly focuses on Carl's stubborn determination to realize his late lover's dream and to a lesser extent Russell's unwavering resolve to protect his friends. The plot is so ... human; so easy to relate to and understand, and yet it's never boring. As with WALL-E and all other Pixar films in fact, the emotional bond that is made between the viewer and the characters is so strong that you can't help but feel happy or bad for the likes of Carl and Russell during different parts of the film.

While great sound and picture are technical aspects and can be done well if performed methodically and flawlessly, getting a good, solid storyline requires not only good writers, but a good deal of emotion to be infused into the script as well, and in this part Pixar has done absolutely brilliantly and you're sure to experience just exactly what their hard work has resulted in right from the silent sequence at the start all the way to the immensely satisfying ending.

In the end, UP overall is once again another marvelous film by Pixar which surpasses all expectations and yes, I'll say it, beats WALL-E. In a year that so far has produced numerous disapponting efforts, UP is truly a cut above; a bright ray of sunlight to pierce the grey clouds that are the monotonous travails of everyday life and is sure to satisfy the soul.

All I have left to say is this:

Toy Story 3 has some big ass shoes to fill.


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PS: I do not give scores, I think it is hard to determine one. But if there really is a need for one, then UP probably merits a 10/10, because really, it's that good.

PPS: Reviews are just opinions. And although the critical consensus is that UP is good, everyone has his/her own opinion and as much as I hope you agree with me, some of you probably won't. I respect your opinion and I hope you respect mine.