With a horde of family-friendly treats under their belt (and enough Academy Awards to match), many wouldn’t be judged for assuming that Pixar already had the animation game in the bag. But then in 2009, they flipped the tables once again, re-defining what audiences expected from an animated film. The movie that changed it all was Up.
Diving beyond their previous formula of simple and adorable anthropomorphic tales, Up sees Pixar exploring more adult sensibilities on top of their more basic interest in children’s entertainment.
Up follows the wacky voyage of elderly man Carl and his pint-sized sidekick Russell (yes, human characters for a change) as they attempt to make their way to South America in a house flown by balloons. Along the way Pixar throw in plenty of gorgeous imagery, multi-generational humour and enough perfectly poignant moments to have anyone of any age reaching instantly for the tissues.
It’s a wild ride to say the least, but don’t be mistaken; this is in no way simply a kids film. Up deals with some serious hard-hitting emotions in a clever and deeply affecting way, and begs to be seen by anyone with a heart.
Up (2009), directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, is available on blu-ray disc and DVD from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Certificate U.
