On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 2/20 |
Les Winan |
Pixar's excellence continues. That opening montage is brutal (in the best way). |
| 2/21 |
Jason Lee |
One of the funniest and most emotional Pixar films ever -- and that's saying a lot. |
| 7/13 |
Sean Collier |
Among the best Pixar films; funny and sad. |
| 7/82 |
Kelly Metz |
The trailers didn't do much for me - I'm glad I saw it anyway. Some of the most touching moments in film were present in this movie. Very likeable characters and a sweet storyline. |
| 8/169 |
Max Braden |
This is one of Pixar's most emotionally touching stories, but there isn't as much action/adventure as say Toy Story. |
| 11/38 |
John Seal |
A kid's movie that offers food for thought as a side dish for the main course: stunning animation |
At this point, we sound like a broken record when we talk about Pixar Animation. They've followed success after success after success and managed to do so while never losing sight of the fact that the thing that keeps customers coming back is quality. Story rules for the people at Pixar, whether we're talking about toys, bugs, monsters, fish, superheroes, cars, rats or robots.
It does bear noting, though, that Pixar does seem to be consistently upping their level of difficulty. Lots of people were dubious that a movie about fish could be successful, but it turned into one of the biggest theatrical hits ever. The same went for the Incredibles, Lightning McQueen, and especially Remy the rat and WALL-E the robot. The folks in charge continuously challenge themselves to do something different, and they delight viewers both young and old in the process.
They'll continue to challenge themselves as they create a protagonist who is a senior citizen. In Up, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen is a balloon salesman who dreams of worldwide journeys. He is able to achieve his hopes as he ties thousands upon thousands of balloons to his house and sails away to South America. Of course, in the immortal words of Styx, nothing ever goes as planned. Carl soon learns that his worst nightmare - a nine-year-old boy named Russell - has stowed away. Russell is an overly enthusiastic Wilderness Explorer, and Carl just wants to be left alone. But we're sure that in the end, they'll find a way to connect - just like Clint Eastwood and his young friend in Gran Torino.
It's certainly possible that Up will be a hard sell, but there's a lot of reason for optimism. First of all, the film is co-directed by Pete Docter, the same guy who was at the helm of Monsters, Inc. (my personal favorite Pixar film). Additionally, Up will be the first new Pixar release to be shown in Disney Digital 3-D. Disney has had moderate successes in the medium with Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons and Bolt, but when the Pixar name is attached to a 3-D release, the possibilities really do feel endless. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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