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Cast: Christopher Plummer, Delroy Lindo, Edward Asner, John Ratzenberger, Bob Peterson, Jordan Nagai, Jerome Ranft
After a lifetime of dreaming of traveling the world, 78-year-old homebody Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) is lured into an unbelievable adventure, thanks in part to the persistence of Russell, an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer (Jordan Nagai). Together, the unlikely pair embarks on a thrilling odyssey full of jungle beasts and rough terrain.
I have to admit that when I seen the trailer to this before it hit theaters I was on the fence about it, it looked cute and all but seemed a little corny to me but boy was I wrong on this one. Pixar hits another one out of the park here and again sets the bar for not only animation but for the story-telling in them as well. Up tells the story of a man and woman who were truly in love and always have dreams of taking that vacation to South America they always wanted but things seem to always get in the way and soon Ellie gets too sick and is able to travel. Carl now an older man is alone and he is about to lose his home to local developers. He comes up with an idea that involves tying thousands of balloons to his home and lifting off on the adventure him and his late wife so badly wanted. Only problem is he soon finds out that a local boy is along for the ride. There are so many colorful and interesting characters in this film that it would only ruin the experience for those that may not of seen the film so I will not go into that part of the movie here. This is a fantasy film but the characters are believable and each one has real emotions. Carl is alone and misses his wife dearly and it shows not only by his facial expressions but by his actions and little Russell, an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer seems to be missing his father doing with him and that too shows. So the two unwillingly travel on the long journey but they soon begin to form a friendship and each one seems to find that certain something they have been missing in their lives. Their adventure is filled with danger but once they arrive at their destination is when the fun stuff really begins. The voice cast is perfect, with Ed Asner making the elderly Carl cranky but you like and feel for him all the same and Jordan Nagai is great as the young Russell. I forgot to mention that The opening sequences detailing Carl's youth through his marriage are fantastic and they do a great job at setting the story up for what is to come. The animation is breath-taking, you don't get any better than this. Up is a fun filled adventure that is filled with emotion, you minute your laughing and the next your sad or excited but you will never be bored. An original and imaginative adventure people of all ages will love and a must own for anyone that loves cinema. Up is available in a four-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, and a two-disc DVD, which both include DisneyFile, a digital copy of the movie that can be viewed on an array of electronic devices, as well as enough bonus features that keep the fun coming.
Released by Disney•Pixar
***** Out Of *****