The Movie
Pixar movies are uniquely capable of an emotional sucker punch, brilliantly written tales of humanity in the guise of the colorful antics of talking toys, insects and fish. UP is in fact "mundane" on the surface, it's about a bunch of people and might even have been filmable in live action, but once the state-of-the-art digital animation tricks us into lowering out guard, POW! We are blindsided by one of the most beautiful, classic and touching love stories ever.
And that's just the opening montage.
Zoom ahead to the present day, and widower Carl Fredrickson (voice of Ed Asner), a cranky old soul from the "You kids stay out of my yard!" school, is being forced to leave the home he's lived in since his wedding day, decades earlier. Rather than go quietly, he has The Big Idea and jiggers a way to make his house fly away, headed down to South America to keep a promise he made to his childhood sweetheart. Once there, all manner of surprises unfold. I'm leaving out a lot, because you really need to see UP for yourself. It's all about experiencing the adventure firsthand.
Be sure to read Karen Dahlstrom's review of UP, too.
The Picture
The crisp, high-def image is presented in a home theater-perfect 1.78:1, with a level of detail that simply begs to be stared at. Carl's stubble can be seen growing ever so subtly during his three-day adventure, and when we see him as a boy, quick eyes will note his cheek blushing ever so fleetingly when a young girl takes his hand for the first time. Textures are masterfully rendered, particularly in the clothing (there's a rapid sequence of his different neckties being knotted, and we can almost believe they are real silk), but elsewhere too, with a look that borders on photo-realism. Very faint ringing appears here and there, but ultimately the animation is not evolutionary as some Pixar films have been, more of an admirable plateau.
The Sound
The accompanying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is sharp and often bold, deftly utilized as yet another storytelling tool. Early on, the virtual camera pulls back from Carl's front porch to reveal the enormous construction site that surrounds him, and the soundfield suddenly expands to envelop us then remains active throughout the scene.
Thunderstorms, particularly the first one that hurries Carl on his way, are appropriately intimidating, enhanced with rear-channel rain. An incidental swarm of insects snaps our dormant speakers back to life, while the kid swinging through a canyon on a rope offers smooth inter-channel phasing. Huge rock towers toppling and a giant airship demand an able subwoofer, and the climactic battle (which gives new meaning to the term "dogfight") is every bit as dynamic as it should be as the final thrill on such a ride.
The Extras
The movie can be watched in "Cine-Explore" mode, which combines audio commentary from director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson with video windows, often more than one on screen simultaneously, sharing photos and a lot of production art. The commentary portion has even been translated into spoken Spanish and French!
The theatrically released animated short, "Partly Cloudy" (six minutes) is joined by the new "Dug's Special Mission" (five minutes) which--much like "Jack-Jack Attack" on The Incredibles--adds backstory to a moment from the film. "Adventure is Out There" (22 minutes) is a travel log of sorts for the filmmakers' field trip to the actual "tabletop mountains" location borrowed for the movie. Alternate Scene: "The Many Endings of Muntz" shares elaborate storyboards and discussions regarding different approaches to the villain's demise (five minutes). Disc One is also where we will also find a Pixar-themed home theater calibration tool.
Disc Two begins with a collection of short documentary featurettes (five to nine minutes each) that focus on specific characters or aspects of the inspirations and perspiration of this production: "Geriatric Hero," "Canine Companions," "Russell, Wilderness Explorer," "Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin," "Homemakers of Pixar," "Balloons and Flight" and "Composing for Characters." Another alternate scene, "Married Life," shows a very different (funnier but not quite as endearing) approach to the all-important opening sequence (nine minutes). And the UO promo montage series assembles many brief animations starring characters from the film, six minutes total.
All of these extras are in HD.
Disc 1 is BD-Live-enabled, as is the Global Guardian game on Disc Two, where we earn virtual badges by answering geography questions. Disc Three is a DVD of the movie with select bonus features, and Disc Four carries a Digital Copy of Up for either iTunes or Windows Media.
Final Thoughts
If your emotions survive the first 11 minutes, you're home free (well, except for the turning point that takes us from Act II to Act III...) and primed to enjoy a moving tale of enduring love and new beginnings, with plenty of chases and kid-friendly humor along the way.
Product Details
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