Reel To Reel: Up

Will this impress Ed Asner? Well, he did the movie, didn't he?

Going Rate: Worth a full price admission for everybody -- kids, adults, cranky seniors -- and 3D is a nice extra, but not an absolute
Starring: (Voices of) Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer
Rated: PG
Red Flags: Nothing really, but some sequences may be too scary for very young children

What can I really say about this film, except that Pixar has done it again, like they've always done? If Pixar were to churn out a genuine turkey, which is possible yet highly unlikely for this semi-independent studio, then I would have something fascinating to write about. But Pixar doesn't make turkeys. It makes refined and imaginative movies with an emotional connection. I wouldn't call Pixar the Merchant Ivory Productions of animated cinema, but right now, they're more Disney than the Disney that distributes their pictures.

Up is the life story of Carl Fredricksen (Asner), a balloon salesman who wants to go to South America, fulfilling the wish he and his late wife Ellie shared since they met as children. Back then they were enthralled with legendary explorer Charles Muntz (Plummer) and his gigantic zeppelin (before anybody heard of Led). Ellie and Carl get married and their years roll by in a silent and yet powerful montage that is a paragon example of wordless storytelling. This is the part where you'll be glad you forked over the extra $2 for the 3-D glasses so nobody can tell if your eyes are watering or not.

With Ellie gone, Carl shrivels into that prototypical old coot we wouldn't care about unless we'd seen his life flashed before us just a few minutes earlier. His house sits on land developers want for a new high-rise or Starbucks or something, but neither Carl nor his home are going anywhere -- until he has one tantrum too many. Authorities want Carl to leave for a politely-named retirement community. Instead, he blows up a whole bunch of balloons, tethers them to the fireplace, and turns his house into a flying airship bound for the place of his dreams. The trip would go a lot smoother if he didn't have Russell, a pudgy scout-like Wilderness Explorer (Jordan Nagai) trying to help him out to earn one last merit badge. They get to the general area where they're going, but they run into a lot of trouble and have to lug the flying house around like a parade balloon.

Maneuvering through the jungle, they run into the Dug the dog, a wily Golden Retriever who's outfitted with a special translation collar allowing him to speak to people in English beyond "roof," "rough," and "Ralph." Dug is controlled, more or less, by Muntz, who's gone back to South America to find a species of bird people have accused him of fabricating. Muntz has outfitted an entire legion of pseudo-talking dogs who will obey his orders -- except when a squirrel is nearby. Otherwise, they face the "cone of shame," a device similar to the one the vet uses to keep your dog from licking his sutures or private parts after surgery.

Given the same storyline, other studios might have turned this into a hyperactive roadrunner cartoon with a few forgettable cute songs. Pixar's team knows better, and they opt to focus on the emotional needs of Carl, Russell, Dug, and Muntz. They are all people after different goals but with an unceasing drive to reach them in spite of the wounds they've suffered along the way. The trailer for this film sold it short, but that's no surprise. Pixar consistently surpasses our expectations, even after more than a decade of moviemaking. Up's subject matter may be too heavy for very young children to wrap their tiny fingers around. That's all right. It will be waiting for them years from now, when they're ready, and just as colorful.