VoML Postfilm Report: Up (2009)

TOP BILLED ACTORS (VOICES)
Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft

DIRECTORS
Pete Docter, Bob Peterson

5 MAJOR THEMES

1. Loss
2. Priorities
3. Perseverance
4. Growth
5. Aging
   

3 POSITIVES

• I'm always a little skeptical before watching animated films. Much like Wall-E, I heard a lot of good things about this film before viewing and it did not disappoint. There were enough adult themes that kept me entertained throughout.
  
• Sentimentality played a huge role in this film. I have been known to be a sucker to sentiment but I'm also very wary of forced sentiment. It felt real to me in this film; I would be lying if I said I didn't get a little teary-eyed in the first 20 minutes of this film.
  
• The dogs were excellent. The talking collar idea could have easily failed but it definitely added character to each dog. It was apparent that a lot of time was put into making each dog its own "person" yet they were all ultimately driven by the same things... SQUIRREL.
  

A NEGATIVE

• I really don't have any big gripes with the film. Just the general unbelievability of the premise. Animation filmmakers are never subject to the constraints of real life so they don't really have to worry about physics or the consequences of one's actions.
  

BEST PERFORMANCE
Ed Asner as Carl Fredricksen

MOST UNDERRATED PERFORMANCE
Dug the dog. Gotta love his anxious personality.

FAVORITE SCENE
The Ellie/Carl montage.

HEY, IT'S THAT GUY...
John Ratzenberger, Cliff from Cheers. Delroy Lindo, a veteran of many films including Get Shorty.

REMINDED ME OF...
About Schmidt, Love Story

SEE ALSO...
Wall-E

WOULD I PURCHASE IT? Maybe

WOULD I WATCH IT IF I CAME ACROSS IT ON CABLE? Maybe

I WILL GIVE A…

-PSon