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Hero-become-villain Charles Muntz

While most movies aimed at kids and families beat the "Go for your dreams!" mantra to death, Up dares to suggest that the dreams we defer—and the reasons we defer them—might matter more in the end. Halfway through the movie, Russell speaks wistfully of the times he used to spend with his now-distant father. "The funny thing is, it's the boring stuff I miss the most," he confesses. This idea—that it's the details we often overlook that actually count most of all—animates every frame of Up.

Even with their first foray into 3-D, Docter and his team handle Up's animation with graceful restraint. The film bursts with vivid color and fluid action, but it's the subtle things—the way Carl's stubble grows in or what we learn about his character through the creases around his eyes—that help make Up arguably the most elegant of all the Pixar films. The filmmakers use 3-D technology to render the movie visually richer and deeper, but they avoid the "make-'em-duck" gimmickry that has made other 3D offerings wearisome. As a result, the 3-D option is enjoyable but not essential, and some film aficionados are arguing that the brighter bulbs used in 2-D projection are more important to appreciating Up's beauty.

Completely satisfying animation, gorgeous set-design—everything works in Up. At a snappy 89 minutes, the pace moves along quickly enough to keep kids engaged without resorting to the sort of frenetic, rapid-fire hodgepodge of jokes and pop culture references that less accomplished filmmakers use to hide their insecurity. Michael Giacchino's understated score hits all the right highs and lows, and is especially effective in conveying Carl's elderly urgency in chase scenes when his body forces him to plod rather than race.

Ultimately, though, it's the story, as in all of Pixar's offerings, that makes Up a masterpiece. The characters are indelible, the humor organic, the adventure original, and the theme profound. Funny thing is, it's the details you'll remember the most.

Talk About It

1. Carl seemed to want to be left alone, but in reality he was very lonely. Do you know anyone who withdraws but probably needs a friend? What is the best way to handle that situation?
   
   
2. Can you think of a time when being forced to defer a dream actually turned out to be a good thing? What did you learn from that situation
   
   
3. Dreams are important, but Charles Muntz's obsession with his own dream eventually made him crazy. What is the difference between a dream and an idol? How can we tell?
   
   
4. Discuss the relationship between Carl and Russell. What was each of them missing before they found each other? What did each of them find in the other?
   
   

The Family Corner

Up is rated PG for mild peril and action. The action scenes are roughly as frightening for young children as those in Finding Nemo or Monsters, Inc., although, different from those movies, the death of one person and several dogs is implied (they are seen falling, but their landing is not shown). The adult situations Carl faces (losing his wife and being forced to move to a retirement home) may be disturbing for some children, but the material is handled subtly enough that it's likely to go over the heads of the very young.

Photos © Walt Disney Studio

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What's Up, Doc(ter)?	Printer view
Pete Docter, director of the new Pixar film Up, says that as a Christian he's learned that relationships matter more than anything—and his new movie shows it.