Uplifting!

I never liked any of the Ice Age or Shrek movies after the first one. I thought Finding Nemo was distinctly average, and that the slew of other modern animated films (other than Toy Story and Monsters Inc) were passable, at best.

I just got back from Up, however, and wow.

Someone I watched it with said she cried within the first ten minutes, and while I didn't need a Kleenex, I have to agree that there are portions of the film which are both charming and heartwrenching at the same time. It isn't so much an emotional roller-coaster as it is a gentle stroll around the range of feelings what an amazing film ought to evoke.

The comedy is often top-notch too, far funnier than the majority of traditional films released in recent memory. The characters are very Pixarish, and all of them grow on you quickly and you begin to love them after their first few scenes.

Story-wise, it's a far-fetched, fantastic tale of a man's quest to keep a promise made to a loved one, and how he overcomes the various random obstacles placed before him. The plot flows smoothly, allowing each character to be introduced and developed in every way.

The soundtrack lends a great deal to the generally light-hearted feel of the movie, and it reminds me, strikingly, of the first two Terminator movies and how there really is only one actual "song", and the key and tempo of it greatly alters its mood and effect, to a great extent. The music here does a fantastic job in leading the audience down that path from delight to despair to desperation to depression to delirium. Amazing stuff.

Of course, the cynic in me questions some of the logic in the film, like how certain devices could ever function and the sheer physics of a helium-powered building making its way across continents. I'll suspend such critique, however, not because it's "just a cartoon", but because it's just so bloody good.

I caught Up in all its 3D glory, and I have to say, though, that's really the only negative thing I have to take away from the movie. The effect of it being in 3D wasn't really fantastic, and some people around me took off the cumbersome goggles (and goggles are a prominent part of the movie, on and off screen) and simply watched it as it is. Sure, the first time you see the little kid plodding across the street, you are wowed by how it all looks, but then the rest of the movie doesn't seem to make use of the effect too greatly.

All in all, I highly recommend Up to anyone for any occasion. Taking someone out on a first date, another date, a random movie outing with friends or family, alone or in a crowd, I can almost guarantee you'll enjoy it.

Two tips, though. Tissues if you feel you might need it, and pass on the 3D option if you're unsure.