Up

It's hard to imagine a world without Pixar. For nearly 15 years (good God, has it been that long?), the animation company has dished out hit after hit, without sacrificing good storytelling. Like many, I consider Cars their least awesome film, but it certainly isn't bad and is still better than most of the animated features other studios are putting out. For me, Up is among their very best films, rivaling the magnificent The Incredibles and last years Wall-E. Which is something I'm glad to say, considering Up may be Pixar's riskiest film to date. An old man as the protagonist? In a children's film? Preposterous. But not only is Carl Fredricksen a fantastic character, he is part of an intensely deep story about love and loss. The soon-to-be widely-discussed first ten minutes, chronicling the life of Carl and his true love, sets the tone for the entire film, and I dare you not to be moved by it, less you be some cold, heartless bastard. Though this does provide the opportunity to say that Pixar films should not be considered kid films any longer, just films children can see and enjoy, but which their parents will enjoy even more. Credit is due to Pete Docter and Bob Peterson for their fantastic work on scripting and directing. Every year, I await the announcement on the next Pixar film, questioning if it'll be the one that ends the streak. With an upcoming Toy Story sequel, I think it's safe to say the odds are in our favor.

Genre - Animation (4)

Screenplay (4)
Acting (4)
Production (4)
Directing (4)