Up

In the case of the latest animated feature film from Pixar, I fell victim to my own expectations and, above all, the enthusiasm of the newspaper critics, who gushed like a fountain and it was clear that this film was the number one film event of the year for some of them. Such a high percentage rating is truly exceptional. The same was true in four other cases, so I went to the movie theater to sit carefully so as not to collapse from the flood of impressions. During and immediately after watching, I would give it perhaps two stars, but the objective value of Up is of course significantly higher. Pixar excels in both animation and the script for a classic family spectacle for all generations, but for me, there are a few "buts." Firstly, to my taste, the story relies too much on sentimentality and nostalgia, secondly, it moves too much in the spirit of political correctness and expectations limited by a family film, whereas I would like the grandpa to be really tough on the annoying brat who intrudes into his contemplation about fulfilling his dreams from his youth, and in the spirit of classic performances by Walter Matthau, really "give it to him." I also wanted more gags and the plot didn't grab me after they arrived in Venezuela. It's strange because the creators strive for a spectacle inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World" or classic Verne-style adventures like "Five Weeks in a Balloon," which I grew up with as a boy. The idea of the flying house carried by balloons scored the most points, but it was obviously not a surprise to anyone. Overall impression: 60%. Up did not only lose to Ratatouille in my eyes but also to the robot Wall-E. (30/08/2009)

Gran Torino meets Indy in escapades à la Pixar. Some parts are great, but altogether it seems so inconsistent that it’s bothering. However, Carl is a really nice guy and his only blemish is that he’s not dubbed by Clint. The real “hero" and the dog do their CGI best to make this movie work. And they had to try hard, because this movie was moving alarmingly near to the shameful average (quite normal for Pixar). (22/08/2009)

To begin with a brief thought: When did the movie theater turn into a canteen? Munch, gobble, slurp… Up is a multigenerational picture that will be enjoyed by everyone. Super action scenes, a romance of the highest caliber, and a breathtaking adventure that, in the style of old exploration films, throws one into an unknown, dangerous yet beautiful world. The storyline forms an incredible link between several lives. A pensioner who wants to complete his plan (to move) at any cost, a hunter (another pensioner) who is pursuing a trophy that constantly eludes him, a lonely boy who wants to help (pensioners) and mothers caring for their children. Add a flying house, talking dogs, a mischievous bird, and this merry-go-round of a movie becomes a whole lot of fun. (25/09/2009)

An animated flick that milks the emotions of the viewer with the same ease as the best live action dramas. In the moments when this happens, the simplicity and lack of originality of the story is a shame, it pops the balloons and brings down this bitter-funny gem, not in any drastic way, but enough to make it lose one star. Otherwise, I agree that the first 10 minutes are probably the best sequence I’ve ever seen in an animated film. (05/09/2009)

There is no point in expecting it: you will not find the great truths of life here again in a form other than those which are very trivial, but that is also not what Pixar is all about. This studio matures with every film and dazzles kids with narrative action and a great ability to bring timeless children's dreams to the screen. The story of Carl and his strange retinue is captivated by emotions in some places (particularly the introductory retrospective is divine) and sometimes the first signal amuses (it’s probably too infantile for some people, but so be it). There is no denying that this is once more a compilation of several shorts, the level of which is not exactly stable, but the overall impression is clearly "Up". (12/08/2009)