Goolphipp Award: 4.75
Audience: All ages
Goolsby: Animal lovers will appreciate the randomness of this movie. From the dog named Dug, to the female bird named Kevin. Like most Pixar movies, adult innuendos go over the little heads, but those were far and few between. This movie was just clean good fun.
Phipps: Mostly all ages, although, for the really young kids, 4-6 years, it may be a little complicated. They will love all the visuals – the big, colorful bird and “flying” house. You’ll appreciate the jokes and the “squirrel!” of real life.
Storyline: Mixed but clear
An old man remembers what it means to live.
Phipps: Like I said before, Pixar’s Up is a little more complex than usual. It’s entirely clear, and I have to say…I couldn’t wait until the house floated into the air, but I also appreciated seeing the accelerated love story between Ellie and Carl. This movie is actually really pro-marriage and pro-commitment. You literally see Carl and Ellie walk through life together, and you see Carl’s dogged pursuit of to see a promise kept.
Goolsby: I’ve heard that some people were confused by the previews. I was not confused. The storyline has two main sections, the first half when Ellie (Carl’s wife) is still alive, and the second half when she is gone. You see a beautiful love, and then you see how lost someone can be without that love. Carl takes one last journey to see the world, and meets some crazy characters along the way.
Where’s the Humor: Layered
Squirrel!
Phipps: Honestly, Up is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a long time. Just good, clean jokes. And it’s not the same thing, over and over, but a variety—whatever your humor, you’ll find something to laugh with. I have to say, the short film shown beforehand, “Partly Cloudy,” is the best Pixar short. I laughed so hard, I cried.
Goolsby: There are amazing one-liners that I’ve thrown down since. The most notable was featured in the previews, but still kept all of its charm on the big screen. Squirrel! Russell, the tubby Boy Scout who gets taken on the journey, is perfect. He compliments the guarded Carl very well.
Animation: Airy
Goolsby: Since a good chunk of this movie takes place in the sky, we get a wonderfully bright background. We did see this movie in 3-D and the special effects were done well. Nothing too dramatic, but it added a subtle layer to the film.
Phipps: Up was visually exciting. It had the look of the Pixar movies, and as Goolsby said, the best word to describe it is “bright.” The “past” with Ellie was subdued for contrast, and of course, I can’t help but think of the old adages “bright future” and “living in the present.” It was nice to visually translate that to screen.
Phipps overall: 5
I really liked this movie. Up is in the same neighborhood of classic-ness as Finding Nemo, but Nemo still earns the biggest house on the street. Time will tell if Up’s jokes will become standard to pop culture as Nemo’s are. Will “Squirrel!” become the new “Mine!”?
Goolsby overall: 4.5
Make sure you catch the short before the movie. I said right after walking out of Up that it was as good as Finding Nemo, but I think now I rescind that. Still good though.
Goolphipp award: 4.75 (No peanuts chucked)
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