The folks at Pixar have quite a track record in a rather short period of time. They crank out one great film after another, amazingly topping themselves each time in the process, both in terms of the quality of their computer generated images as well as their story telling. As all Phillies fans know thanks to Brad Lidge, a perfect streak must eventually come to an end and when they do, the result is not a pretty sight. Thankfully, with their latest effort, UP, the folks at Pixar have avoided a Brad Lidge-ish meltdown and continue their streak of incredible films, releasing what is probably, all things considered, their best ever film. UP is a release that is a must have for all film fans.
Film
I must say that it is rare that I give a film a perfect 5 star rating but this is a film that is certainly deserving of any and all accolades I can give it, it is that good. There are a ton of words that come to mind to describe the film. Witty, charming, moving, tender, funny, thought provoking and sweet come to mind. And that is just a start.
UP is a beautifully conceived film, from the original and moving story to the incredible computer generated images, UP simply, has it all. The film focuses on Carl Fredricksen, who can aptly be described as something of a curmudgeon who is a retired balloon salesman.
The film opens with Carl as a very young boy who meets Ellie, a tomboyish young girl, with a streak for adventure, who is a bit more flamboyant than Carl. They do have one thing in common though, a fascination with the explorer, Charles Muntz, famous for his exploration of South America and whose most important finding, a fossil of a large pre-historic bird, is discredited by his peers. Charles Muntz returns to South America to find the bird and prove his discovery but is never heard from again.
The film briefly follows the lives of Carl and Ellie until Ellie’s death. Carl realizes that while both he and Ellie dreamed of adventures, they never took the time to purse them. Carl sets out to change that, even in his advanced age. He ties what seems like several thousand balloons to his home and takes off for South America to find the land explored by his and Ellie’s childhood idol, Charles Muntz. However, there is one little problem, and that is that unbeknownst to Carl, Russell, an 8 year old Wilderness Explorer, who was attempting to earn his final badge for assisting the elderly, is on the porch when the house takes off.
After a harrowing journey, they make it to South America and Paradise Falls in particular, which doesn’t exactly turn out to be the paradise that Carl and Ellie had envisioned. After they land, the come across the large bird that Charles Muntz had been pursing that Russell names Kevin. Surprisingly, Charles Muntz is still alive and continues to try to capture the bird all these years later with a pack of dogs equipped with devices that enable them to speak. Charles Muntz will stop at nothing, even if it means murder, to capture the bird and bring him back to civilization to prove he was right all along. It is up to Carl, Russeel and a dog named Dug, to rescue Kevin from Charles Muntz and return him (really her) to his family.
I can’t praise this film enough. It is that good and a must see for film fans of all ages. I give UP my highest recommendation. It is simply a must see and a must buy.
Video
This is simply an incredible looking film and a stunning transfer. The film features a bright and bold color palette with simply stellar levels of clarity, detail, sharpness and three dimensionality. I can’t imagine this film looking any better than it does on this release. The word perfect came immediately to mind when Carl’s face in the theater appears for the first time at the beginning of the film.
With each and every release, Pixar continues to stretch the envelope as to what is possible with computer animation. In this case, what really struck me about the images here, other than the color, inky blacks and level of detail, was how the animators were able to “capture” light and fine shadow detail. Pixar continues to be the leader in what is possible with computer animated films with all the other studios in catch up mode. This is a fantastic transfer and is the reason why we invest the money that we do in our home theaters. Simply amazing stuff.
Audio
Clearly, the same attention to detail that makes the video presentation here so special, applies to the audio as well. The DTS HD Master Audio track sounds fantastic. The lossless track features impeccable fidelity with a smoothness and openness that is a thrill for the ears. Transparency is off the charts with an exceptional level of depth both front to back and side to side within the sound field. The surrounds are used very aggressively throughout the film to create a total sense of immersion, especially during the aerial action sequence near the end of the film. The dialogue track is also wonderfully recorded and placed in the mix. The film also features deep and tight bass and an excellent sense of dynamics that will really give your subwoofer a workout. The sound here is truly worthy of a full 5 star rating and is a match for the stellar video presentation in every way possible.
Special Features
The review sample provided to me is the 4 disc addition of the film. Disc 1 contains the Blu-ray version of the the film with several extras including two excellent shorts, Dug’s Special Mission as well as Partly Cloudy, the short featured with the theatrical release of the film. Both are well worth your time. Also included on Disc 1 is the featurette on the making of UP where the production team travels to South America to experience the incredible terrain that forms the basis of Paradise Fall in the film as well as alternate scenes entitles the many Endings of Muntz.
Disc 2 contains the Blu-ray exclusive extras including a multilayered geography game entitled Global Guardian Badge Game, a featurette Married LIfe which consists of an extended look into the married life of Carl and Ellie, a back story if you will along with a total of 8 more documentaries dealing with various aspects of the film that will keep fans of the film entertained as well as informed.
Disc three is a DVD version of the film with disc 4 being a digital copy of the film compatible with Macs and PCs. The release is BD-Live enabled as well.
Final Thoughts
Simply put, UP is an incredible film and one of Pixar’s best efforts to date, if not the very best. The fact that the Blu-ray edition of the film features reference audio and video presentations is simply icing on the cake. This is a must have release and is very highly recommended.
