Things looking “Up” for Pixar
By Phillip Sayblack
Monday, June 22, 2009
Pixar set the bar for animated movies many years ago with the release of its debut movie, ‘Toy Story.‘ Over the years, what is one of the top movie companies ouin the business has easily topped itself with the release of every movie it has released. Now, however, with the release of its tenth movie, Pixar may have finally made a movie that is as high as it can go. ‘Up’ is the most mature, heartwarming, and funny movie that Pixar has made to date. It is another example of a movie that was poorly marketed to moviegoers. It was marketed as a movie that was largely comedy. But the reality is that it is far deeper, and thought provoking.
‘Up’ is far deeper than the comic aspects of the trailers. It centers around the relationship between Carl and his wife, who met when they were just kids. They grew up together, got married, and grew old together, even through some very difficult emotional and financial times. This is set up early on in the movie, in very impressive fashoin. The movie tells the backstory for the movie, while saving time, too. The introduction of Russell helps to move the story forward as a result of his own backstory. The story’s writers make it seem as if Russell doesn’t really even have family. He has a father and a stepmother. But Russell tells Carl that his father is rarely around. And his stepmother doesn’t seem very supportive either. As a result, Carl and Russell become a sort of surrogate “father” and “son” during their journey through Paradise Falls. They bring Doug and the bird, Kevin (named by Russell) in tow. Doug and Kevin become pets almost, making for what could be considered a non-traditional nuclear family. So in an odd way, one could argue that the family make-up is a reflection of society today, put against a colorful, original backdrop. Again, the family aspect comes directly into play.
It’s been years since Pixar first made its debut movie, ‘Toy Story.‘ In that time, Pixar has continued to churn out some of the most original and enjoyable stories that moviegoers have seen. ‘Up’ is no different. But looking ahead to Pixar’s near future slate of releases (a pair of sequels in the form of ‘Cars 2’, and ‘Toy Story 3’) one can only wonder if ‘Up’ is Pixar’s peak. Time will tell. But in the meantime, things for Pixar are definitely looking “up.“
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