It is apparent to me that there has been a major shift in our view of different kinds of movies in the last ten years. Animated features used to be shorts shown before the real film as a sort of warm up, the equivalent to an opening act at a concert. But in the last few years they have come into their own as a legitimate and important form of film.  Pixar’s latest movie, simply titled Up, is the apex of this artistic transition.

Up is the story of an old, cranky and perpetually beleaguered old man named Carl Fredrickson who finally becomes so disenchanted with his depressing existence in the city that he fulfills his and his late wife’s lifelong dream of traveling to South America and having an adventure. His attempt at this is sometimes hindered or aided by his unlikely traveling companion Russell, a wilderness explorer (some sort of equivalent to a boy scout) who got stuck on Fredrickson’s porch trying to gain his last merit badge for “assisting the elderly.”

Although prejudice would have us believe that animated movies are intended for kids, Up has a plethora of complex themes and relationships that are doubtless intended for a more mature audience. Its themes of loss and dissatisfaction with an ordinary life appeal to almost anyone who has ever questioned the status quo of his or her life.

The relationships between the characters are complex and deep; Carl eventually views Russell as the son that he couldn’t have. Russell begins to perceive Carl as the father figure who has long been absent in his own life.
Although we only briefly see Carl’s wife in the beginning of the film, as her death is part of the catalyst for Carl’s change, a short montage of her and Carl’s life together offers us a profoundly personal glimpse into the highs and lows of their time together. It is one of the most deeply moving moments of film I can recall in recent memory.

The medium of animation adds a whole range of artistic tools that aren’t available to a normal movie. It also gives the filmmakers a strong incentive to make their characters as human and believable as possible. Movies shot in reality often do not seem to have such incentive to portray human emotion, being confident enough that as long as the movie is visually representative of reality (as it automatically is), its lack of emotional and human depth can pass unnoticed. Up is forced to come at reality from a different direction, using its depth to enhance the suspension of disbelief instead of a more easily attainable depiction of reality.

Part of the beauty of Up is that it can also be enjoyed on a more shallow level if all your interested in is some whacky visuals and good comedic writing. I am compelled to give Pixar’s Up 3 out of 3 crowns.