Of the numerous animated films that I have screened, Up perhaps best combines visual effects with a meaningful yet humourous story. It is incredibly polished and may be the pinnacle of the obviously computer animated feature film if 3-D works such as Avatar are continually released. Yet it falls short of true cinematic greatness.
Carl Fredricksen is a widow who is frustrated how the world has changed around him, literally and figuratively. He had fallen in love with his wife because they both imagined explorering the world, like their mutual idol Charles Munz. Despite all of their dreams, they never made it to Paradise Falls before his wife passed away. Rather than settle into a retirement home, Fredricksen attempts to escape his life using several thousand helium balloons. Unwittingly, he brings Russell, a “Wilderness Explorer” seeking his final badge for helping the elderly, with him on his journey to South America.
Fredricksen admired Munz as he learned of his exploits on newsreels at the cinema. Munz’s career had ended in disgrace when nobody believed that he had visited Paradise Falls and accused him of fabricating a fossil. He vowed to return to the far away land and capture the ostrich-like bird live but never returned to civilization.
Not only does Fredricksen reach the land of his dreams but he meets his former hero. It turns out the Munz is still alive, fixated with capturing the bird. Fredricksen learns that Munz is not the person he admired and experiences an epiphany, finally understanding that he has undertaken this journey out of spite, not the sense of love and fun that he shared with his late wife. He learns again to enjoy the simple pleasures of life and stand up for the values he truly treasures.
Good animated films always feature elements for both children and adults. At certain times, Up was very childish. Characters such as Munz and Russell were not fleshed out. Was Munz always evil or did he lose his way because of his obsession? What about Russell and his father? Did he join the Explorers seeking a parent or because he was infatuated with discovery, like Fredricksen in his youth?
Intuitively, viewers have to understand that Munz is not so much an explorer but someone who is exploiting the wildlife. Up could have been the anti-colonial counterpart to Babar but chooses instead to avoid the issue entirely. It’s certainly charming and had the characters been real, the film would have lost some of its whimsical allure. Up could have been an amazing film but it chose the road most travelled and that prevented the work from making a difference. ***