Up-The Pixar Film that Finally Clicked With Me

Somehow, after multiple viewings, something finally clicked, and I found myself finding new beauty in Up. For a film about an old man flying his house with balloons, it stands as one of Pixar's most grounded films. In the first ten minutes, you get a beautiful, realistic portrait of a loving couple. You see Carl and Ellie's relationship grow and develop as they deal with the hardships of life, all through simple visuals and Michael Giacchino's lovely score. Some may say the opening montage is emotionally manipulative. However, I'd disagree, as seeing the highs and lows of Carl and Ellie's relationship makes the montage feel so emotionally honest, making the devasting events incredibly genuine and impactful. 

For a long time, I always felt the film peaked in those opening ten minutes. But on this rewatch, I gained a newfound appreciation for the rest of the film. While the rest of the film has some wonderfully out-there and inventive visuals, the true beauty of the rest of Up lies in the more grounded scenes of simple conversations. The way these characters talk and act feels so genuine and authentic. Because of the montage at the beginning, we understand why Carl acts like such a bittered, cranky old man for most of the film. And Russell is one of the most realistically written child characters I've seen in an animated movie. And through this, you feel the actual growth between these characters through beautifully small, grounded scenes of the two talking. And even then, on this rewatch, I found an inherent charm to the bickering dynamic the two have, that clash between the clueless child and the bittered old man. 

I also found on this rewatch that the rest of the film is there to build up to an emotionally moving conclusion. At its core, Up is a movie about grief and letting go. In Carl's grief, he becomes so focused on the life he didn't live that he struggles to find a new purpose in life. Everything comes full circle once Carl receives the realization that even though they didn't get to fulfill their dream of going to South America, he and Ellie lived a good life together, which gives him the motivation to live new adventures. Once Carl realizes this, the film reflects Carl's regained child-like sense of adventure, with Carl fighting Charles Muntz on top of a giant blimp and dogs flying around on airplanes. During previous viewings, this action felt out of place, but this time, it felt motivated, as it reflected Carl's personal growth. 

In general, I found Up to be far more charming, adventurous, and imaginative on this rewatch. It's a film with such rich, grounded-in-reality characters who talk and act like real people while also being so wildly inventive and creative. It's a film about grief and letting go, with a wonderfully handled and incredibly moving arc for its main character, but that doesn't feel like that's all the film is about. It may have highly emotional moments, but they all feel earned, making for a movie that's incredibly moving in such an emotionally satisfying way.

Now Streaming on Disney+ in the U.S