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Disney / Pixar’s Up is the studios 10th and first 3D film. There has been plenty of hype for this new film, and I myself was one that got into that hype. I have watched most of the online featurette’s, “UPisodes” and clips. Fortunately, I did not watch all of them to save some of the surprises the movie may have. I’m very happy to say that the hype lived up to my expectations.
Disney / Pixar’s Up is about an old, grouchy Carl Fredricksen, Ed Asner, who has made a promise to his late wife that they would go on an adventure to visit South America. It was a promise he held ever since he and his wife were child sweethearts. After Carl loses his wife Ellie, he realizes it’s now or never to fulfill his promise.
Carl’s house, which once sat in the middle of a typical middle-class American street, now is in the middle of a hustle and bustle construction site with sky scrapers and new developments on all sides. The old man’s house is on the verge of being bought out by a developer so he can demolish it for his plans of the area. Fredricksen decides here that he must take his and his wife’s house with him.
His plan seems to take off, pun intended, without a hitch until he finds out a local boy scout is trapped aboard his flying house. Russell, Jordan Nagai, is an 8-year-old Junior Wilderness Explorer that only wants his last badge of assiting an elder. This is where all the comical antics derive from when Carl must take on this adventure with one more than expected.
The new 1080p/MVC-encoded 3D experience, meanwhile, is just as spectacular. The depth, impact and immersiveness of its 3D visuals aren’t superficial in the slightest; everything is designed to draw the viewer into the world Pixar has created. Carl’s house rises up, up and out, balloons and faces boast a distinct and pleasant roundness, the secluded South American vistas extend deep into the horizon and chintzy pop-out gimmicks are nowhere to be found. It only helps that the 3D presentation sports a vigilant technical encode.
Disney pairs Up’s striking video presentation with an equally jaw-dropping, exceedingly faithful, and incredibly involving DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Dialogue never wavers, voices are never lost in the mix, and vocal clarity and weight is astounding.
Up demonstrates Pixar’s grasp of character, story, humor and rich sentiment, and wields each one as effortlessly as its animators wield the tools of their craft. Its new 5-disc 3D Blu-ray release is even better, and Disney pulls out all the stops to deliver a perfect video presentation, a perfect 3D experience and a perfect DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Granted, the set’s captivating supplemental package falls a bit short of Disney’s best and doesn’t include any new bonus features exclusive to the 3D release, but 3D enthusiasts will be delighted nonetheless.
