Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Audiophilander (A) on June 15, 2009 at 23:37:26

In Reply to: RE: The greatest problem was a basic, fatal one: posted by tinear on June 15, 2009 at 09:44:26

Sorry to differ so strongly. My impression: UP is a wonderful film about lost opportunities, dreams re-envisioned, loneliness, the isolation of being an outcast and coming to grips with age in a changing world. The adventure, or fantasy if you prefer, is crucial to the depressed and angry elderly man's adaptation to the real world at the film's conclusion. It is also crucial to the boy finding someone who believed in him (the elderly man assumes the role of father figure). This is one of the most poignant, bittersweet films PIXAR has ever dared to make.

As I pointed out below, the "goony" bird was merely a clever MacGuffin, but saving the rare bird and it's offspring from the bitter old adventurer (the once thought heroic figure from the old man's youth who turns out to be an opportunistic scoundrel) leads to the old man rediscovering his compassion and learning to see the world in a different way while providing the means by which the desperate-to-please underachieving boy acquires his own self worth. You may think that I'm reading too much into this movie, but I'm not; I suggest watching it again (hopefully under better circumstances).

IMHO, this is one of the great PIXAR films (on a par with Wall-E, Cars, The Incredibles and Monsters Inc.), perhaps not as brilliant as Finding Nemo, Ratatouille or Toy Story I & II, but far superior to A Bug's Life. Note: FTR, I'm not even a dog lover, but those talking dogs were a hoot (SQUIRREL!).

Cheers,
AuPh