The Story
Up is an animated film unlike others. It is a Pixar/Disney film nonetheless, but it covers a heavier theme than the studio’s other animated movies. Up focuses on an old man named Carl Frederickson. He is grumpy, lonely, and sad.
Up opens with Carl Frederickson as a kid, watching the black & white adventure film reels at the movies. Then, he meets Ellie, she also loves adventure. They grow up, get married, and had plans. But, like most of us, things get in the way of our plans. They get old, and Ellie eventually gets cancer and passes away, leaving Carl alone, unfulfilled, and lonely. This is the first 10 minutes of the film, and in my opinion, the best part of the movie. The rest of the film focuses on Carl’s ambition to fulfill his wife’s wishes before she passed. He wants to take their house to Paradise Falls, as the house now represents her.
Along the way, Carl meets Russell, a typical kid with lots of questions, and great ambitions. Carl has to learn to deal with the “nuisance.” They eventually make it to Paradise Falls, but along the way meets a talking dog and a rare bird named Kevin. The group goes through their little adventures, and at some point, Carl starts to learn to let go. The movie has a great message about what’s important in life, and letting go, which is why Up would be great for families to watch together.
The Story: A
Video Quality
Up’s video quality transfer is top notch all the way around. I did not notice any imperfections while watching the 2-hour film. The colors are nicely balanced, and the details remarkable, especially the thousands of colorful balloons animated to float Carl’s home. The landscape of the green jungles are nice and lush. The palettes are transferred well. The details on Carl’s home is impressive – from the cracks on the walls, to the dusty old chair he sits in. Everything is naturally crispy clear without fake enhancements.
The 3D version is just as amazing. The 3D effects are impressive and seamless, as it adds dimension to the physicality of the film. There are no gimmicks used by Pixar, the 3D effects are very well thought out, and it shows. This is as perfect as it gets.
Video Quality: A+
Sound Quality
The sound quality of Up is just as perfect as the video quality. Everything is very well balanced, and is crisp and clear. The importance of the dialogue is never lost even during the most hectic moments. Sound will naturally float in and out from all speakers throughout the film, and will impress even the biggest critic. The sound transfer is flawless in my opinion.
Sound Quality: A+
Extras
I love watching the process of filmmaking, and I expected a lot from Up. Disney delivered. The combination of short and long features are both entertaining and informative. My favorite is the Cine-Explore Commentary. It presents us with different facts, big and small, in the making of the film. The director and co-director talks, while on a small screen, we get to see what they’re talking about in visual form. Whether it be concept art, or the crew’s visit to the elderly home, or even to one of the cast member’s grandparents’ home, where we get to see what eventually influenced the interior design of Carl’s house.
Here are the rest of the Extras on the disc:
Adventure Is Out There (HD, Disc 2, 22 minutes) – covers pre-production and the creation of the story.
Partly Cloudy (HD, Disc 2, 6 minutes) – another great short from Pixar, well worth watching.
Dug’s Special Mission (HD, Disc 2, 5 minutes)
The Many Endings of Muntz (HD, Disc 2, 5 minutes)
Documentaries (HD, Disc 3, 48 minutes) – an awesome and informative collection of the different facets of the film, like analyzing and drawing the elderly, the work behind the balloons, etc.
Married Life (HD, Disc 3, 9 minutes)
Guardian Badge Game (HD, Disc 3)
Up Promo Montage (HD, Disc 3, 6 minutes)
Worldwide Trailers (HD, Disc 3, 4 minutes)
Overall, it’s an awesome set of Extras.
EXTRAS: A-
Overall
UP 3D is definitely one of the best Blu-rays out there. As a movie fan, this is everything I want in my collection. The quality is top-notch, but I didn’t expect anything less from Disney. They are always improving their Blu-rays, not only with the quality of the picture and sound, but also with the quality of the overall content. All Blu-ray Extras should be stuffed like this.
In short, this is a great disc! So, what are you waiting for?
Overall: A+
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