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How Many Balloons Necessary to Lift a House?
In the new Pixar film Up, a crotchety old man named Carl ties thousands of balloons to his house and proceeds on an awesome flying adventure to South America. This left several Explainer readers wondering: Just how many balloons would it take to lift a hou...
Disney's 'Up' flies high at weekend box office
Disney/Pixar's Up soared over rivals to dominate the domestic weekend box office with an estimated $68.2 million at 3,766 playdates. Boosted by a huge 3-D push, pic's buoyant perf maintains Pixar's long B.O. winning streak....
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Forget about the flying house, that giant bird and the talking dog. All of those out-of-the-ordinary items. Because -- when you get right down to it --"Up" is a movie that celebrates the boring stuff. Those tiny, little moments that really make life worth living.
Mind you, it takes Carl Fredericksen quite a while to realize how important the little things are. 70 years, to be exact. When we first met Carl, he's this 8-year-old boy in the 1930s watching a newsreel which reveals that Fredericksen's hero – explorer Charles Muntz – has recently been discredited.
As Carl walks home from the movies that afternoon recreating Charles' exploits, he discovers that another kid in the neighborhood is also enamored with Muntz. This is 8-year-old tomboy, Ellie. Who is so determined to become just like her hero that she has actually turned an abandoned house into a crude approximation of Charles' airship. And Ellie vows to someday follow Muntz down to South America and then explore the mile-high mesas around Paradise Falls.
As soon as young Fredericksen sets his sights on this lively lass, Carl falls in love with Ellie. And in one stunning, dialogue-free four-minute-long sequence, "Up" takes you through their entire life as a couple. Their unconventional wedding. How Carl & Ellie turn that old abandoned house into a home of their own. The heartbreak that these two feel when they learn that they can't have children. Carl's determination to make good on his childhood promise to Ellie to someday fly her on down to Paradise Falls. And how real life – a flat tire here, a broken leg there – kept getting in the way of making that dream come true.
And then suddenly Carl is alone. Worse than that, due to an unfortunate run-in with a construction worker, Fredericksen is now being forced to leave the home that he & Ellie built and move into a retirement community. And as this 78-year-old is pulling a suitcase down out of the closet, he comes across his wife's old scrapbook. Which is where Ellie wrote about all the things she planned on doing over the course of her life.
And that's when Carl remembers his long-ago promise to fly Ellie down to Paradise Falls. Which is what then causes this elderly balloon salesman to tie 10,000 balloons to his house and take flight.
Of course, what Fredericksen hadn't counted on was an accidental stowaway: 8-year-old Junior Wilderness Explorer, Russell. This boy has just spent the past few days badgering Carl so that Russell could then complete all of the requirements for his "Assisting the Elderly" badge. And this Wilderness Explorer chose the exact wrong moment to wander back up onto Carl's porch.
Now you'd think – from the way that this character has been portrayed in "Up" ‘s trailers & commercials as well as those "Upisodes" that have been airing on the Disney Channel – that Russell is this movie's comic relief. But that's where you'd be wrong. There's a kind of heart-breaking reason behind this Junior Wilderness Explorer's efforts to earn that "Assisting the Elderly" badge.
Even Kevin – that goofy 13-foot-tall bird that Carl & Russell discover as they're dragging their still-airborne house through the jungle – has a sweet sort of secret that deepens this character. Makes you genuinely care for this oversized canary.
That's the real beauty of "Up." Nothing is ever quite what it seems to be. This Pete Docter film is loaded with surprises. Moments that will make you laugh out loud (like that geriatric fistfight between Fredericksen and Muntz, where canes can become swords and even dentures can be used as lethal weapons) or tear up (Be sure to have a few tissues on hand for Russell's award ceremony toward the end of this picture).
Is "Up" perfect? Well, I could have done without all of those "He smells like prune juice" jokes that the talking dogs in this movie continually make at Carl's expense. And given the high number of Disney villains who have plummeted to their deaths over the decades, I have to say that I was somewhat surprised to see Docter trot out this tired old cliche. But that said, given where this film's climax is set, it was a pretty logical way for Muntz to go.
But that said – overlooking these very small flaws – this new Pixar movie would be well worth the full price of admission if only for Dug the Dog. This character virtually walks away with "Up" because of the amazing job that those animators up in Emeryville did with creating this canine caricature. From the way this character walks to Dug's slobbery tongue, all of the necessary details are there. And then when you factor in that Dug actually talks like a dog should ("I smell you," "I have just met you and I love you" and – of course – "Squirrel!"), you're talking comedy gold here.
I don't want to say too much more about "Up." Mostly out of concern that I might then blow even more of this movie's delightful surprises. But this much I will say: When you do plan on going out to see Pixar's latest , be sure and factor in a little extra time for what comes after this screening. For – once you've seen "Up" – you're definitely going to want to go out and get yourself an ice cream cone.
And then -- when you're out on that curb counting cars -- be sure and count ALL of the cars. The blue, the red AND the grey ones.
"Up" is rated PG. Not for language, mind you. But more for several situations in this film that young people may find rather intense. Not to mention two brief glimpses of blood.--Jim Hill
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Pixar, A Disney Company that you either love or you love to hate: For one that usually falls right in the middle, I watched Pixar’s latest film, “Up”, with no expectations… and was pleasantly surprised.
“Up” features a character named Carl Fredricksen, a widower, who has lost his beloved wife, Ellie. The two had been saving their entire married life for a special trip to Paradise Falls in South America; yet Ellie dies just as they are ready to embark on their journey. Devastated from his loss, Carl becomes a recluse. As the years go by and life goes around him, he becomes a bitter man. However, one day he decides that he will indeed make that trip to Paradise Falls, just as he had promised Ellie. Being a retired balloon vendor, Carl makes an airship out of thousands of helium filled balloons, and lifts his house away to South America. Little does he know, however, that he has a stowaway named Russell. Russell is a Wilderness Explorer who is trying to earn his badge for “Assisting the Elderly”. He happened to be on the porch of Carl’s home when it took off. Through some rough traveling conditions, the pair make it to South America and discover that adventure is right around the corner.
When the DVD was first released to the market, Pixar was a natural choice to fully take advantage of the format with their digital-to-digital transfers. Now, with Blu-ray, Pixar has taken the next step and by becoming the pioneer for digital-to-digital, high-definition transfers. The disc is an AVC 1080p encode at 24 Mbps, and is presented at 1.78:1 aspect ratio. It is absolutely flawless. There are no edge enhancements or blemishes of any kind. In fact, if you were ever looking for a demo disc to show off your home theater to your friends, this is it!
The audio is lossless DTS-HD Master Audio with 5.1 channels - 24 bits resolution at 48 kHz.
When it comes to extra, Disney and Pixar usually go all out, and “Up” is no exception. Extras include:
· Global Guardian Badge Game: Players try to locate countries and states around the globe in a multi-layered Blu-ray Disc® Exclusive and geography game enhanced by BD-Live;
· Cine-Explore: The making of, by director Pete Docter, and co-director Bob Peterson;
· Dug's Special Mission: An all new film original short that follows the hilarious misadventures of Dug as he attempts to complete his ''special mission'';
· The Many Endings of Muntz: Many ideas were hatched about how to dispose of the film's arch villain, Muntz; and now viewers can see the many alternate endings proposed during story development;
· Partly Cloudy: The hilarious short film that preceded screenings of Up. In it, a fanciful world where cherubic clouds jovially create the earth's cuddly animal newborns -- one depressed cloud must find the silver lining in his assignment -- fashioning the less-loved critters like crocodiles and porcupines;
· Adventure is Out There: This documentary tells the story of the filmmakers' visit to the Tepuis Mountains of South America to research the design and story of the film;
· Geriatric Hero: A character study of Carl and Muntz, from research to realization including art and design, rigging, animation and story. It focuses on the issues of aging, ''simplexity'', shape-language and compelling character arcs;
· Canine Companions: For anyone who ever wondered where CG puppies come from, an introduction to the design, behavior and language of dogs
· Russell: Wilderness Explorer -- A character study of Russell from inspiration and design to finding the character arc and authentic voice for this wilderness ranger;
· Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin: Find out how Avian Research & Development at Pixar helped bring a mythical, 11-foot tall iridescent bird to life;
· Homemakers of Pixar: Carl and Ellie's house is an important ''character'' in the film. Fans follow the development of the house from story to art to its ultimate realization in the computer;
· Balloons and Flight: Carl's house and Muntz's dirigible presented the filmmakers with two different problems – 1) how could they make a physical impossibility possible? and 2) in the case of the dirigible, how would they unearth a fallen giant and let it soar?
· Composing for Characters: The collaboration between the Pixar filmmakers and Up composer Michael Giacchino;
· Married Life: An alternate scene - Expanded Character Backstory;
· Up Promo montage Theatrical Trailers.
“Up” is simply amazing and is pure Disney/Pixar magic. If you are a fan of animation, a dog lover, or just a lover of great films, run, don’t walk, to pick up this release.
--Nathan M Rose
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Some material may not be suitable for children.
From the Academy Award-nominated team of director Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”) and co-director Bob Peterson comes "Up", a comedic adventure taking off (and lifting spirits) in summer 2009. Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Junior Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. "Up" takes audiences on a thrilling journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures. When seeking adventure next summer - look "Up".
