Up – 4-Disc Combo Pack with DVD and Digital Copy – Blu-ray

Blu-ray Review

Up

Directed by: Pete Docter
Cast: (Voices) Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer
Running Time: 1 hr 36 mins
Rating: G
Due Out: November 10, 2009

PLOT: After the passing of wife, an elderly man (Asner) ties balloons to his house in an attempt to reach a giant waterfall in South America. He is unexpectedly accompanied by a young boy named Russell, (Nagai) and later a talking dog and a rare bird.

WHO’S IT FOR? There is no type of human being that the story of Up can not reach out to. There is an element of death, but it is handled in such a way that these lessons will only be beneficial for children learning about such a topic.

MOVIE:

In this age, it seems like Pixar may be the only soulful storytellers of that little idea called love. This was felt in 2008’s Wall-E, but since then the animation company’s heart rate has gone, well, Up. In their latest, the animation world’s cupid has sharpened another arrow and fired it into our hearts with the wonderfully story of Carl and Ellie, a couple whose genuine romance is presented in a montage that could be it own Academy Award-winning short. The rest of the film is as touching with beautiful imagery, and also its collection of wonderful characters that have their own story about wanting to belong.

MOVIE SCORE: 9/10

EXTRAS

Dug’s Special Mission – Lovable hunting dog Dug is assigned by his superior canine hunting peers to watch a rock, hide inside a hole, etc., as the search for the elusive Kevin begins. This is essentially a prologue introduction (squirrel!) for Dug, who ends the short in the company of Carl, Kevin, and Russell, just as we see them in the feature film.

Alternate Scene: The Many Endings of Muntz – Admittedly, the final moments of Muntz in Up do not hold up with rest of the film’s creativity, but it does meet the film’s maturity head on. Such a fate for Muntz was not the original plan, however, as indicated by this special feature that elaborates on different ways the animators considered ending the character’s screen time.

Alternate Scene: Married Life – Before this sequence reached its simple perfection, there were many ideas tossed around on how to effectively portray the eventful relationship of Carl and Ellie. Here, Pixar shares with us some of the beginning concepts for a scene that would later blossom into one of the most powerful montages in recent film history.

Adventure Is Out There – This is a detailed documentary about a trip that a group of Pixar animators made to South America in order to research the land’s prominent tepuis. What followed was an expedition later reflected by Carl and Russell; featuring rain that never stopped and the introduction to many species never seen by most humans before. Home video footage and some sketches help illustrate the fascinating experience.

OTHER EXTRAS:
Partly Cloudy Short
Dug’s Special Mission
Up Promo Montage
Worldwide Trailers
Global Guardian Badge Game
8 Documentaries:
- Geriatric Hero
- Canine Companions
- Russell: Wilderness Explorer
- Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin
- Homemakers of Pixar
- Balloons and Flight
- Composing for Characters
Audio Commentary

EXTRAS SCORE: 8/10

OVERALL

Pixar is a place of ideas. This four-disc Blu-Ray package celebrates the many extra scraps that didn’t make it into their nearly perfect final product, while offering three ways to experience the film – Blu-Ray, DVD, and a digital copy. If somehow you didn’t see one of the summer’s best movies, this Blu-Ray is certainly worth a rental. It will never be too late to fall for Up.

FINAL SCORE: 8/10