Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		5.0

Up 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

A fantastic film. A fantastic 3D experience. A fantastic Blu-ray all around...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown November 23, 2012

I'm not ashamed to admit that Up wrecked me. It didn't earn a man-tear. It didn't make my lip quiver. It didn't assault me with warm fuzzies. No, dear readers, it viciously, strategically and masterfully wrecked me. It's not often that I'm reduced to a pile of thirtysomething tears and sobering sniffles, but Pixar mainstays Pete Docter and Bob Peterson have created such a touching tale, such a rousing adventure, such a gorgeous masterpiece that I remain completely enraptured by everything that graced the screen. From an early heart-wrenching glimpse into an old man's dashed hopes and hardened heart to his eventual embrace of something far greater than he ever imagined, Up is as much an emotional experience as an entertaining one; as much a multi-layered character study as a rewarding animated journey; as much a stirring story of love and loss as a thoughtful, nuanced examination of friendship and devotion. It didn't just deserve the Best Animated Picture Oscar at the Academy Awards it received, it deserved a spot among the Best Picture nominees.

After earning critical and box office success with the help of several unlikely animated heroes -- a box of aging toys, a bumbling ant, a pair of closet-haunting monsters, a neurotic fish, a family of outlawed crime fighters, a cocky race car, and a cooking rat -- Pixar proudly introduces Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner), a bitter widower who decides to relocate his house to a remote South American locale using tens of thousands of helium balloons. His motivation? A decades-old promise he made to his late wife, Ellie (Elie Docter), when they first fell in love. Of course, things don't quite go according to plan. Carl finds a young Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai) stuck on his now-soaring front porch, inadvertently flies into a storm, lands short of his intended destination, and meets an elderly recluse named Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) who just so happens to be his childhood role model. But before he has the chance to get his bearings, Carl finds himself at odds with the arrogant explorer, building a genuine relationship with Russell, and rediscovering the man his wife always knew him to be.

Up opens with a sobering sequence that follows Carl and Ellie's budding relationship through childhood and adolescence, to sharing vows at the altar and, eventually, growing old together. Heartfelt as it all is, though, it never grows saccharine. Carl and Ellie struggle with finances, reevaluate their dreams, learn they can't have children, and discover that Ellie has cancer. Inevitably, we watch as Carl attends the funeral of his one true love, roots himself in his house, and reacts accordingly when land developers want to take it away from him. It's in these opening scenes that Up establishes its identity, its thematic power, and its poignancy. Carl isn't merely a grumpy hermit, he's a sympathetic romantic; a lovelorn victim of circumstance whose brow furrowed the moment his cornerstone was ripped from his grasp. His whirlwind adventure doesn't reek of rip-roaring randomness or Saturday-morning silliness, it's bolstered by very real, very familiar pain that drives him forward and pushes him to be a better man. His South American quest isn't about selfish pursuits or cantankerous whimsy, it's about love; the kind of love that burrows deep and never relents; the sort of love that haunts the hearts of widows and widowers the world over. To their credit, Docter and Peterson spend just enough time with the events that lead Carl to Paradise Falls, just enough time with his wife, that everything that follows pulses with a palpable heartbeat. Carl's simple glances at a picture frame will bring tears to your eyes. His desperate attachment to his house is more about holding onto Ellie than a home. His adventure is driven by his fading memories, not a cluster of balloons or a pack of chatty dogs.

Despite a great many challenges, Docter and Peterson manage to flawlessly transition Up's tragic opening into an undeniably entertaining second act. They tap into a variety of rather standard gimmicks -- an awkward kid, talking animals, midair battles, and physics-defying hilarity, among others -- but infuse each one with enough patented Pixar magic to ensure the film never falters or fails. Russell is as endearing as young characters come: his intense curiosity, short attention span, and fledgling self esteem are masterfully paired with Carl's embittered disposition, making the pair's relationship one both young and old viewers will enjoy watching unfold. The floating house is a character in its own right: a rickety incarnation of Ellie and a symbol of Carl's undying love, it's used to remarkable effect throughout the tale to evoke regret, heartache, and longing. Muntz is a complicated, believable antagonist: a washed up icon determined to prove his worth no matter the personal cost. Even Dug and Kevin, the film's oh-so-helpful animals, are welcome additions to the narrative. They provide infectious comic relief, sure, but they also highlight the mystery and wonder of Carl and Russell's jaunt through the jungle. Together, these seemingly disconnected elements work brilliantly, granting Up even more depth, spirit, and fun than it already has.

As far as I'm concerned, Up is a triumph for all involved. It makes other animated films look positively childish, yet will win the hearts of kids and adults. I'm not sure how young children will handle some of the film's weightier scenes -- despite the semi-silent nature of the Carl and Ellie montage, my then-four-year-old son clearly understood everything that was happening to the couple, infertility and all -- but it has plenty to offer families and animation fans alike. While I certainly won't guarantee you'll adore Up as much as I did, I can safely say the film will be remembered for quite some time. More than an animated adventure, more than a heartwarming story, more than a colorful trek, it's one of my favorite animated films of all time and, hands down, one of the best films, animated or otherwise, of 2009. It's a must-see classic in every regard.

Up 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Up brushes against the stratosphere with a dazzling, picture-perfect 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that features more breathtaking imagery and stunning scenery in a single shot than many high definition presentations deliver in two hours. Pixar's palette simply spills off the screen. Color and contrast are impeccable, black levels are bottomless, and detail is extraordinary. Note the string on every balloon, the tiny grooves in Carl's face, the soft feathers that adorn Kevin's back, the rust and grime caked on Muntz' dirigible, individual strands of Dug's fur, distant leaves and flowers in the jungle, weathered shingles on a high-altitude rooftop, the fuzz on the tennis balls beneath Carl's walker. Need I go on? Definition is sharp, fine textures are crisp and refined, and artificial nonsense like edge enhancement is MIA. Moreover, the technical transfer is spotless. That's right, you won't find a significant artifact or color band once you depart from the disc's main menu, and noise is non-existent. It is, in a word, impeccable.

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. Aliasing doesn't invade the image, dimensionality is near-flawless, and ghosting only hinders a handful of thin, tiny or fast-moving on-screen objects. (Even then, whatever ghosting appears is a product of crosstalk-prone 3D displays and glasses, never the encode itself.) In fact, Disney's 3D experience is so seamless and so pristine that there's no clear winner between it and its 2D counterpart. Both the 3D and 2D presentations are top-tier material, and animation enthusiasts, videophiles and 3D fans of all ages will be thrilled with the results.

Up 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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. It takes a lot to turn my head mid-movie, but I found myself laughing at the sheer complexity and quality of the sound pouring out of my speakers. Dialogue never wavers, voices are never lost in the mix, and vocal clarity and weight is astounding. The LFE channel gets a full workout as well, dutifully supporting the slightest thooms and the most abrupt booms Carl and Russell's adventure has in store. The rear speakers are just as active, injecting enough environmental ambience and aggressive directional effects into the proceedings to make the soundfield wholly and completely enveloping. Moreover, pans are velvety, dynamics are resonant, and Carl's bunched balloons make their presence known at every turn. With jungles, caverns, and living rooms that sound so fantastic, so utterly natural, it's tough to imagine how the track could be improved. Make no mistake, Disney has churned out another sonic standout; one that's sure to elicit wide eyes and hushed whoas from every member of the family.

Up 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Cine-Explore Commentary (HD, Disc 2, 96 minutes): Director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson deliver an informative, extensive, and ultimately engrossing Picture-in-Picture video commentary that features a non-stop assortment of animated storyboards, concept art, early renderings of the characters and locales, and some of the video footage the animators used for reference. To my relief, their comments and analysis are often as thoughtful as the film itself. They talk about the challenges their team faced, the design of Up's people and places, the personal touches that pepper the film, the themes they dissected with the story, and the pacing and progression of the plot. It's a thoroughly absorbing, refreshingly candid track no filmfan should miss.
• Adventure Is Out There (HD, Disc 2, 22 minutes): Docter, along with a variety of filmmakers, explorers, and crew members, discusses his pre-production efforts, the genesis and development of the second act of the story, Up's production design, and the Venezuelan vistas that frequent the film.
• Partly Cloudy (HD, Disc 2, 6 minutes): A sharp, funny, dare I say heartwarming surprise, this theatrically released animated short joins an already impressive lineup of shorts from Pixar.
• Dug's Special Mission (HD, Disc 2, 5 minutes): This all new original animated short finds Dug the dog guarding a rock at the behest of his superiors. Of course, nothing goes as planned and some rather tame misadventure ensues.
• The Many Endings of Muntz (HD, Disc 2, 5 minutes): An alternate scene of sorts that takes a brief look at the filmmakers tireless efforts to handle the demise of the film's antagonist.
• Documentaries (HD, Disc 3, 48 minutes): The main draw of the set's third BD disc is a collection of seven wonderfully conceived production featurettes. "Geriatric Hero" focuses on the film's elderly everyman and the work that went into his design, animation, personality quirks, facial qualities, and character arc; "Canine Companions" investigates the purpose and implementation of Muntz' dog pack; "Wilderness Explorer" gives Russell the same attention "Geriatric Hero" gives Carl; "Our Giant Flightless Friend" touches on Kevin's movements, vocalizations, and colorful plumage; "Homemakers of Pixar" looks at the creation of Up's main set piece (and unsung character), Carl's house; "Balloons and Flight" is, you guessed it, an overview of Carl's flying house and Muntz' dirigible; and "Composing for Characters" examines Michael Giacchino's musical themes and original score. In all, it's an engaging seven-part documentary that perfectly complements Docter and Peterson's PiP commentary.
• Married Life (HD, Disc 3, 9 minutes): Similar to "The Many Endings of Muntz," this compilation of alternate scenes follows the development of the heart-wrenching Carl and Ellie sequence that appears in the film.
• Global Guardian Badge Game (HD, Disc 3): This interactive BD-Live activity is the only kid-oriented feature in the set. It offers a hunt-and-find game, two difficulty levels, the option to save files, a high score board, and more.
• Up Promo Montage (HD, Disc 3, 6 minutes): A simple series of Up promotional spots.
• Worldwide Trailers (HD, Disc 3, 4 minutes): Two theatrical previews.

Up 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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. I cannot recommend Docter's touching tale enough. 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. Like the film, I cannot recommend Up's 3D Blu-ray release enough.