Before Monday night I had never seen the Pixar movie Up. I know what you are thinking. The normal reaction to that is pure shock and then the overemphasis that I should see the movie. Its the same reaction I give to people when I find out they never saw Star Wars. Before I talk about Up, I want explain why I never saw Up.
Pixar's previous film was Wall-E. This is also shocking, but I hate Wall-E. I think it is terrible. I didn't like it when I first saw it and I still don't. I thought it was a complete failure in comparison to Pixar's amazing other films. Wall-E has left a very bad taste in my mouth. I may be the only one in the world that feels this way, but it is just the way I think.
The horrible taste in my mouth left over from Wall-E was very strong, and when I saw the first trailers for Up I was unsure about it. I saw this house flying using balloons and a talking dog. I was confused and it didn't really interest me. It looked like a backwards step for Pixar. Something that was a little too cartoony or childish for a studio that makes great films with more grown up themes. And with the existence of Cars as well, I was feeling that Pixar had lost it and I never saw up. I was completely disinterested.
Fast forward 6 years and I finally decided to give it a shot. Mostly because I was really interested in the much talked about opening sequence. I had heard so much about the sequence that I pulled up the movie and sat down to watch it. What I watched shocked me. The film was way better than I ever imagined it could have been. The flying house and the talking dog, which were featured in the trailer, really didn't have much to do with what the movie was about. The themes of love, friendship, loss, and moving on were central to the movie and I couldn't have been more impressed. It hit on all the great things I love about Pixar movies. It was truly fantastic. And the opening sequence was amazing. You instantly fall in love with the characters and they go through an entire life before your eyes. They are completely developed and by the end of the sequence you are an emotional wreck because you can understand the characters feelings and you care about them. In my opinion it was the most effective opening sequence to any Pixar movie and maybe the best ever in all of cinema. The sequence was a masterpiece.
Beyond that I thought the movie was great. I loved how it developed the main characters and took them on a journey that changed their outlooks on their lives. It was so good and I am so glad that I finally sat down and watched it. It was a mistake to ignore it all those years ago. But I still refuse to watch Wall-E again. I would give Up a rating of 8/10.
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