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A new live-action Disney art imagines Up's Carl as if he were a real person. The 2009 Pixar film follows the story of septuagenarian Carl Fredricksen as he embarks on an adventure to South America with an unexpected young stowaway. Up features a leading voice cast of Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson, and Delroy Lindo. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Animated Feature and is regularly regarded as one of the best movies made by Pixar.

On Instagram, a new art from @ylanast imagines a live-action version of the Up lead character. The sped-up video shows an artist transforming the animated Carl into a more realistic version. He has a full head of white hair and the animated character's classic bushy eyebrows. He also sports a frown, just as the character did in Up, and has a melancholy look in his...

The Academy Award-winning Pixar movie Up has a script filled with some fantastic quotes that can have audiences either laughing out loud or holding back tears. Often ranked in the highest echelons of Pixars' vaunted movie library, Up tells the story of the elderly widower Carl (Ed Asner) who after the death of his wife, Ellie, decides to hitch thousands of balloons to his home and float to Paradise Falls, fulfilling a promise he made to his late life. He's unintentionally joined by a young, eager boy scout, Russell (Jordan Nagai), as he sets sail across the skies.

Up earned five Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score, and is only the second fully-animated movie to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, after Beauty and the Beast in 1992. Some would even argue that Up is the last great Pixar movie. It's an incredibly moving story,...

Hayao Miyazaki enjoyed Pixar's film Up for its heartbreaking opening sequence and attention to detail in animation. The Pixar film received critical acclaim, won numerous awards, and grossed approximately 735 million dollars at the box office. Miyazaki's nod to Pixar's Luxo Jr. mascot in Spirited Away shows his respect for the Western animation studio's success.

A well-known fact about Hayao Miyazaki is that he holds a general distaste for a great deal of modern animation. While many of his own films have implemented CGI, he's especially disinterested in any productions that use it entirely in place of traditional animation. Over the years, this, combined with Miyazaki only rarely watching new films in general, has led to him having few kind words to say about one of the most famous animation studios in the world: Pixar. However, there is a single Pixar film that Miyazaki has expressed a fondness for.

Up...

Whether one is looking for a giggle or some quick inspiration, Pixar's Up remains one of the studio's most quotable movies. 

Following the curmudgeonly Carl (played by Ed Asner) and energetic boy scout Russell (Jordan Nagai), the 2009 Disney blockbuster tells the story of an old man who reignites his sense of adventure by attempting to fly his house to South America to honor his dearly departed wife, Ellie. 

On the journey, Carl, Russell, and the rest of the Up cast have some relatable, emotional, and sometimes downright hilarious quotes that have lived on long after the film's initial release. 

Read full article on The Direct.

Pixar considered a redemption arc for the villain, Charles Muntz, in Up, but ultimately decided against it due to the potential for a long, dialogue-heavy scene. The creators also considered trapping Muntz in Carl's house as it floats away, but realized it would undermine the story of Carl's relationship with his late wife Ellie. The chosen ending, where Muntz falls to his death after his foot gets tangled in balloon strings, provides closure for Carl and allows the story to end on a positive note.

Pixar's 2009 animated movie Up proved to be a cinematic masterpiece, but the struggle to bring an end to its lead villain caused problems behind the scenes. Directed by Pete Docter, the movie tells the story of an elderly man, Carl Fredricksen, who ties thousands of balloons to his house to fulfill a lifelong dream to travel to South America; a young wilderness explorer named Russell...

Disney’s upcoming short, a continuation of Up, will make one of the original film’s saddest moments even more important. While Disney and Pixar are masters at churning out evocative movies and short films that tug at the heartstrings, few are as wrenching as Up. The film’s ability to explore grief and, by proxy, allow viewers to do the same in a temporary setting is very special, such that the movie can help others prepare for a loss or cope with one they’ve already experienced. Now, it’s equally important to examine how the studio’s Dug Days short films explore the lifelong effects of grief and growth.

Up depicts Carl (Edward Asner) as he tries to live out his wife’s dream after her death, chronicling how he copes with the loss after Up opens with a heartbreaking opening moment showing the ups and downs of their life together.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Carl from "Up" is trying his hand at modern dating in the upcoming Disney+ short film "Dug Days: Carl's Date," premiering on the streamer on Feb. 10. The short, which is part of the "Dug Days" animated series, will find Carl going on his first date since the death of his beloved wife, Ellie.

In addition to "Carl's Date" representing a big - and sure to be emotional - step forward for the widower, it also marks Disney's first return to the "Up" universe since Ed Asner, the voice of Carl, died at age 91 in August 2021. At this time, it's unclear if Asner recorded the voicework for the short before his death or if the role of Carl has been recast. Popsugar reached out to Disney+ for comment on casting information for the short but did not receive an immediate response.

Related: Disney+ Movies That...

This week Pixar debuts “Dug Days” on Disney+: five animated shorts reuniting “Up’s” grumpy widower Carl with his excitable Golden Retriever, Dug, who can talk with a voice-activated collar. It’s a warm and funny series of misadventures for Dug (voiced by creator/director Bob Peterson), made all the more noteworthy as a result of last week’s passing of 91-year-old Ed Asner. He voiced Carl with his typical gruff exterior to hide a more affable nature. Yet it’s especially sweet to see Asner end his career on a high note in “Dug Days,” with Carl settling into a more relaxed comfort zone.

“Carl is laid back and at peace,” Peterson said. “You can tell the way he stands and the fact that he doesn’t wear his jacket; he’s doing woodworking now. I think his adventure was successful.”

But while Carl is content to relax...

Today is International Dog Day, and Disney is celebrating by releasing a new teaser trailer for its upcoming series, Dug Days. The new series premiering on Disney+ will serve as a spin-off to the Pixar Animation Studios film, Up. The original 2009 Oscar winning film featured the lovable dog, Dug, whose high-tech collar was able to translate his thoughts into verbal speech. Check out the new teaser trailer that was just revealed earlier today!

The official synopsis for the upcoming Disney+ series reads as, "Pixar Animation Studios' Dug Days is a new collection of shorts that follows the humorous misadventures of Dug, the lovable dog from Disney and Pixar's Up."

Each short features everyday events that occur in and around Dug's backyard, all through the exciting (and delightfully distorted) eyes of our favorite talking dog. Bob Peterson, who played as the voice actor for Dug in the 2009 film, will be returning in the new series.

Happy anniversary, Up! It's been 10 years since Pixar released the animated classic. For those who haven't seen the film, the movie is about a 78-year-old man named Carl (Ed Asner) who always dreamed of visiting Paradise Falls in South America with his wife Ellie. But after she passes away, he decides to make that dream a reality. Instead of traveling to the mysterious land by plane or boat, he chooses to float there by tying a bunch of balloons to his house. Once in the air, Carl realizes he has a stowaway—an 8-year-old scout named Russell (Jordan Nagai) who had previously annoyed Carl with his attempts to earn his "assisting the elderly" badge. Together, the two make the trip....

One of the entertainment industry's best known warnings is: never work with kids or animals. It has to be hard working with child actors, right? Even if the child is the most well-behaved kid on the planet, they're going to get exhausted doing the same line over and over again, and they only have so much to pull from to get it the way you want it.

It seems as though Pixar understood this when they casted Jordan Nagai as the voice of Russell in Up. In this short video from a few years ago, the filmmakers talk about the struggles and conquering challenges of getting "organic" acting from a classically trained child to make it sound real. It kind of comes off as jerkish the way director Pete Docter talks about it, but I get where he's coming from. Better to make a child struggle now than years on...

Twenty years ago Pixar Animation Studios released their first feature-length film: Toy Story. It was the first completely computer generated film out there and changed everything. Every other studio making animated films has been trying to catch up to them, not only in terms of technological achievements but in crafting stories that make everyone old and young laugh, cry, and thrilled. Not every single film they've made has been a home run, but their track record thus far has been pretty impressive. This year's release Inside Out is no exception, arriving as the fifteenth feature in the animation house's stable. Given the occasion, I've taken it upon myself to rank Pixar's first fifteen features to settle once and for all what is the best and worst from the studio. I contemplated bringing in the short films that precede each of their features, as many are just exquisite if not better than the films they accompany,...

First off, I have to tell you that this page may load slow. We're making an awful lot of calls to the Amazon Api here, and that's bound to monkey with things. If you have no idea what that means... it's shiny. Please note also that, for the same reason, you may find, depending on traffic, that not all of the Amazon details will load properly. I apologize for that, it's just the nature of the beast, and the fact that the Api wasn't really meant for such things. If you refresh, it will probably fix.

You may have heard me mention this giveaway quite a while ago, and it's taken me a long time to figure out what sort of format to put things in, and I kept added things. Eventually it became too much to really give any kind of run down on the items, so I decided...

Hitting movie theaters this weekend:

Horrible Bosses – Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis

Zookeeper – Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb

Movie of the Week

Horrible Bosses

The Stars: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis

The Plot: Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.

The Buzz: I can’t say that I’m terribly excited about this film — I’d rather go see Super 8 (again) or Transformers 3 (again). Still, anything’s better than Zookeeper. Bateman is great, and the actors populating these horrible bosses are all battle-tested in the realm of good comedy (Jennifer Aniston = Office Space, Colin Farrell = In Bruges, Kevin Spacey = Hurlyburly). When he’s on, Seth Gordon is a phenomenal director (see The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters), so this should be at least good. The trailer was pretty unimpressive though...

Almost everybody has their favorite film from Pixar Animation Studios. And it’s not surprising; no other studio has enjoyed Pixar’s mind-boggling brand of success. Of eleven feature films, every single one has been a hit. The master storytellers at Pixar have an uncanny knack for appealing to every demographic, and all of their films are true visual marvels. While at least half of their movies could be considered genuine masterpieces, all of them are at least above average (even Cars, which many might consider their most derivative and predictable work).

For me, the pick of the Pixar crop is Finding Nemo, the first movie I think of when I think of beautiful animation (an art form I’ve always loved, even in its current CGI phase), and a story that resonates for me personally, as a father. But there are two other Pixar masterpieces that vie for second...

[N.B.: I screened the film in 2-D, though it's also being presented in digital 3-D in certain theaters.]

Up is the 10th feature from Pixar Animation Studios, and it so skillfully and wonderfully extends the company's filmmaking record that it would be easy to dismiss the movie as nothing more than their latest assembly-line perfection. The film is as gorgeously rendered as viewers have come to expect a Pixar film to be, packed with colors and styles that mesh to create a unique universe that's still recognizable as Pixar's, and the story and characters are as genuine and joyful as ever. But the film's real strength is in the way it conveys emotional nuance with nothing more than the right image, and how it turns what at times is a slightly "cartoonish" script into something resonant and heartbreaking.

Directed by Pete Docter with co-direction from Bob Peterson, Up is the most storybook tale to come from Pixar's stable in a while, which makes sense: Docter's previous turn at...

Gautaman BhaskaranReview: UpVoice Cast: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai and Christopher Plummer.        Direction: Pete DocterRating: *** Last year, the Cannes Film Festival opened with an animated 3D work, Up, the first time ever in the 60-odd-year history of the world's most renowned cinema event that annually takes place on the fabulous French Riviera. Pete Docter's Disney/Pixar Up is now vying along with nine other movies for the Best Picture Oscar. In many ways, I have always found animation, with its caricatured characters and hugely exaggerated expressions and features, somewhat cold ...

Taylor Lautner could follow the step of his "Twilight" co-star Kristen Stewart who has just landed Orange Rising Star Award at 2010 BAFTAs. The 18-year-old hunk has been announced as one of the contenders to win Best Performance by Leading Young Actor at the 31st Annual Young Artist Awards for his portrayal of Jacob Black in "The Twilight Saga's New Moon". For the said prize, he will be up against Jake T. Austin ("Hotel For Dogs"), Jimmy Bennett ("Alabama Moon"), Max Records ("Where The Wild Things Are") and Devon Bostick ("Adoration").

Meanwhile, Emma Roberts and Saoirse Ronan are put under the same category, facing each other for the Best Performance by Leading Young Actress kudo. The "Hotel For Dogs" star and the "The Lovely Bones" beauty are additionally joined by Abigail Breslin ("My Sister's Keeper"), Jolie Vanier ("Shorts") and Yara Shahidi ("Imagine That") in the competition for the award.

The nominations...

Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato are placed in competition against each other at the upcoming 31st Annual Young Artist Awards. As the Young Artist Foundation unveiled this year's nominees, it is revealed that the two Disney stars and best friends are vying for Leading or Supporting Young Actress title in a category for TV movie, mini-series or special.

Both Selena and Demi received the nomination for their performance as Carter Mason and Rosalinda respectively in "Princess Protection Program". Beside each other, they are also up against two other hopefuls, Tori Barban of "The Christmas Hope" and Patricia Raven of "Dear Harvard".

The two teen stars are not the only Disney's leading lady to get nominated for 2010 Young Artist Awards. Miley Cyrus has earned a nod for Leading Young Actress in TV series for her role on "Hannah Montana". She is listed among four other contenders that include the star of Nickelodeon's "iCarly", Miranda Cosgrove.

It’s that time of year. The lists come out, people check to see if their favorite films are on the list, then complain when they’re left off. Moaning also comes when one film is placed too low or too high, and the writer is told he knows nothing of cinema. As should be the preface when reading any review, this is just an opinion and should be treated as such. Unless you didn’t like Avatar. Then you need to have your cinema-going privileges revoked. Kidding…or not?

But back to 2009, which here ranked as one of the better years in film for the decade. From my own personal standpoint, I consider this list to be a nice mix of mainstream and independent film, but that’s up to you, the reader to decide. You can tell me how wrong and stupid I am after I present the...

A new decade begins on a high note as we look back at an exceptional year in film. 3D and the IMAX format have finally taken hold. What was once gimmickry and the sole realm of documentaries are now exciting cinematic experiences for audiences of all ages. Leading the charge was James Cameron's visionary Avatar. The long awaited science fiction epic surpassed considerable expectations with its breathtaking special effects and scope. But while the colossus reins supreme, smaller films like Lee Daniels Precious and Jason Reitman's Up in the Air resonated with their captivating performances. I am optimistic for 2010, but wonder where the hell are the flying cars and hover boards?Top Ten Films of 2009#1 Avatar There are not enough superlatives to describe this film. Writer/Director James Cameron has once again taken us to a new frontier. Jake Sully's (Sam Worthington) odyssey on Pandora is akin to Dances with Wolves in space.

Hollywood's red carpet gets wider next year, with twice as many best picture nominees. From Harlem to Iraq, Disney fantasy to star-studded musical, we look at the main contenders and anticipate a year of true diversity

When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the best picture category at the 2010 Oscars would be widened from five to 10 nominees, a leading American producer, here for the recent London film festival, told me bullishly: "You'd have to really screw up to not get nominated this time."

He shall remain nameless, mainly because, as awards season got under way last week with the announcement of the Golden Globe nominees, his film appears to be one of the most overlooked. Somewhere along the line, he just might have screwed up. But has the return to the pre-1944 era (when 10 or 12 films were often included) really sparked a race for films not...

Up is by far one of the best movies of 2009 -- and now it's one of the best DVDs of 2009, too. There's just nothing not to love about the latest animated feature from the folks at Pixar. The story follows a cranky old widower, Carl Fredrickson (Edward Asner), who -- at the ripe old age of 78 -- unexpectedly embarks on the adventure of a lifetime, a grand trek that involves thousands of balloons, a flying house (that's what all those balloons are for, natch), talking dogs, an oversized, colorful bird, a disgraced exploring legend (Christopher Plummer), a blimp, Paradise Falls, South America, and a plucky, chunky, lonely eight-year-old Wilderness Explorer Scout, Russell (Jordan Nagai), who stows away and initially drives Carl crazy, before the two realize they're exactly what the other needs. It's funny and touching and timely all at once, with charm to spare, subtly delivered messages about growing up,...

After several weeks I was finally given the opportunity to watch Pixar’s ‘Up’ over the weekend. This film has received positive feedback from critics and audiences alike. Did it live up to the hype? You are about to find out. Arguably Pixar’s best film since Finding Nemo, ‘Up’ is a perfect example of how cinema should be done. The seamless blending of flawless animation and powerful themes of mortality will prove a treat for adults just as much as children. Earlier this year Clint Eastwood appeared as the grumpy old man with a heart in ‘Gran Torino’. Essentially Carl Fredricksen, the old man in Up (voiced by Ed Asner), is not far removed from Clint’s Walt Kowalski. He is isolated, unsatisfied, a recent widower and bitter about the ongoing changes occurring around him, yet we sympathise with him instantly. The excellent opening ten minutes takes us through...

Chicago – One of the most beloved films of the year and a likely contender for the Oscar for Best Picture now that the category has expanded to ten nominees, Pixar’s “Up” was recently released on Blu-Ray in yet another lovingly produced set from a company that has been a pioneer in the next-gen format. “Up” doesn’t exceed expectations but also doesn’t falter from the critically-acclaimed pattern.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Pixar has built a reputation by taking unexpected character models and turning them into movie magic. Whether it be toys that come to life, a refined rat, a family of superheroes, or a lovable robot, one never can judge a Pixar character by its cover. Such is the case with Carl Fredericksen (Ed Asner), the delightful hero of “Up” who just happens to be a crotchety old man.

Up was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on November 10th, 2009.

Photo...

The Disney-Pixar movie "Up" is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def.

The film, the tenth from animation innovators Pixar and the first to be shown theatrically in 3-D, comes out today in 2-disc DVD and 4-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack editions, both of which include the DisneyFile extra format, allowing for digital download on most electronic devices.

The movie focuses on a widowed 78-year-old man who decides to make a change in his life by attaching thousands of helium-filled balloons to his house. As he soars into the clouds and into a life of newfound excitement, he learns a young Wilderness Explorer has mistakenly tagged along with the house. Meeting a long-lost adventurer, a group of talking dogs and a behemoth flightless tropical bird, the two share a lifetime's worth of escapades, as well as a few life lessons that bridge the 70-year age difference between them.

Among the skilled voice cast are Ed Asner,...

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...

Here’s a list of some of the new movie and TV shows coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week that we’re looking forward to seeing. Also, there’s some classic, and not-so-classic, movies hitting Blu-ray for the first time this week as well.

Of all the new releases, we’re particularly interested in the Blu-ray versions of movies and TV shows such as Michael Mann’s awesome film Heat (shown above with Robert De Nero and Val Kilmer), Logan’s Run, Up, Monsters, Inc. and the Watchmen “Ultimate” Cut. Plus, there’s the second volume of Batman: The Brave and the Bold coming out this week as well.

Check them out:

Movies

The Accidental Husband ~ Uma Thurman, Colin Firth, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Sam Shepard (DVD and Blu-ray)

The General (1926) (Silent) ~ Buster Keaton (Blu-ray)

Heat ~ Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer (Blu-ray)

Logan’s Run ~ Michael York...

Up, the Pixar animated feature that made audiences laugh and cry at the same time, is one step closer to your home DVD collection as it hits the store shelves today.

Heading to the legendary Paradise Falls to pay homage to his deceased beloved, Carl Fredericksen (Edward Asner) and Russell (Jordan Nagai), a young Wilderness Explorer find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime. Joined by Dug the talking dog (Bob Peterson) and Kevin a rare species of bird, they battle against Charles Muntz, Carl’s one time idol, to save a world that others could only dream of.

If you haven’t seen the animated adventure of the year, or if you saw it and enjoyed it, head over to the movie’s website for more information or go out and pick up a copy of the DVD or Blu Ray!

The Ugly Truth, the Gerard Butler/Katherine Heigl R-rated romantic comedy,...

When talking about the latest Pixar, it’s easy to fall into superlatives. Really, there’s only one modestly bad apple, and that’s Cars. The other film singled out as less than is A Bug’s Life, but that’s a solid film in its own right, and probably their most underrated. So is it fair to call Up a masterpiece? Yes. Yes it is. My review of Up after the jump.

Carl Frederickson (voiced by Ed Asner) has led a great life. He and his wife Ellie were together for a very long time, but there were two minor problems in their marriage. One, she couldn’t get pregnant, and two their plans to go adventuring were always cut a little short by life. After she passes away, Carl is one of the few holdouts in his neighborhood that hasn’t sold his house, and so contractors are...

Critics and audiences alike often get flack for championing Pixar’s films every time a new one is released. While everyone does go crazy with praise, just take a look at their catalog. Cars and A Bug’s Life may not be up to the standards of Toy Story 2, Wall-e, or Finding Nemo but they’re still better than half of the animated movies that are released over the years. If anything they’re probably the best studio around as they consistently churn out projects that above all put their story and characters first. One year ago, everyone crowned Wall-e as their finest achievement and was on many “best of” lists, mine included. While Up is certainly going to be there this year, my question now is will it remain on top? While it’s dropped a place or two, there’s no denying that Pixar has crafted their finest film.

In anticipation of Up's Nov. 10 release on Blu-ray and DVD, my ovaries and I are happy to share this sneak peek at the bonus feature that shows young Jordan Nagai recording the voice of Russell under the guidance of director and co-writer Pete Docter. Watching Docter make it real for Nagai (by having him run around the studio to sound out of breath, or hang from his arm to sound labored) or simply sit on the floor chatting with him — is almost as feel-good as the film.

For animated filmmakers, the Holy Grail is to create something that is equally popular with adults and children. Sating these divergent demographics is no mean feat, and more often than not recent films churned out by the celebrated Dreamworks and Pixar stables have found themselves pleasing the pre-teen market, while failing to connect with an adult audience. This is why previous Pixar outfits such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Wall-e are so universally lauded; they not only bring a smile or tear to a tot’s face, but they also fill us, the grown-up child, with laughter, sadness and joy. Up, I am pleased to say, falls successfully into this category. It is a wonderful film that captures the spirit of youth and the loneliness of old age; one that is visually breathtaking, emotionally heart-warming and at times laugh-out-loud funny. Our protagonist is Carl, a 78 year-old cantankerous widower who,...

I know it's not really fair to be jealous of child actors, what with the perils of fame and the managers and the lack of real childhood and all, but still. The kids who get picked to be voices in Pixar movies, like Finding Nemo's Alexander Gould and Up's Jordan Nagai, are the luckiest bastards in the world. They get to hang out with John Lasseter! They get toys with their faces on it! They fulfill pretty much every childhood dream there is, except for maybe being friends with Batman. Pixar Planet is reporting that two more kids have joined those lucky ranks, signing on to voice Andy's younger sister Molly and a new character named Bonnie in Toy Story 3. The actors, Beatrice Miller and Emily Hahn, are pretty much unknown child actors, which means they likely made their way into the movie through the traditional route...

"Up" soon should be moving up in the world.

Pixar's latest film release already has overperformed in the U.S. and Canada, proving wrong predictions its star-free voice cast and adult-oriented tone would hamper appeal among family moviegoers. As it turned out, Ed Asner and newcomer Jordan Nagai were fine for the lead roles as "Up" registered upward of $288 million domestically.

In fact, "Up" stands as the second-highest-grossing domestic release by Disney and Pixar after 2003's "Finding Nemo," which brought in $340 million.

Now, the film about a globe-trotting house hoisted by balloons finally is finding momentum in a growing number of foreign territories. So the question looms: Will the international campaign for "Up" also top other Pixar pics from the past six years, including 2004's "The Incredibles," 2006's "Cars," 2007's "Ratatouille"?

Like most Disney/Pixar releases, "Up" was slotted to open during a span of several months in different territories.

Quickcard Review

Up – Disney Digital 3D

Directed by: Pete Docter

Cast: (Voices) Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer

Running Time: 1 hr 35 mins

Rating: PG

Release Date: May 29, 2009

Click here For Megan Lehar’s complete Scorecard Review of Up

Click here for the He Said – She Said of Up

Plot: Carl Fredricksen (Asner) is a widower about to lose his home to developers, so instead of giving it away, he takes off (literally) with thousands of balloons attached to his house. He attemps to go to South America, but a wilderness scout named Russell (Nagai) accidentally comes along.

Who’s It For? Who doesn’t love Pixar? This is a perfect family film, and the elderly have another character to fall in love with since Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino.

Overall

Perfection is easy to spot. You just know it when you see it, and then you’re able to explain why later.

Disney/Pixar’s animated family adventure “Up” stayed on for a top spot-holding $44.2 million estimate in its sophomore run. Film starring Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger and Delroy Lindo almost fell victim to the craved-for “The Hangover” comedy which debuted a hefty $43.2 million from $3,269; a strong $13,237.99 per theatre average. Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Rachael Harris, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham star in “Hangover” w...

Disney/Pixar’s animated family adventure “Up” stayed on for a top spot-holding $44.2 million estimate in its sophomore run. Film starring Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger and Delroy Lindo almost fell victim to the craved-for “The Hangover” comedy which debuted a hefty $43.2 million from $3,269; a strong $13,237.99 per theatre average. Bradley Cooper, Justin Bartha, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Rachael Harris, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham star in “Hangover” w...

Up Directed by Pete Docter Co-directed by Bob Peterson Those waiting for animation powerhouse Pixar to slip up are going to have to wait a little longer, as their third straight unmitigated success comes courtesy of Up, the latest effort to be directed by Pete Docter, who previously helmed Monsters, Inc. Up may not be quite the cultural phenom Wall-e turned out to be, and its flights of fancy not quite as daring as that film's dialogue-free opening gambit, but it is nevertheless a lovely final entry in this phase of Pixar's exitence - the next two years, disappointingly, will be taken up with sequels (Toy Story 3 and Cars 2). Until then, though, let's be happy that our screens have been graced with a stunning hat trick of original features that began with Brad Bird's Ratatouille. Where that film starred a strikingly realistic rat, and Wall-e was a diminuitive trash compactor,...

up

In Contention on Up's "Russell" and his voice actor Jordan Nagai

Wired Science wonders if you really can lift a house with balloons

/Film details inside jokes within Pixar's Up

Pixar the first teaser for Toy Story 3

down... all around

Stale Popcorn I love this "Movies in Movies" series, don't you? Wish I'd thought of it!

Just Jared Nicole Kidman on Rabbit Hole set. Also refuting baby rumors

NY Post French Oscar nominee Betty Blue is getting a rerelease with 65 additional racy minutes of Jean-Hugues Anglade & Beatrice Dalle thrown in. Mon dieu

Rants of a Diva names the 25 best performances of the TV season

My New Plaid Pants somewhat echoes my feelings about the new Verhoeven with Halle Berry (!?) in the starring role

Cinema Blend Lucy Punch replacing Nicole Kidman in the next Woody Allen film. I like Punch so it's good to hear she's catching a break.

What turned out to be a not-so-surprising end result, Disney/Pixar’s Up dominated the weekend box office. Raking in 68.2 Million, it jumps into the top three biggest opening Pixar movies (behind Finding Nemo & The Incredibles). Up, featuring the voices of Edward Asner and Jordan Nagai, was a film that definitely filled up the seats in a theater and cracked open the water works for those who know what this reporter is referring to.

"What are you freaked out for Russell? Were above everyone else."

Sam Raimi’s Drag Me To Hell tried to drag the horror fans out to the best of it’s abilities, but fell a little short by wrangling up 16 million, landing in fourth underneath the Ben Stiller starring film Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and McG’s Terminator Salvation. Wrangling in tons of mixed reviews did not help the film’s case either,...

Up Directed by: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson Written by: Bob Peterson Starring (the voices of): Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson, John Ratzenberger For 15 years now, Pixar has been the agreed upon gold standard in computer animated films. Ever since the release of Toy Story they have produced an unblemished string of movies that have been hugely successful both critically and commercially -- a claim that virtually no other studio can make. Over the past few years, the critical praise has reached new highs, with many calling for their films to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards; conversely, the box office numbers have dipped a bit in response to their slightly more artistic aims (albeit not by much). With Pixar's tenth feature film, Up, by all accounts, it seemed like it would continue the trend of telling deeper stories with less commercial appeal.

Pixar's latest family adventure "Up" flew to the top of the North American box office Friday with a solid $21.4 milllion in ticket sales (the film opened at 3,766 locations). That's just $1.7 million less than the studio's previous film, "Wall-e."

Directed by Pete Docter, the film follows a 78-year-old man who decides to fulfill his dream and take his entire house on an exciting trip to South America. Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer and Jordan Nagai lead the voice cast.

At No. 2, Shawn Levy's Ben Stiller vehicle "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" grabbed another $7.5 million, lifting its domestic total to $87.3 million.

Meanwhile, Sam Raimi's latest horror flick "Drag Me to Hell" debuted in third place Friday, earning $6.4 million from 2,508 locations. Starring Alison Lohman, the film follows a loan officer who is cursed by a creepy old lady.

McG's "Terminator Salvation" took home $5 million at No. 4, bringing its cumulative gross to $79.6 million.

Pixar's latest animated family film is "Up," an exciting adventure directed by Pete Docter and co-directed by Bob Peterson. Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer and Jordan Nagai lend their voices to the characters in the film, which follows a 78-year-old man who decides to take his entire house on a big trip to South America. Here is what the Web's critics have to say about it:

• CinemaBlend's Josh Tyler: "Pixar uses pictures to deliver something that's so much more than visual. No matter how you see it, you’ll be moved by it. Real men cry at 'Up'."

• RopeOfSilicon's Brad Brevet: "'Up' benefits from fleshed out characters and imaginative story-telling, and the beauty of the film is found in its animation and its story, not in its third dimension."

• Joblo's Chris Bumbray: "Still, the best thing about this movie is the story and characters, which drew me into the film so deeply,...

Short Version: Up is arguably Pixar’s finest achievement to date, and is surprisingly mature (and moving) in its subject matter. Oh, and the 3D visuals are pretty awesome too.

Screen Rant Reviews Pixar's Up (in digital 3D)

There’s nothing better than an easy review: Pixar’s latest summer offering, Up, is a fantastic film. Simply fantastic. Seriously, if Ratatouille and Wall-e deserved to be in the running for Best Picture of the Year (as many said they did at the times of their releases) then Up certainly does.

It’s that good.

The film - which was written by Bob Peterson (Finding Nemo, Ratatouille) and directed by Peter Docter (Monsters, Inc.) - delivers all the things we’ve come to expect from a Pixar animated feature: gorgeous visuals, a strong story rife with moral lessons and (gasp) good character development; humor both low-brow (for the kids) and high-brow...

Seen on: May 29, 2009

The players: Director: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Writers: Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Tom McCarthy, Voice cast: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, Delroy Lindo and John Ratzenberger

Facts of interest: Pete Docter also directed "Monsters, Inc."

The plot: Carl Fredricksen decides to finally fulfill his dream and explore the globe. But instead of catching a plane ride, Carl builds his own transportation by tying thousands of balloons to his home.

Our quick thoughts: Pixar’s latest animated family film “Up” is a delightful, intriguing big-screen adventure you’ll quite simply never forget. It’s a marvelous experience that enchants children and adults alike, and it boasts an emotionally unique story stuffed with memorable characters, plenty of action and a delicious humor that causes many laughs.

Chicago – This 10-image slideshow contains the official press images for Pixar’s 3-D “Up” featuring voice work by Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai, and Christopher Plummer. The film, written by Bob Peterson and directed by Pete Docter, opens on May 29th, 2009.

Synopsis:

“From Disney•Pixar comes “Up,” a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. From the Academy Award®-nominated director Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”), Disney•Pixar’s “Up” invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth. “Up” will be presented in Disney Digital 3-D™ in select theaters.”

You...

How do the people at Pixar keep doing it? How do they keep on creating such superb work and then topping themselves with every new production?

At the heart(break) of this tale, Up is about the love story between Ellie and Carl—and his lifelong memories of the adventures they shared together.

It’s a question that I began personally examining almost a decade ago when I took over the Pixar “beat” at Starlog. Subsequently, I traveled to the San Francisco Bay Area and Pixar’s Emeryville headquarters to cover Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Wall+E. Starlog animation expert Bob Miller spelled me on Cars—since I have zero interest in autos—and Ratatouille—because of my intense fear of French cuisine (rats, I’m just kidding). I’ve met and/or interviewed many of Pixar’s key creative people and written about 20 articles on their...

Pixar tops itself.

Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) in "Up"

Photo: Pixar

The new Pixar Animation feature "Up" goes boldly where even live-action movies rarely dare. The film's hero, Carl Fredricksen, is a hunched and grumpy 78-year-old man, for one thing. We meet him, though, at the age of eight — a sparky kid with a yen for adventure and an avid interest in the exploits of a world-famous explorer named Muntz. When Carl encounters Ellie, a spunky little girl with exactly the same passions, they form a bond, and the picture takes wing on a surge of emotion. In a long, wordless montage we see their lives play out. They dream of the real-life adventures they'll have when they grow up. They marry and settle into an old abandoned house they'd discovered as children (it was the headquarters of their two-member explorers club). Carl works as a balloon salesman, and...

I'm a little annoyed with Up right now, because it made me cry in the first 10 minutes. Crying at the end of a movie is easier to hide -- you can mutter about allergies or how too much computer time makes your eyes red. But crying at the beginning of the movie makes you feel like an awfully sappy wuss. Thank goodness I had big ol' 3-D glasses on, which at least managed to hide any telltale traces of weakness ... until I cried again at the end, damn it.

Up is the latest film from Pixar, and this time the main character is not a robot or rat or monster, but rather a little old man who looks like Spencer Tracy and occasionally growls like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. After his wife dies, Carl Fredericksen (Ed Asner) faces a lonely life ahead, possibly in a retirement community. He decides...