UP - new Pixar flick

[Klubmasta Will]

early reviews are that UP may be the best pixar flick yet. this is strong talk considering the greatness of recent pixar flicks like WALL-E, RATATOUILLE and THE INCREDIBLES.

i didn't have high hopes when i first saw the UP previews because, while humourous, they don't tell you much about the story.

here's an excerpt from IGN's review which caught my attention today:

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Cannes 09: Up Review
IGN is blown away by the new Pixar film screening in Cannes.

by Chris Tilly, IGN UK

UK, May 13, 2009 - Up may be Pixar's most brilliant, challenging, complex and well-rounded effort to date, a film that expertly segues between comedy and tragedy, and one that demands classic status, even at this early stage.

The story is as unconventional as can be, making even WALL-E (the company's last brilliant effort) look like a straight-forward narrative.

[skipped]

5 out of 5 Stars | 10/10

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the skipped part of the review contains minor spoilers so i didn't read it. you can read it all here: http://movies.ign.com/articles/981/981905p1.html

with that, and considering that WALL-E was my favourite movie last year (even more than TDK), i am now officially counting down the days until MAY 29.

 

[MoFo]

Saw the trailer last night. Looks so fucking stupid.

 

[Pottsie]

I saw the trailer at the Movies on Monday and I am looking forward to it...mind you, I have never grown up and still like to watch cartoons.

 

[Flashy_McFlash]

Hard to believe that it'll top Wall-E, but I've been looking forward to this one for a while.

 

[kaniz]

The trailer didn't do much for me, but I may need to give this a shot - Wall-E was one of my favorite movies last year.

 

[rubytuesday]

The trailer got me excited, mostly because I love fat kids but I think it will actually be a good story.

 

[Thunder]

The scene with that dog and his speaking collar is hilarious.

 

[Klubmasta Will]

the movie just debuted at cannes, and the early reviews are rolling in. notice that many, if not most, reviewers are calling it the best pixar flick to date.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/up/

i find it incredible that pixar is able to keep up this extraordinary level of quality, while other CG studios - most notably dreamworks - cannot compete regardless of how much they try and how much money/talent they throw at their projects.

the only pixar flicks that i would rate lower than 9/10 are CARS and A BUG'S LIFE, and those were both solid flicks, just not quite up there with the others.

unfortunately, it appears this will be the last *new* pixar project until 2012, as their next projects are TOY STORY 3 (nice!) and then CARS 2 (bleh).

 

[MoFo]

Ugh.
*groan*

I also groaned at everyone laughing in the theatre during the trailer.

 

[PAUZE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyyrYPTjPJg

looks good!

 

[Klubmasta Will]

Ugh.
*groan*

I also groaned at everyone laughing in the theatre during the trailer.

unexpected comment.

did you like any of the previous pixar movies?

 

[Aphrodite]

*a squirrel!

 

[Colm]

Best Pixar flick yet? That's high praise considering how consistently excellent they are.

My wife isn't interested, but I am - but she loved Finding Nemo, which I despised.

 

[Flashy_McFlash]

The trailer for Wall-E wasn't much of anything either. I think (hope) there's a lot more going on here than the slapstick that the trailer shows. I'm sure they just show the jokes to get the kids in the seats.

 

[glych t.anomaly]

i think it will be good, and even some of the slapstick isnt that upsetting.

i dont think it will be as endearing as WALL - E, but i expect good things from it.


[jai]

 

[Hawk Eye]

i didn't have high hopes when i first saw the UP previews because, while humourous, they don't tell you much about the story.

That's what I like about it. I'm sick of watching Trailers that pretty much tell you everything in the movie and ruin it for you. I wanted to see it bc it intrigued me and I was wondering what the hell this movie is about.

This movie looks hilarious. The dog with the talking collar is so freaking funny.

 

[MoFo]

unexpected comment.

did you like any of the previous pixar movies?

I don't know what you're talking about. lol

Like Wall-E or whatever? I came in here to shit on this.

 

[el presidente Highsteppa]

Hard to believe that it'll top Wall-E, but I've been looking forward to this one for a while.

I thought the same thing about Ratatouille when it came out.

But nothing in my mind will beat The Incredibles. Nothing.

 

[--[Zirca]--]

unfortunately, it appears this will be the last *new* pixar project until 2012, as their next projects are TOY STORY 3 (nice!) and then CARS 2 (bleh).

I'm shocked with Cars 2, it's bottom of the Pixar pile for me....I would have thought Incredibles 2 would be close on the radar, especially since they quasi-teased it with the baby at the end of 1.

 

[Krzysiu]

I like that one of the protagonists (the boy scout) is obviously asian-american. I think this demographic has been overlooked or imagined too poorly for far too long. He looks like how a fat little asian kid should look like, how I picture KMW as a child... they did a good job on him.

and his voice is cute.

 

[starrshyne]

i'm not sure if this will surpass A Bug's Life or Toy Story 2 as my two fave pixar flicks, but i'm willing to give it a shot.

 

[RumRogerz]

The scene with that dog and his speaking collar is hilarious.

squirrel

 

[Klubmasta Will]

I'm shocked with Cars 2, it's bottom of the Pixar pile for me....I would have thought Incredibles 2 would be close on the radar, especially since they quasi-teased it with the baby at the end of 1.

agreed on all counts. i'm sure pixar would love to do THE INCREDIBLES 2, but brad bird is too busy trying to make 1906, which would be his and pixar's first live-action project. if pixar was smart (and they are, obviously), they should make this movie conditional on brad bird making another INCREDIBLES movie, or another pixar movie about anything.

i've said it before, brad bird should be the highest paid person in hollywood, as his storytelling prowess is unmatched.

this is from brad bird's wiki-entry:

Before he was sidetracked by Ratatouille, Bird began work on a film adaptation of James Dalessandro's novel 1906, which would be his first live action project.[3] In March 2008, Bird resumed work on the film, which is a co-production between Pixar and Warner Bros. The novel, narrated by reporter Annalisa Passarelli, examines policeman battling corruption in the government that causes the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to turn into such a disaster. The script was co-written by John Logan.[4] Blogger Jim Hill suggested the film has been on hold due to Disney / Pixar and Warner Bros.' nervousness over the projected $200 million budget.[5]

 

[Thunder]

I like that one of the protagonists (the boy scout) is obviously asian-american. I think this demographic has been overlooked or imagined too poorly for far too long. He looks like how a fat little asian kid should look like, how I picture KMW as a child... they did a good job on him.

and his voice is cute.

 

[kaniz]

i find it incredible that pixar is able to keep up this extraordinary level of quality, while other CG studios - most notably dreamworks - cannot compete regardless of how much they try and how much money/talent they throw at their projects.

I find that too many of the newer animated movies get too caught up in throwing star-power behind the voices. Really, I don't care of Lindsay Lohan is the voice of a character, or Raymond, or Jim Carrey, or Jack Black - if anything I find that having famous people voice the characters, then having the characters mimic the people they are voicing is more distracting than anything.

Animation is a great opportunity to get drawn into the stories/characters in them and not get sucked into the "Celebrity" behind the character.

I think one of the only exceptions for me was Ellen Degeneres in Finding Nemo.