PIXAR MASTERPIECE REVIEW: “Up” is voiced by Edward Asner (The Mary Tyler Moore Show [TV series], Elf), Christopher Plummer (9, A Beautiful Mind), Jordan Nagai (The Simpsons [TV series]), Bob Peterson (Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc.), Delroy Lindo (Gone in Sixty Seconds, The Cider House Rules), Jerome Ranft (Coraline, Finding Dory), and John Ratzenberger (Cheers [TV series], Grace of God). It is directed by Pete Docter (Inside Out [2015], Monsters Inc.) and Bob Peterson, while they also wrote it with Tom McCarthy (Spotlight, The Cobbler). To fulfill his wife’s dream, a widowed man named Carl Frederickson (Asner) straps his house to a ton of balloons and lifts off to a place known as Paradise Falls, in South America. There will be conflict in making it to the location, however, when Russell (Nagai), a wilderness explorer, tags along for the ride.

“Up,” a film about adventure, heartache, and dreams, is something to truly admire. From the moment it starts until it gives its final bow, this movie excites, giving the viewer a journey of a lifetime. The feeling that this story presents to us is joyous and reserved, as I couldn’t help but feel calm and happy watching most of it, aside from the action sequences. It’s a lovely tale that not only kids will find wonderful, but also adults, as there is much to offer, including talking dogs, a mystical location in South America, and a floating house. It’s one of Pixar’s best, and I would place it in their top five. Not in a million years would I have come up with the idea, but they did, and my gosh it is original. There’s so much heart that is poured into this production, and you can tell just by watching it. The music, the animation, the tone, the characters; all of it is working together to provide a whimsical story that proves to be a classic for years to come. Picking apart one aspect at a time, let’s discuss the music. Michael Giacchino has proven himself to be a legend since “The Incredibles,” but he still surprises me in this release. Some of his scores make me feel like I am floating on air, while others express danger. It gives the overall feature a texture and presence that you can recognize when you listen to it, as each score tells a story of its own (especially the one belonging to the opening montage). Moving on, the animation is incredible. Each Pixar film tends to establish its own unique art style, and “Up” has one to remember. The bold, bright colors of the jungle to the caricature figures make for a fun adventure. They have really improved on making people, and although they don’t look lifelike, they definitely have more of an appeal than the people in “Wall-E.” Fortunately for Pixar, and to us as an audience, their animation in this movie has held up, and I believe that it will continue to for a long time. The tone of this flick is rather simple, yet bold. I couldn’t help but feel jittery when Mr. Frederickson took off to Paradise Falls, or when he went to save Russell towards the end. It’s such an awesome film and packs its own, unique punch. Lastly, the characters are marvelous. All of them have a different way to warm up to you, from Mr. Frederickson’s mean demeanor to Doug’s (Peterson) innocent-yet-funny way of observing life. They were great to watch and made the ride more enjoyable to sit through, and the voice acting was also terrific. I know I say this a lot in my Pixar reviews, but they all did a good job. They really did. Even though this movie felt short, it impacted me on a huge level. It took me with its characters on a trip that I won’t forget, introducing me to fresh ideas that one could only dream of producing. It’s not perfect, mind you (there are nitpicks, like how Russell couldn’t have been on the porch when it never showed him on it when the house lifted off), but it does come incredibly close, like most Pixar features. I implore anyone to check this out. You won’t be disappointed! FINAL SCORE: 98%= Juicy Popcorn

This movie has been inducted into The Juicy Hall of Fame.

Here is the trailer:

And now, my review for the Pixar short, “Partly Cloudy”:

MOVIE SHORT REVIEW: “Partly Cloudy” is a 2009 Pixar short film that is written and directed by Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur, Monsters University), and is voiced by Tony Fucile (Ratatouille, The Good Dinosaur) and Lori Richardson (Stolen Moments, Tracy). It follows a stork having trouble handling the babies his cloud partner is creating for him, as they are more dangerous to carry than what other storks are used to.

Ever wonder where babies come from? Well, “Partly Cloudy” has the answer! An odd, yet interesting spin on the stork-delivering-babies story, this short, like most, entertains. I loved the idea of having clouds create babies of all species to give to storks, just as much as I enjoyed the animation. The color pallet used in this was extraordinary. There must be something about animated skies that draws me in. The plot was, like I stated before, interesting. Besides its twist on an older thought, there was some physical humor to take fun out of, and it did give me a chuckle at times. I didn’t really succumb to whatever point they were trying to make, however. There wasn’t one to begin with, unless you count the stork making the storm cloud upset by abandoning him. This wasn’t a fantastic short film, but it was fun to watch. I liked the resolution to it and if you are looking for something to brighten your day, check it out below. FINAL SCORE: 81%= Juicy Popcorn

Here is the short: