Up is Pixar’s second highest grossing film in the USA yet which is pleasing to know and also intriguing because after the disappointing success, for Pixar anyway, of WALL.E it perhaps said something about their new direction after the saccharine Cars: people want clear cut animation with little preoccupations.

However, Up continues in the spirit of WALL.E and benefits by not only matching WALL.E, which in my view is their second greatest effort but creating a truly moving and exciting tale that will reward both adults and children in equal measure but here is the bad news: it rewards them at different times.

Carl Frederickson (Edward Asner) is first seen absorbed watching a news reel on his aviation hero Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), who leaves America to fly to Paradise falls in order to prove to society he caught a rare species. Carl meets a fellow fan and wannabe traveller on the way home, a girl named Ellie. The two make a pact to visit Paradise Falls together and over the years we trace the duo’s relationship from friendship to marriage. The two keep saving to travel to paradise falls but life intervenes. They never do go to paradise falls and in a cruel twist Ellie suddenly dies leaving Carl all alone a bitter and unfulfilled man. It is his house which holds his precious memories of his love and his life and it is what spurs him on to tether it across South America and visit paradise falls. An unexpected helper accompanies him, young Russell (Jordan Nagai) a junior wilderness explorer who happens to be on Carl’s front porch when his house takes full flight thanks to thousands of helium balloons.

They make a perfect comedy duo, Carl whose stubby frame is as rigid as those of his glasses and Russell whose tubby frame hides beaming energy and dedication. The two are complete ends of the spectrum in age, looks and behaviour so when the set pieces kick in and boy do they, they rely on each other’s attributes to survive. Such careful intense detail on Carl’s life leaves little room for development of the villain and despite the excellent mock 30s news reel at the beginning it means Charles is one of the weaker Pixar villains.

The scrupulous images display some truly wondrous moments: when Carl’s house takes flight with thousands of coloured balloons, reminiscent of the castle in Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle, it’s a feast for the eyes. Wonderful colour palettes and plentiful visual references and gags make Up certainly re-watchable but the film’s most distinct use of detail lies in the grace notes of human and animal behaviour that are sweet and heartfelt. The film also boasts an impressive score which is hardly noticeable but is omnipresent.

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Walt Disney is famous for once saying ‘for every laugh there should be a tear’ and I think Pixar have came incredibly close to achieving this with Up; there are powerful moments and heart achingly beautiful moments. The much celebrated montage sequence in which we witness Carl and Ellie’s relationship throughout the years is brilliant storytelling: technically superb, economic and poignant moments that should shed tears from every adult in the room. It’s these moments children are less inclined to understand and the fidgets could erupt. Pixar’s safety mechanism is to have its protagonist transported magically soon after to an exotic and eccentric place with talking dogs, evil villains and a giant colourful female bird named Kevin. Up is impressive in its dedication to its themes which we are reminded of in moments of subtle power that are far from encroaching. Moments like Carl brushing his late wife’s photo saying ‘Don’t worry Ellie’ is very touching.

Up still suffers from the same flaw, albeit far less so, that stopped WALL.E from achieving cinema greatness and that was demographic uncertainty. Is it art or commerce? Is it for kids or for adults? Up ticks all these boxes but instead of balancing all of them, Pixar tease at what could have been. There are moments of Up which are some of the most moving and powerful of all animation and they will affect adults considerably. There are scenes, such as the enthralling but stock chase sequence complete with sentimental optimism at the climax that will captivate kids. So despite all the audience leaving happy I still think Pixar have yet to blend the two demographics perfectly.

Instead of having a film of two clear divides (serious stuff at the beginning, stuff for kids at the end) as seen in WALL.E, Pixar have clearly attempted to intermingle the exciting and exotic journey with moments of introspection and serious ponderings about life, death and wasted potential. It is utterly captivating to see Pixar returning to its mix of absurdist fantasy and combining it with real life truths that, in this case are all the harsh and painful ones all the while telling an engrossing tale that is a rarity from Hollywood: narrative cinema. Life is full of surprises and complex but certainly worth living, says Pixar and paradoxically so is Up: full of surprises, complex in its ambitions and definitely worth seeing.

The short feature that precedes Up, Partly Cloudy, follows the high standard of the previous Pixar shorts. It’s funny, sad and a perfect introduction to the main feature; a little gem.

Rating: 9/10