Up

Category: Film
Genre: Animation / Adventure / Comedy
Directed By: Pete Docter / Bob Peterson
Running Time: 96 min.

Up is one of the best told original stories I have encountered in recent moviemaking.  It truly is an original tale with characters you care for and a unique protagonist perspective to boot.

On the technical front this is a Pixar 3D animated film, and maintains the studio’s reputation for high quality.  There are some beautiful lighting effects, and the animation itself is executed in such a way as to be transparent to the viewing experience.  I viewed it both in the 2D and 3D presentations, and both stand up well.  As with the rest of the effects, the 3D adds to the experience without being gimmicky.

Up is a great example of why Pixar really makes the better films in this genre.  There are deep character themes to be explored and the story is well told through the film medium.

Structurally, this tale is about a journey.  As with most good tales there are parallel journeys taking place, one physical, and others emotional within the characters.  Our protagonist is Carl Frederickson, whom we are introduced to as a young boy in what looks to be the late 1940’s or early 1950’s.  He is enamored with exploration, living vicarious adventures via his newsreel hero, Charles Muntz who embarked to Paradise Falls, in the mysterious depths of South America.  Muntz has fallen from public opinion, accused of presenting fraudulent discoveries, and sets off to Paradise Falls to clear his name.  None of this dampens Carl’s enthusiasm, and in the midst of his fantasy adventuring in the neighborhood, he meets Ellie, a dynamic girl who shares his love of adventure and hero worship of Muntz.  Ellie shares her adventure book, complete with a section reserve for future adventures once she reaches South America.  They become fast friends, cross your heart swearing to go to Paradise Falls someday.

In one of the most artful sequences of the film we see a montage as Carl and Ellie marry and buy and renovate the house that was their childhood hideaway.  We see them receive the news that Ellie cannot bear children, and in response Carl makes a savings jar for their trip to Paradise Falls.  Real life intervenes and they use the saving for life’s little rainy day occasions.  As they reach their golden years, Carl arranges a trip to South America, and just when he’s about to surprise Ellie, she falls ill.  Just before she dies she gives him her adventure book, and we see the first half is already filed with their shared childhood adventures.

This entire sequence is done without a single spoken word, yet it speaks volumes.

Flash forward and Carl is alone, a man seemingly passed by by the world.  He has settled into a grumpy old man persona, having no friends or family, and feeling he’s somehow missed out on life.  His house is the last obstacle to a construction project, and in defending it, he is consigned to a rest home.

Carl gets the last laugh, tethering hundreds upon hundreds of balloons out his chimney and setting off for Paradise Falls.  Through various misadventures he gets mixed up with Russell, a wilderness Explore scout after his last merit badge, “Assisting the Elderly”.  They do finally arrive at Paradise Falls, with various obstacles in their path, including a now reputation-obsessed Muntz.

The core themes of the story are those of belonging, and to a lesser extent, coping with loss and fatherhood.  Early on, Ellie provided Carl’s sense of belonging, extending all through the rest of her years.  When she was gone, all Carl had left were his memories and his dreams, some of which he felt he’d betrayed.  At the outset of his balloon adventure, Carl is looking for vindication, finally taking the trip to Paradise Falls.  In having to care for Russell’s well being Carl is forced out of his myopia, and his perspective begins to change.

On encountering Muntz, we see a great counterpoint to Carl, illustrating the difference between dreams and obsessions.  Carl is forced to choose between getting all the way to Paradise Falls, or keeping his promise to Russell, and his choices are held up to the mirror that is Russell’s innocent nature.

Upon finally exploring the second half of Ellie’s adventure book, Carl discovers she has filled it with memories of their adult life, complete with her final inscription thanking him for the adventure, and telling him to go find his very own new adventure.  As he makes his choices to save the day, Carl realizes that the house in simply a house, Paradise Falls is just a place, and what really matters is belonging, be it to a club, a pack, or a family.  Carl fills the hole left by Russell’s absent father, and Russell helps fulfill Carl’s need to be a father and care for someone.

In the final analysis, Up tells an original story with heart, humor and intelligence that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.  A great story, well told by creative folks who take evident pride in their craft, UP is possibly my personal favorite from Pixar to date.

Rating: 9/10

Tropic Thunder

Category: Film
Genre: Comedy / Action / War
Directed By: Ben Stiller
Running Time: 107 min.

Tropic Thunder is one of the surprising comedy successes of recent films. A solid premise, a terrific cast, and a good helping of language give it a punch that I haven’t seen out of a comedy in quite some time.

Past Stiller projects had me wary of getting my hopes up for Tropic Thunder, but as it turns out I was thoroughly pleased with the film. The difference comes from the fact that this film has a good bankable premise, which is something most other modern comedies seem to have trouble with. The layers of actors playing actors no longer acting is rich territory for comedy, and it is well capitalized on.

The cast and their performances are what give the film real traction. Ben Stiller plays much the same as previous roles, but with more depth and less throw-away weirdness, reminding me of his work in “There’s Something About Mary.” Jack Black does a great job of compound comic relief without going too far over the top, much like his performance in “High Fidelity.” Robert Downey Jr. breaks type and plays what is probably his most entertaining role since “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” as an Ausie method actor playing a Vietnam-era black man getting a bit lost in his method. Supporting performances by Jay Baruchel (of “Knocked Up”), Nick Nolte (channeling a bit of Gary Busey), and Tom Cruise flesh out the film to great effect. Cruise in particular plays his oddest character to date, what I can only describe as a mix between Al Pacino, James Lipton, and Joe Pantoliano, hyped up on some sort of mind altering substance.

By all appearances, the film is a comedy for the adult crowd, which makes it stick out from the landscape of tween comedies. That the creators opted for an unrestrained dialog and chose not to cash in on every gross-out gag available (thought the film has its fair share of over the top moments, they are well played), lets you know what audience the film is aimed at.

All in all Tropic Thunder is a well executed action comedy, that avoids most of the pitfalls that sink other comedies these days, and makes for a satisfying good time.

Rating: 7/10

Eddie Izzard: Live at Spreckel’s

Category: Live Performance
Type: Comedy
Venue: Spreckel’s Theater , San Diego CA

It’s been nearly a decade since I first became aware of British comedian Eddie Izzard. I recently had the opportunity to see him perform live in San Diego. Thanks to learning about the event after tickets were already on sale back in March, our seats were, as the phrase goes, nosebleed. Even with the seating and the fact that Spreckels is a rather oddly set up venue, the performance made for a great evening.

The routine ranged on topics all over the spectrum; from jazz chickens to Jesus’s alphabetical siblings, Noah’s Arc, novelties of the Stone Age and Barack Obama. Still sharp as ever, Mr. Izzard met my rather high expectations for the show, managing to throw in surprises along the way; including a discussion of the virtues of chicken, with live support on-stage from Wikipedia via a 3G phone.

Seeing the live show was a rather different experience from watching the DVDs, which is how I had seen Glorious, Unrepeatable, Definite Article, and of course, Dress to Kill. Hearing the warm up intro about your home town does give one a slightly giddy feeling in spite of yourself. All in all a great comedey show for folks who like to think, I left with sore sides, mentally overloaded, but very much entertained.

Rating: 8/10

Hancock

Category: Film
Genre: Action / Superhero / Comedy
Directed By: Peter Berg
Running Time: 92 min.

Hancock looked like an interesting concept, a fully realized anti-hero. As it turns out, Hancock tries to do more than that, and breaks the format in the process. The Hancock character is well put together at the outset, allowing us to sublimate our vicarious desires to have super powers, but not act particularly super. As it progresses, the film manages to work up to a heartful Jerry Macguire feel, and we buy into it.

Its at about this point where it drifts off into unstable territories, heavy handedly dropping in a sizeable plot/origin device with no framework for acceptance. The force driving the action in the film changes gears, and the audience begins to feel like an appendage to the storytelling, which has taken on the flavor of a writer trying to express… something.

All in all Hancock’s Achilles heel comes form trying to do two very different things in the same movie, and this strains one’s investment in suspended disbelief past the breaking point. Putting heart into a film is great, but it has to come organically from the characters, and the back story material for the main cast seems more like nametags than foundational character motivationt.

If Hancock had simply remained a film with the killer app of the anti-superhero, deeper origins not required, it would have been a fun ride. As it stands, the midrange shift in the storytelling feels much like a product of early writing workshops, with a point the writer is desperate to tell, but just can’t seem to stretch the characters around to lend it credibility.

Rating:4/10