When I saw the trailers for Up I wanted to see it but since I’m not real big on watching movies in the theater, I waited for it to be out on DVD. I’m almost wishing I would have seen it in the theater though. It’s a very sweet story that tugged at my heart, made me laugh, and even made me wish I could tie thousands of balloons to my house and fly away! And, of course, there are the animals, all of which are an integral part of the story. There are plenty of talking dogs, including the main canine, Dug. He’s a little dopey but an extremely lovable character. Then there’s Kevin, a mythical 13-foot tall bird, who is sought after by an obsessed explorer.
Up follows the uplifting tale of 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. Their journey to a lost world, where they encounter some strange, exotic and surprising characters, is filled with hilarity, emotion and wildly imaginative adventure.
In addition to the movie, the DVD the following bonus features:
• Commentary by director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson.
• Dug’s Special Mission – An all new original short film that follows the misadventures of Dug as he attempts to complete his “special mission.”
• The Many Endings of Muntz – Many ideas were hatched about how to dispose of the film’s arch villain, Muntz.
• Partly Cloudy –The hilarious short film that preceded screenings of Up.
• Adventure is Out There – This action-packed documentary tells the story of the filmmakers’ own trek to the tepuis mountains of South America to research the design and story of the film.
These bonus features are on the Blu-ray version:
• Cine-Explore – A visual montage of concept art, clips and documentary coverage that illustrates the directors’ commentary.
• Geriatric Hero – A character study of Carl.
• Canine Companions – For anyone who ever wondered where CG puppies come from, an introduction to the design, behavior and language of dogs.
• Russell: Wilderness Explorer – A character study of Russell, Carl’s young companion.
• Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin – Find out how avian research and development at Pixar helped bring a mythical, 13-foot tall iridescent bird to life.
• Homemakers of Pixar – Carl and Ellie’s house is an important “character” in the film. Fans follow the development of the house from story to art to its ultimate realization in the computer.
• Balloons and Flight – Carl’s house and Muntz’s dirigible presented the filmmakers with two different problems—how could they make a physical impossibility possible? And, in the case of the dirigible, how would they unearth a fallen giant and let it soar?
• Composing for Characters – See how the Up filmmakers collaborated with composer Michael Giacchino to create the memorable score and compelling musical themes.
• Married Life – The original story concept that became the powerful “Married Life” scene, showing Carl and Ellie’s love story.
• Global Guardian Badge Game – Players try to locate countries, states and capitals around the globe in a multi-layered BD-Exclusive geography game enhanced by BD-Live.
Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]
I was provided with a review copy of Up.
