Entertainment, Movies - Army Times

A little bit short

There’s never been a bad Pixar film. Since rocketing to fame with 1995’s “Toy Story,” the digital-animation dream factory of writer-director-producer John Lasseter has scored hit after hit, enthralling millions of kids and probably as many adults.

This has allowed Pixar to cultivate a devoted following that creates instant, massive buzz about any new creative effort. (Red alert, red alert: “Toy Story 3” coming June 2010!)

But this phenomenal track record also creates expectations so high that meeting them every time is simply impossible.

When that happens, it sparks an odd form of schizophrenia — you’re slightly underwhelmed but feel guilty because you know that Pixar’s second string is still way better than anyone else’s first string.

Case in point: “Up.”

It’s a gorgeously drawn, wonderfully told tale of life, love, loss and adventure. But it also has two main characters who are cranky and disagreeable old men. And there are several scenes that are uncharacteristically quiet and contemplative by Pixar norms, which make the film seem longer than its 96 minutes and will have a fair number of kiddies nearing the red zone on the fidgetometer.

“Up” opens with a love story. In what looks to be the 1940s, two kids, shy Carl and brash Ellie, bond over their mutual love of adventure and their admiration for famed explorer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), whose exploits are newsreel staples.

A fantastic five-minute scene that is uplifting and heartbreaking wordlessly traces the arc of their long marriage, as life keeps getting in the way of their youthful dream to escape to a semi-legendary place in South America called Paradise Falls.

Then Ellie passes away, and the reclusive Carl (Ed Asner) finds his modest home being hemmed in by high-rise apartments.

Carl decides to plot his overdue escape. He blows up a gazillion helium balloons, ties them to his house’s framework and floats away on rudimentary sails that allow him to navigate the winds, finally off on that long-delayed adventure to Paradise Falls.

Of course, complications ensue, starting with young stowaway Russell (Jordan Nagai), a sweet and talkative Junior Wilderness Explorer seeking his “elderly assistance” badge.

The adventure eventually circles back to Muntz, with detours involving a talking dog named Dug and a large, strange-looking bird named Kevin, and a wild, 15-minute action-packed finale that is classic Pixar.

The film is being issued in normal prints as well as 3-D, the new-old craze that Hollywood seems bent on beating to death.

The craze has two purposes: To gouge you for a few more bucks on your ticket price (ostensibly to cover the cost of the glasses, which the studios probably get for 10 cents apiece from Shanghai sweatshops) and to make movie piracy more difficult.

But there is zero reason to see “Up” in 3-D, simply because the film makes no effort to play to that gimmick. And not only do the glasses get annoying after a while, they also darken the film’s brilliant colors.

Ditch the 3-D and save your money for the popcorn stand — and if the kids whine, tell them about this amazing 2-D thing that’s even cooler than 3-D.

Lasseter and his whiz kids have made it their goal to try and top themselves each time out of the gate — and more often than not, they succeed brilliantly.

But “Up,” for all its poignancy and beauty, left me with the lingering feeling that while it comes close to the lofty bar Pixar has set for itself, it doesn’t push that bar any higher.

Just to reiterate: That hardly means it isn’t a lot of fun.

Rated PG for mild peril. Got a rant or rave about the movies? E-mail cvinch@atpco.com