Loved "UP"

Tonight, a beautiful young lady took me to see Disney Pixar's latest masterpiece: Up. UP should be definitive proof that Pixar really can do no wrong. With only a handful of central characters, little dialogue, and a small plot, Up still succeeds tremendously. Those few characters are eloquently and subtly crafted, evolving quickly, but believably throughout the film. The crotchety old Carl Fredericksen, the rapscallious (and hilarious) dogs, the "mailman" boy scout, and even the silent bird were all unfolded deftly and entertainingly. At one point, I couldn't help but cheer in my heart and shed a little tear for Zeus when Doug (the talking dog) showed up at the famous house doorstep and simply said "I hid under your porch because I love you." The little dialogue there is plays perfect counterpoint to the stunning, and often emotional imagery. I've never seen a silent montage more heartfelt and more winning than the 60 years of Mr. Fredericksen's tender marriage that Pixar unfolds in a masterful 45 seconds. The colors, shading, design, and choreography were what we've all come to expect from a Pixar film. Finally, the admittedly short plot played out beautifully with the simple nature of the film. I won't play the spoiler on this one, but suffice it to say that in the final moments of the movie, I was on the edge of my seat and even caught myself holding my breath. That's the sign of a great flick. While it wasn't quite on the grand, operatic scale of WALL*E or the decadent imagery and Parisian je ne sais quoi of Ratatouille, Up easily stands up there with The Incredibles and Toy Story 2. And those are two of my favorite movies. What a great night. Thanks, Erin!!! Below is my ranking of the 10 Pixar Movies to come out since Toy Story. Let me know what you think. 1. WALL*E 2. Ratatouille 3. The Incredibles (tie) 3. Up (tie) 5. Toy Story 2 6. Finding Nemo 7. Monster's Inc. 8. A Bug's Life 9. Toy Story 10. Cars On the sidebar, you can cast your vote for favorite. Feel free to stuff the ballot box!