[Adam Hart] — Rarely does a CGI film exhibit both humor and raw human emotion from both ends of the age spectrum. Disney-PIXAR’s Up accomplishes this feat.

Wearing the theater-issued Clark Rockefeller-style 3D glasses, the video pops from the first frame. All thanks to the warmup act — a PIXAR 3D short titled Partly Cloudy. The short is enjoyable, yet not as much as Presto, which preceded WALL-E.

The feature presentation begins with a small vignette, capturing with few words the timeline of life for the catalyst of this film’s plot. It is a small example of PIXAR’s extraordinary use of color and “camera angles” — for lack of a better phrase. Color massages the theme throughout the course of this film, as Carl Fredericksen unknowingly seeks something new for which to live. In its own way, this film sets out to explain the meaning of life and paints a vivid picture.

Viewers will gain more than a new, if temporary, appreciation for the joys life has to offer. There are laughs to be had for kids of all ages, as they say. The inclusion of English-speaking canines adds a little something for the children in the audience, but does not take away from the experience for adults. Well, not all that much, at least.

One finds the plot muddling for a short time, but reaching its refreshing conclusion soon enough.

A great quality of both this film and WALL-E is the use of lesser-known voices for its characters. Unlike some other CGI films which rely mainly on the strength of their voiceover artists, UP touts a strong story line and animation as its lasting traits. Two recognizable voices are those of Ed Asner (Carl Fredericksen) and John Ratzenberger (Construction Foreman). It is not the all-star Hollywood cast of Madagascar or Shark’s Tale — and that’s a good thing.

Three memorable lines off the top of my head?

“Kevin. That’s the name I just gave him.”
“I hid under your porch because I love you.”
“Go take a shower, hippie.”

Final Grade: Definitely See It