"I was hiding under your porch because I love you."

Film: "Up"

Release Date: 29 May 2009

Director: Pete Doctor, Bob Peterson

History: After nine films, all Hollywood success stories, Pixar's tenth film would come from the imagination of it's director, Pete Doctor. Doctor imagined escaping life when it gets to be too much with a flying house. From there, he took his idea and crafted the story for the film with writers Thomas McCarthy and Pixar's Bob Peterson. Doctor based the hero Carl Fredrickson on legendary actors Spencer Tracy and Walter Matthau as he felt they were grumpy old guys, but yet sweet, the way he wanted Carl to be. He also based the name of the villain, Charles Muntz, on the name of the old cartoon producer Charles Mintz, who is famous in Disney lore for stealing Walt Disney's original cartoon, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, forcing Walt to ultimately create Mickey Mouse.

"Up" was released in the summer of 2009 and was the best reviewed film that year. It went on to be Pixar's second most profitable film after "Finding Nemo." It was also the first Pixar film to be released in Disney Digital 3D. It went on to win a number of prestigious awards, but maybe it's greatest honor was being the second ever animated film, and first Pixar animated film, to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year.


My Reaction: With the Pixar side of this marathon basically over for now (as of the moment this is being published, "Toy Story 3" is less then a month from being released.) I can say watching these films as strung together as I did has been a real treat and one that sometime down the road I hope to do again. I have defiantly seen growth in Pixar animation, characters and story telling going from film to film. And yet I have also seen Pixar still using tried and true principles in every film they have made as well as try new things. Some of these new ideas have be good and found success, some have not been as favored, but it's been a fun ride so far. It has made me stop being a Pixar fan boy long enough to search my true feelings for each of their films. In doing so I have had to be very honest in my likes and dis-likes which has lead to some interesting discoveries.

I think that Pixar's first four film were amazing, their fifth and sixth were ok, their seventh was really good, and their eighth and ninth were also just ok. Which leads us to their tenth and currently (until "Toy Story 3" comes out) latest film, "Up." After watching it this latest time, I realized that I really liked it and that it may be on par with their first four films. In many ways it was the most daring. Unlike many of their past films, it was hard to give a brief explanation for what the film is about. But I think in seriously thinking about it, the reason I love it is also what Pete Doctor said it was about: realizing how precious the people in our lives are, because once they are gone, they are gone.

Carl loved his wife, but when she died, he had such a hard time letting her go. We all have moments are will have moment like Carl were someone important in our lives will pass away, push us to let go of the past and move on with the future. But at the same time, still honoring the memory of that fallen person. The film is about enjoy the many adventures life puts in our way. While Carl looses his wife, he in time gains a new relationship with Russel, who while he does not replace the memory of Carl's wife, reflects the brave decision Carl makes to blaze new trails of adventures in life in the new chapters that are unfolding. I think I can find common ground with how Carl feels and the growth he builds on from start to finish in the film. Life is change, it is a huge part of being human, but it is still very hard, harder at some times then others. It is hard to watch family and friends pass away in time or fade away from your life and hard to deal with a change in life situations and surroundings. But with continuous courage, we can embrace the changes of our lives and enjoy each moment as they pass by. Carl shows us the way.

My Wife's Reaction: After watching the first ten Pixar films, it turns out that this is easily my wives favorite Pixar film. She says she is not sure why, that she just likes it the best, but I noticed she really liked Dug.

My Final Grade: (A) This was an amazing film. I loved the lush locations, the imagination found in the story and settings (I mean flying in a house tied to a zillion balloons? How cool is that?!) and the internal story facing our hero, Carl. This film earned being the second animated film to be nominated for Best Picture. It was in my mind, Pixar's best in a while.

All images copyright Disney/ Pixar. All rights reserved.

"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me...so help me, so help me AND CUT!"

Film: "Monsters Inc."

Release Date: 2 November 2001

Director: Pete Doctor, David Silverman, Lee Unkrich

History: "Monsters Inc." continued to show the progress of Pixar Animation by being the first film not directed by John Lasseter. It also pushed the technologies to make these kinds of films with how life like the fur on Sulley's body is. Nearing the completion of their first film, 'Toy Story," Pixar's John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Doctor, and the late Joe Ranft held a lunch in 1994 to decide what their next films would be about. From that lunch they came up with what would be a number of their now classic films. The first of these ideas to reach the screen was 1998's "A Bug's Life." "Monsters Inc." became the second to see life on the screen.

Once again scored and with a new song written by Randy Newman, the song "If I didn't Have You" would go on to win the Oscar for best song, which would be Newman first Academy Award. Once again winning critical and box office success, "monsters Inc." continued Pixar's slow dominance of the animation landscape.

But it did have it's controversies. It faced a few lawsuits, the first from Lori Madrid who claimed it ripped off of her 1999 story, There's a Boy in My Closet. The second one was from Stanley Mouse, who claimed the characters of Mike and Sulley were rips from drawings he tried to sell to Hollywood back in 1998. Both lawsuits would be thrown out, but almost delayed the release of the film.

My Reaction: My uncle once told me a few weeks after "Monsters Inc." was released that he felt the only reason it did well was because of 9/11 and the issues of fear the movie deals with. While I some how doubt that was the main reason why it did well, he may have had something there. "Monsters Inc." came out at an interesting time in American history. It was released less then two months after 9/11. The terrorist attacks were still VERY fresh in everyone's minds and fear was very much in the air. It could very well be that with it's story steeped in conquering fear, there was some connection with that statement my uncle made. I could see there being some connection.

Regardless of why it did well, this was a great film with great messages and possibly the BEST and most exciting climax for any Pixar film to date. I remember seeing the doors segment when I saw this movie on the big screen opening day (which started the tradition for me of seeing every Pixar film since on opening day) and thinking they had the making for an amazing ride at a Disney park on their hands. Watching it again reminded me of how cool it was, and also how perfect the ending was.

Based on news feeds, it seems that Pixar is making a sequal to this film. After watching the original again, I'm cautious at best for a follow up. Not because I would not love to re-visit these characters but because I fear it would ruin the ending of the original. I guess time will tell, it is still unknown as of now what Pixar has in mind.


My Wife's Reaction: She seemed to like it and thought Boo was really cute.

My Final Grade: (A-) This film was awesome and had possibly more warmth then the previous three films had. I enjoyed it for the most part and find myself still in amazement of the big final with the door room. The villains just didn't do it for me though. But I loved the Sulley, Mike and Boo, each of them were well developed in my mind.

All images copyright Disney/ Pixar. All rights reserved.