Up
Overview
Up is a 2009 computer-animated adventure comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Pete Docter. The film is set in South America and follows Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner), a 78-year-old widower who ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to Paradise Falls, a destination he had promised to visit with his late wife, Ellie. He accidentally takes along a young Wilderness Explorer named Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai). The film is famous for its opening sequence, which shows Carl and Ellie's life together, from their childhood meeting to their marriage to Ellie's death. It is a heartbreaking, beautiful, and wordless montage that is considered one of the greatest sequences in cinema history. The film follows Carl and Russell as they travel to Paradise Falls, encountering a talking dog named Dug (voiced by Bob Peterson) and a giant, colorful bird named Kevin. They are pursued by Charles Muntz (voiced by Christopher Plummer), a famous explorer who has been exiled from the scientific community. Up was a massive critical and commercial success, earning over $735 million worldwide. It won two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score. The film is widely considered one of Pixar's best films and a masterpiece of animation.
