Lets begin by stating that I might give off some spoilers while typing this review, so please try to watch the movie before reading. I can assure you that its quite a movie too good to be missed.
This movie marks the 10th movie that Pixar has made, and has once again fallen into the category of almost perfection, much like Ratatouille before it. However, also like its old counterparts, while being a good movie, it is really more recommended for couples to watch together than a bunch of guys going together in the movie.
There really nothing much "Manly" within the movie. Its hilarious, and might seem rather shallow overall when first watching the movie. To be perfectly honest, it does look like just another touching animation, with some adventure to South America thrown in for good luck. Then add in a bad guy, a sidekick, a bird, a talking dog and a long dead wife. Some might even see it as simple kid's animation, nothing for anybody that has learnt to stop peeing in their bed.
If anything, I would assure everyone that within the movie, there would be many many situations where it would be the kids that did not understand the whole story that the film is trying to tell. It gives out strong emotions with their great use of story and music. Movie songs like "The Ellie Badge" and "Married Life" are still playing in my mind as I continue typing on this review.
But going back to the point, on the issue that this movie would seem rather shallow to some, I actually believe that this movie really hits home as one with many many layers with many many underlying meanings below each and everyone. It would be far too hard for a child to understand some of these themes presented within the movie, thus my point that its a movie for adults.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
The movie started out rather different from others, with the playback of the life of the protagonist, Carl. From him meeting Ellie when he was young because of the antagonist, to a seemingly blissful and normal life until death, and the news of Ellie's infertility thrown in-between. He is really nothing more than a normal guy, that had lost his wife, and am going to be forced into a nursing home(I chuckled at the name, "Shady Oaks Nursing Home".) because of being deemed a public nuisance. Then the idea of adventure pops in, as he remembers how he promised, 'cross his heart' that he would save enough money to get to Paradise Falls with his wife. And so he goes on his adventure, and meets up with a "oversized chicken" and Doug a talking dog. While at South America, he also met up with the antagonist, Muntz, that brought him and his wife together in the first place, and ends up in a conflict as the bird(Kevin) that Muntz wanted to catch to succeed in clearing his name once again, was the one that had followed Carl and Russell. They escaped the first time, but Carl decided to save his burning house rather than Kevin which was stuck in a rope trap. He then said, that he had enough of everything, and would get the house to the falls, even if it killed him.
Upon reaching the falls with the house, it reached just in time as the balloons could no longer hold the weight of the house. Russell gives...
Wait a minute, I'm just giving a summary here.
Alright, I'll just give my thoughts instead, if you're reading this, you should have finished the movie yourself.
I like specifically many themes within the movie.
Firstly, on adventure. I enjoy how the view is placed on adventure. How Muntz's adventure was to capture the bird and clear his name, Carl to get his house onto the spot right beside Paradise Falls to accomplish his late wife's dreams, how Russell's dream was to assist Carl and achieve his Assisting the Elderly badge and how Doug's dream was to achieve recognition from the rest of his pack or anyone. With all adventures initially only resulting in personal gain and gratification. But as the story moved on, and both Carl and Russell moving their dreams to one of saving Kevin, that we see them succeeding, and Muntz falling to his death. In fact, we should also realize how close Carl is to this end as well, as he screamed that he would bring the house to Paradise Falls "even if it kills me!". Ironically, Doug did achieve his dream, but it has so hilarious that he's forgiven.
Thus it brings about many questions, on what constitutes a good adventure, a worthy adventure? One that should be allowed to succeed compared to one that's turns him into an antagonist.
Also, when Carl forever thought that he was following Ellie's adventure, to bring the house to Paradise Falls, he realized that it wasn't so just as he finished his task. To Ellie, what that was the adventure was their married life right from young age to getting old and dying. And even tells him that "Thanks for the Adventure. And that now its time to find your own." It was then that he realized that he had only been always following in her adventure, and even more that it wasn't the adventure that she enjoyed the most in her living days. This eventually drove him to continue with his heart and went off to save Kevin, even being willing to throw away both his and Ellie's chairs, in order for the balloon to fly again. (Much like how he loaded the burden and stress of his wife's death, and moving on with his own life.) Mention should also be given to how the movie's credits was labeled as "My NEW Adventure Book", listing down a journal of Carl's normal life with Carl and Doug. Nothing was recorded of the adventures in South America, only after.
On the importance on relationships as well. The whole movie focuses on it, with Carl and Ellie, Russell with his father, Muntz towards his dogs, Ace towards his dogs and especially, Carl towards Russell, Doug and Kevin at the end. I especially like the part where Russell told Carl that he has his dad often found fun not in the exciting things, but how they used to eat Ice Cream by the kerb, and counted red and blue cars and they passed by. Even stating that he liked that kerb. It almost seemed like a younger form of himself, reminding Carl that it wasn't the exciting things like going to an adventure to South America that mattered in his relationship with Ellie, but the times that he spent watching the clouds with her, and while they were at their jobs together. It was great that they ended the movie with the 2 sitting by at the kerb, counting the cars that passed by.
I have not much time left to type, thus I would end it off with the last major point, on the ideas of friends and enemies. Who are the friends? And who are the enemies in this movie? Muntz was first introduced as a "Friend" as it was him that brought Carl and Ellie together in the first place. Even more when they were captured that he instructed his dogs that they were now guests, and not to be harmed. But then his ambitions got the better of him, as once he knew they had with them Kevin, he immediately disregarded them as friends, and turned his back towards them for the bird. And yet on the other hand, while Russell appeared to be nothing but a problem weighing down Carl from achieving his goal initially, he was the one that knocked Carl into his senses, coupled with Ellie's "My Adventure Book". And Doug, which initially simply followed the 2 to the cave filled with hostile dogs without any retaliation, ended up being the one leading them out of the cave and even overcoming the rest of the dogs on the blimp. Smaller examples included Kevin's fast changing view of Carl as a friend or enemy, changing immediately once Russell assured him, and of how a dog commented, "I like you… Temporarily" as they were led into the cave of Muntz upon an immediate change in attitude towards them on Muntz's command.
I shall leave it here for now. Feel free to watch this great movie, I am sure I missed out much more themes present within the movie itself. Just grab some friends and go ahead and watch the movie.
Though if its too much manly guys, maybe try Public Enemy.
