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UP got Harry incredibly UP!!!
Masterpiece is such an over used phrase when it comes to PIXAR – because if very nearly every film is either almost a masterpiece, a simple masterpiece or a heartbreakingly brilliant masterpiece – the meaning is drained from the word and the only adjective I’m left with to describe one their films is to simply state… it is a Pixar Movie – and that carries the weight of its own realized expectations. UP isn’t quite the film that I thought it was. About 4 days ago – an Austin friend ran into me at CHUYs after she had gotten into the UP screening – and stated how much she was looking forward to it, but she was slightly nervous having seen the 45 minutes we’d seen at BNAT over 6 months ago. What if it doesn’t live up? And all of a sudden a thought hit me. What if they kill Carl? The old man. What if they build that character up and kill him? I got nervous. Very nervous. In the first 45 minutes – I had already formed an attachment that made me think of Carl as an amalgam of my own father and grandfather – and are they going to carve my heart out? Will they kill every boy & girl’s grandfather on screen and force the little kids to grapple with the weight of simple mortality? Worse. Will they reawaken that fear in me? PIXAR films flirt with dangerous territory, but often guide us in the general direction of security and the hope of a happy ending. However, there was something about that first 45 minutes that had me feel that there could be a dark twist ahead. And I was right about the dark twist, only… not exactly, but incredibly satisfied. CARL is an old man. He comes from a great generation – having had a long and happy life with the woman of his dreams. Now he’s on his last days, he feels alienated by the world beyond his house. Closed in by the booming society that has supplanted his old neighborhood in lieu of skyscrapers and suits. His life has apparently been fairly uneventful, but filled and powered by childhood dreams. You remember those. The dreams you had as a child that perhaps many of you followed for an indeterminate period of time, before realizing that you didn’t have the math and science to be an astronaut – and the space program has never been as ambitious as a little boy’s dreams… at least it hasn’t been since I was a small boy. In the contest for tickets – I had people that dreamt of being comic artists, film critics, torch singers in smoky clubs, Pixar animators, archeologists, President and so on. There were the folks that wanted to bio-engineer dinosaurs and mythological creatures, that wanted to be bit by a radioactive spider or realize that they came from the planet Krypton – and in a lot of the replies there was a sadness about themselves. Even though there were many youngsters – much younger than me – they already felt the compromise of a realistic life. A life where bills grow, accidents and health create debt and jobs can be lost. But they’re also blessed with families they love, a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife – and they’ve found a life they love that they couldn’t have dreamt of as a kid, because kids rarely dream maturely. I know this seems off topic, but in reality – the first 45 minutes deals with a lot of these sorts of issues. It does it with an economy of exposition that will shame most every screenwriter in the business. They show us life, rather than explain it. They show us love, regret, ambition, loss and the power of dreams without ever verbalizing a single conversation. It is… frankly humbling. There are no long pointless sequences that abandons our main characters in place of a pop culture gag that does not advance the story – and frankly – that’s the biggest difference between PIXAR and just about everyone else. They understand humor inherent to the material and the story – and they realize that it is all about buying into these characters – and that the character isn’t just Carl Fredricksen… but little Russell – the Wilderness Explorer looking for his ASSISTING THE ELDERLY badge. In the first 45 minutes, I didn’t know if I believed in his character or not. I was fond of him. I liked him, but I wondered if he was ever going to be more than his uniform and age. Would they explore what makes the sidekick character need a side to kick from? Yes, they do. And it isn’t a softball pitch either. It has the emotional resonance every bit the equal of Mr Fredricksen. There’s a reason behind this boy’s passions – and a reason for his over-compensating need to please. And it absolutely makes the film soar higher than it’s fictional house and balloons. The structure of the film is based in many ways upon two of my favorite RKO films that were filmed concurrently. KING KONG and THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. Even though the first act plays much more like the first act of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Like KING KONG – it takes our characters about 45 minutes to get to the “island” or the “Escarpment” that this film has as its reality based fantasy locale. In that 45 minutes – they introduce our main characters, create their initial bonds and conflicts – and gives them a reason for their adventure. In this way – it also reminds one of THE WIZARD OF OZ – especially with the montage STORM sequence that is very very evocative of that classic Tornado sequence – minus silly things going by the window. Once they reach the Escarpment – they find they’ve landed in an area on the opposite side from where Carl’s wife had dreamt of their “club house” being – and suddenly Carl and Russell must FITZCARRALDO that house to its proper place. Along the way they meet an amazing bird that Russell names KEVIN and a talking dog that informs him that his name is DUG – voiced by UP writer and co-director Bob Peterson with sublime perfection. And it is that much that was screened at BNAT in rough story board, early rough animation and some close to finished animation. Finished – this period of the film has introduced us to our main characters and our place of action and purpose of action. In very nearly the next scene – we’re introduced to a whole lot of conflict and a great deal of unforeseen situations. My favorite of these involves the other human character of the vanished great explorer that Carl worshipped with his wife… CHARLES MUNTZ – voiced by Christopher Plummer – but evoking a visual check from Kirk Douglas by way of Leslie Banks’ Count Zaroff. Like in that last reference’s movie – there’s a point during dinner where everything about the direction of the film turns. And it does turn dark. Not so dark as to warp children – but definitely it turns into a film where life is risked and lost and it is tense as hell. Spoiling the last act of the film would be a crime. Mainly because it unfolds so beautifully, so perfectly that it just makes you cheer. There really seems like there’s nothing left unexplored – and I can’t believe just how good it all comes together. Many people were critical of the last act of WALL-E, and while I get what they’re talking about – I disagree. The last act of UP is supremely entertaining in the kind of way that the last act of MONSTERS, INC and FINDING NEMO and TOY STORY 2 end. The relationships and situations are all absolutely earned through the empathy that the film builds with the characters, the economy of exposition and through tension. In fact – the dinner scene for some reason evoked the meeting scene in OUT OF THE PAST with Mitchum and Douglas… only imagine if Jack Lemmon & Walter Matthau’s love child (Carl voiced by Ed Asner) was facing off against an elderly Kurt Douglas (pre-stroke). It is shot with heavy film noir-esque shadows and the nefarious reveal has the weight of that great turn scene of Count Zaroff. It is at this point that the film just doesn’t stop. Suddenly – we’re in full on chase/threat/rescue/hero/helpless/panic excitement mode! Because you care about the characters I found myself near breathless through these action scenes, which have the gleeful invention of a great Nick Park action sequence! After the film – the audience was glowing. It was as if each and every last one of us were 3 feet tall, tiptoeing into our childhood living room on Christmas morning and found our heart’s desire with a big bow on it and with balloons! Lots of balloons. This film isn’t a specified fetish film like MONSTERS, INC, THE INCREDIBLES, WALL-E, CARS, TOY STORY, A BUG’S LIFE or even RATATOUILLE. This is a human adventure primarily – without the obvious childhood fetish item. The fanciful elements concern talking dog collars, giant crazy bird critter and a balloon powered floating house. Otherwise – you’re dealing with humans – humans that have been hurt, have desires, motivations and problems. And nothing could be better. With STAR TREK, UP and DRAG ME TO HELL – this May we have 3 completely different types of perfect BIG films. And I’ll be damned if I can figure out from a single viewing which I love most! And that is something I find incredibly fortunate to be afflicted with. That I’m talking about KING KONG, OUT OF THE PAST, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, FITZCARRALDO along with the best of Pixar’s films… well it tells you how fondly I regard this film. Pete Docter has made another incredibly wonderful PIXAR film! P.S. I’ll be writing a separate piece on PARTLY CLOUDY, the short film that preceded the feature later tonight… possibly. It is possibly the most iconic short they’ve yet made. But like I said – more on that later!
Readers Talkback
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Looking forward to up like all Pixar films
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Just kiddin'. Can't wait for this one.
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ZING!!!!
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Is it better than Toy Story 2 and The Incredibles or just above A Bugs Life?
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So does Christian Bale dipped in fudge... ZING!!!! Ok, I'll stop
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They just are Pixar.
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You liked it, I get why and doesn't give the key points away. Keep it up.
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I love Pixar. Even the mediocre ones-Cars, Bug's Life and Monsters Inc. Are lightyears ahead of the best animation from rival studios. They had me at "Pixar presents."
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There's a masterpiece!
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I thought the Q & A was also one of the best, where every question I wanted to ask was asked by someone in the audience, and answered articulately. I was very happy to have seen the documentary "The Pixar Story" about a year or so before seeing this to understand how unique Pixar is in combining full force creative talent with scientific/engineering genius and what it produces for us to enjoy as entertainment. (It's like those old Reese's commercials hey...you got peanut butter in my chocolate!) UP is a beautiful movie through and through. Thanks to Harry and the Kids club and the Drafthouse for letting us see this early. And I LOVED Partly Cloudy, too.
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...usually it takes a bulk-handling crane to accomplish that.
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I've seen other talkbackers ask this in other talkbacks, and no one seems to know--what the hell is the current flash animation at the top about? All I can think of is the Ace Ventura sequel, where he shadow-puppets tweaking the villian's nipples.
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I'm not wild about their human character designs; particularly how they caricature elderly people. They suffer from Jimmy Neutron Syndrome -- great personalities, perfect rendering, but the character designs look like they were executed by amateur cartoonists.<br>Beautiful renderings, sorry designs.<br><br>Toys, monsters, rats and bugs they can do -- but people...needs some work.
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Toy Story > Ratatouille > The Incredibles > Toy Story 2 > Monsters Inc. > Cars > Wall-E > Finding Nemo > A Bug's Life (but none of them are bad films... The top 3 are all 9s whereas A Bug's Life is a 6. The rest are 7s and 8s.
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April 18, 2009, 10:24 p.m. CST
speaking of "up", are you still in a wheelchair, Harry?
by Cotton McKnight
I hope not. Has the lap band surgery been helping? We need you to stick around, you know.
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Could be a reference to Bram Stoker's Dracula:the scene where Keanu is writing the letter to Winona and Oldman is lurking in the shadows. Or I could be wrong.
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April 18, 2009, 10:27 p.m. CST
Kid Idioteque. Really? You put Ratatouille that high?
by Cotton McKnight
I don't see that at all. I would in fact say that it is far and away my least favorite. By a country mile. Like you said, none of them are bad, I just prefer some over others.
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It told me a lot about why you think Up is special, but without giving too much away. Since it sounds like the discovery of something novel will be a big part of this movie's appeal, that's considerate of you. I'm looking forward to this flick. Though again, I wish they'd had the balls to just call the kid a Boy Scout (a minor point I know, but a sore one with me, heh).
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Could be, but the shadows in Dram Stoker's Dracula were all very fluid, while the one above looks like a finger based shadow-puppet. That could be part of the joke though, I suppose. I've been coming here at least six years and this one is one of only a couple that I haven't got.
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And I never will.UP WILL WIN THE OSCAR!
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Uh...
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Cause Wall E kinda sucked.
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April 18, 2009, 11:18 p.m. CST
And other are still doubting... cause it's cool to be negative
by CENOBITE
I don't get it. It's PIXAR. *sits back and waits for the typical angry 40 year old virgin teeth grinding in the talkbacks*
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This is going to be one of those years that you are happy to a person that loves film.
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A lot of blood supporting your waist, am sure it's amazing when little Harry stands tall and proud
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That or Harry is on meds, seems like a different person. Movie looks great, but there is so much coming out right now - they keep it dry so long and then cram everything out at once.
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You never really said anything in particular about the movie in your "review". But you did say how the 1,200 people in the audience were "screaming, shrieking". You even quoted your fellow audience members: "I've never screamed in terror at a movie in my life until tonight!" (node/40453) How about some particulars? It's Raimi's first horror flick in like two decades. Surely, you must have some thoughts on it.
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comes out? I haven't really liked them since Monsters INC.
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(big Ups to Sonic Reducer)
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April 19, 2009, 12:01 a.m. CST
every on is a classic except cars
by supercowbell4therequestformorecowbell
cars sucks
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Wasn't Larry the Cable Guy in that one? Maybe that's why.
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I read through the whole article thing and other than some shit about an island and an old man this is one of the most rambling articles Harry has written in days.
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Those are the only ones I walked out of/turned off.Toy Story 2 is easily one of my least favorite sequels in history. I swear monkey with typewriters wrote it... Forgot about Wally. That sucked, too.
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flying with balloons.
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I hate it when people recount the whole plot in reviews.
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why should we care about this movie?
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Best Pixar movie evahhhhh. The Pix gang managed to create a viable believable world out of a child's night terrors. Ubercool. So, Harry, you liked UP? Well, maybe I'll go see it anyway.
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Awesome, watched a million times:<BR> TOY STORY<BR> TOY STORY 2<BR> THE INCREDIBLES <BR><BR> Great, watched a bunch of times:<BR> RATATOUILLE<BR> MONSTERS, INC.<BR><BR> Average:<BR> A BUGS LIFE<BR><BR> Sucked:<BR> CARS
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Those damn ads with those HORRIBLY DESIGNED CHARACTERS actually made me hate the clown's food even more than I normally do, which is to say, prodigiously. I have not gone to see MvA because it looked like total ass, like bargain-basement TV CGI, like Get Ed, like Back to the Barnyard, like Bizarro Jimmy Neutron. Ptoo! So I'm hepped up on UP, because it looks pretty cool. But I won't be seeing it because Harry liked it. Hey, Harry, how's that Obama presidency workin' out for ya?
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HOW CAN THEY BE ALIVE AND DRIVING AND RACING BY THEMSELVES WHEN THE WHOLE POINT OF CARS IS THAT PEOPLE DRIVE THEM??? Family Guy actually stole this gag from me, of Pixar making any random object anthropomorphic and alive.
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And I quote: "You remember those. The dreams you had as a child that perhaps many of you followed for an indeterminate period of time, before realizing that you didn’t have the math and science to be an astronaut" <P> THIS statement from a guy who's fucking running a very profitable business devoted to geekery; associating with people in Hollywood; is decked out in collectibles and nostalgia?..And before that I think I recall you said you were running a family oil operation?! <p> Come on, Harry. Do you REALLY know what that feels like to have to "compromise"? Did you really have to have a harsh dose of reality? So you didn't become an astronaut--you're doing better than 99% of the population, and still living the average child's dream! <p> I love you and your site Harry, but sometimes I REALLY wonder if you have perspective here. <p> Then again, I'm an oversensitive bitch...And still very excited to see this movie.
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This is the first Pixar movie I have no desire to see. I may rent it. But thats about it.
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April 19, 2009, 1:35 a.m. CST
lol he said monsters inc toy story 2 and wall-e sucked
by supercowbell4therequestformorecowbell
fucking RETARD
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The eyeball guy was brilliant. He just had me rolling on the floor. I loved him as one could love a cartoon character.
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Seriously, snoring an all, until my friend next to me hit me to wake up. Why does CARS get included with all those great Pixar films? It's no where near as good as any of them, for me its the worst Pixar film.
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April 19, 2009, 2:17 a.m. CST
our annual blowjob to Pixar (but they deserve it)
by lavatory love machine
they haven't top toy store 2 yet, the best pure sequel of all time (not part of a saga but an independent story)
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Add a spoiler box to this article?? It needs one.
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Every year it's another cute bug eyed monster or robot now or animal.
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So, what would shake up that formula in your mind? What type of character/film would break that trend, huh? Because to me, it's impossible to pick out such a superficial trend out of their subject matter. They've animated inanimae objects, animals, and humans. It's like trying to play 20 questions with the restriction that whatever it is can't be animal, mineral or vegetable, because it's always animal, mineral, or vegetable, and dangit, it's time for something new! Every time I hear someone classify Pixar films as "all the same", it always falls back onto the most general of comparisons.
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pixar makes great films. what i love most about all of this talk back is how everyone has different favorites and different opinions. That's what makes thess films so great is that they can move different people, honestly i didn't really like cars, but i didn't think it was a bad film, just didnt move me. the brad bird films and monsters inc. to me, have been the best all around films. Can't wait to see this one, harry's review has pumped me up for sure.
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April 19, 2009, 3:22 a.m. CST
Cool. But I'd love to see Pixar do a mature, LOTR style movie.
by Mr Nicholas
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When they were showing zoom-out views of the track, with all the spectacle and lights. Then it just went to sheer boredom. I found the whole time at that little town so dumb.
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April 19, 2009, 3:45 a.m. CST
Pixar should do a movie called 'ALIENS vs MONSTERS.'
by GibsonUSA Returns
It would be the first "head to head' contest on how two studios tackle basically the same subject matter.
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April 19, 2009, 3:47 a.m. CST
Wait, there was Madagascar vs. Disney's The Wild.
by GibsonUSA Returns
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I am not sure if I want them to make Live Action... Kinda makes them in the same pool as everyone else...
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That's when UP starts screening in the Philippines... Cheer up! 112 more days to go. It's just like you cracked your head on an accident, be on coma for 4 months and when you wake up... voila... UP glory awaits... If you're on the states and you are on coma... you'll miss it! We've got time to crack our heads!
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Oh PIXAR, you can do no wrong! <p> And the roster goes......... <p>Toy Story 2<p>Rattattouille (sp) lol <p>WALL:E <p>The INcredibles<p>Toy Story <p>Bugs Life <p>Monster Inc <p> Finding Nemo <p> Cars. <p> Cars is beautiful, but there;s just something creepy and wrong about it, unfortunately. I thought the shot of the main cars tongue was just wrong lol. God, I love me some PIXAR :)
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Pixar is awesome yes, but automatically liking every Pixar movie, just because it's made from Pixar is wrong. That's not to say Cars was God awful or anything, just lame.
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April 19, 2009, 4:22 a.m. CST
I remember being disappointed with the CARS teaser.
by GibsonUSA Returns
Cars was right after Incredibles right? I remember seeing the teaser for Cars and feeling nothing. And I felt upset because I felt like I had to look forward to whatever was AFTER Cars. Obviously I still watched Cars when it came out, but from the beginning it was ho-hum.
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The sequel was good, but just that, a sequel that tries to recapture the magic of the first film and fails. Movies aren't just good story telling and characters. They have to evoke a certain feeling. Toy Story is a classic from beginning to end. It's a perfect arch, a complete circle. It's up there with Snow White. No other Pixar film will ever top it. To me it's like remembering your first kiss. It's the one you remember the most. Anyone putting any other Pixar film above it, is purely going on nostalgia. Because you were ten when you saw Toy Story 2 and it was your first Pixar film blah blah. No! Toy Story is the perfect film. The perfect Pixar film.
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And I suspect I'm not alone. A old guy feels alienated by modern society so he floats his house away with balloons?!? The only reason that anyone would give that concept 5 minutes of their time is the Pixar brand.
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April 19, 2009, 6:24 a.m. CST
Heh, I am surprised nobody had made an erection joke
by DoctorZoidberg
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there will be no need to review Pixar movies. All the adverts need say is Pixar. Hey, they can stuff trailers as well, just say the title and when it's out. It's still likely to be brilliant and a deserved success.
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not interested in this one... a first for a pixar movie. Hope i'll be proved wrong
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Toy Story Toy Story 2 The Incredibles WALL:E - Finding Nemo (can't decide) Rattattouille Monster Inc Bugs Life Cars
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You might get that wish in 2011. One of the Pixar releases in that year is The Bear and the Bow, an epic fantasy set in the middle ages.
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...wasting precious time on a moronic review...
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...are your so-called review always limited to comparisons to other films ? Yes, I guess they are.
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Isn't that flash animation a reference to THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER (aka ALL THAT MONEY CAN BUY)? Great film that came out the same time as CITIZEN KANE.
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It just wasn't great.
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They make brilliantly designed animations, so far superior to DreamWorks and other companies that it hurts. But the word 'masterpiece' is so overused these days. Give a film 10 years, then let's see if it's a masterpiece.
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I like that the Pixar folks (John Lassiter in particular) are such huge fans of Miyazaki. And, unless I'm mistaken, this is their first dip into his kind of world. I loooove the fact that this is about an old man on a personal quest. The strange floating house, the dog with the collar. The kid with issues. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing this yet. But just from the trailer I'm getting a Miyazaki ibe that really has me jazzed. Can't wait!
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I have no interest in what gets you "up," Harry.
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Well....come to think of it the second half of Wall*E also had a bit of that Miyazaki feel...especially the blobby humans floating around in the spaceship.
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Pixar's films are made for me. Only me. And I'm 42. LOL.
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(spits tobacco, narrows eyes, fingers holster, walks into the O.K. Corral).
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April 19, 2009, 10:22 a.m. CST
I have visions of that grumpy old guy as a Happy Meal toy
by FeralAngel
Man, would long-suffering parents love that! Pixar should make the thing talk: "I'm not eatin' this slop!" or "This food gives me gas." Now THAT'S a toy I'd actually enter the dread demesne of McDonald'sLand for. But never for the "food".
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another Pixar gem, good to see them on a roll agian Cars really did stink, but I think that also was Pixar's attempt for a good corporate franchise, we'll probably see a couple Cars films and compared to the other schlock out there they will still be better the most. However to me Pixar is about great quality films I'm worried about Newt on the horizon it could be there first bomb.
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at first, I didn't like what I saw, but I am slowly warming up to it. As far as the Wall-E vs Bolt debate...wall-e all the way. Bolt though was a very big surprise for me because I expected Disney not to capture any of the magic PIXAR produces all the time, but it was actually a movie that made me feel that Disney has it in them to make something good if PIXAR decides one day to cut their their. Wall-E was not only a beautiful film to look at, but it was a brilliant social commentary on what technology is doing to the people in this world and it was movie. The person who compared TOY STORY's greatness to your first kiss...I loved that.
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Pixar is pretty much the one sure thing wehen it comes to motion picture entertainment these days. Everything they've done has been good (A BUG'S LIFE) to great (THE INCREDIBLES) or somehwere in between. No one has a track record like this. I think many of the pessimistic talkbackers that perpetually lurk here are just waiting for the Pixar folks to fall flat on their asses. But I've got news for you. It ain't gonna happen with UP!
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Pixar has always hit it out of the park. With all of their films. With Bug's Life at bottom, and The Incredibles at the top. They do what the rest of Hollywood doesnt understand, what Bryan SInger, and Mc g have no clue about, what Michel Bay cant comprehend what every other 'I have no original idea' director/producer can understand.....they tell an original story in layers, and they do it in a way where the story and the characters always have first priority. Everyone can hat all they want on Pixar, but no one can make a movie as good, and interesting, and emotionally satisfying.
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It ain't gonna happen with UP?! so wrong... Ir ain't gonna happen with Pixar. Period.
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I agree with you. If Pixar was gonna fuck up, it would have already happened. These people have an eye for quality that is sorely lacking in the film industry right now. You can't say that about Dreamworks animation-although I have to admit I really enjoyed MONSTERS VS. ALIENS. But I think that their other films-SHREK included-are stinking piles that are instantly forgettable wastes of time.
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The most overrated studio ever.
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but Harry, did you really just call Kirk Douglas "Kurt"?? Bad form, sir.. As for Pixar "best of", The Incredibles wins. Up until last year, it was the best film ever made about superheroes. And its only 2nd if we can really call Nolan's Batman a superhero.
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Pixar's genius deserves my best effort. . .
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... perfect raunchy review title pun. <p> When did Harry stop referring to his privates and the fluids that come out of them in his reviews? God this place changed so much... Not that this is a change I'd complain about...
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Is Harry is writing a resignation letter to this site letting us know he is stepping down and letting a group of people handle the site better then he can... Please do the right thing Harry!
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So tired of everybody slobbering all over Wall-E's mentally challenged knob.
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Harry, if you read this please respond, i do not write this to just be a dick, but to be serious, i love this site, this is where i get my reviews, this was the place to get the reviews without the bullshit, and usually not too biased, now i know what your verdict is going to be on movies as soon as they are announced. Star Trek, Drag me to hell for example, you loved them before they came out, maybe they are good, but i think you go in with too much of biased, negative/positive, xmen 3 was a movie you knew going in you were going to hate, you said it since you first started hearing about it, wolverine you are looking at mixed, and i bet the review will say the same, just a little better than x3, but you will still hate it because fox is doing it and they fucked up x3, im gonna call the future reviews for everyone to take notice and compare when they come up, terminator is gonna be pretty good, he will says its no t1 or t2 but way better than 3, avatar will be great, he will cum when he is writing the review, i would have called the same for up, drag me to hell, and star trek, gi joe will be a fun movie, a great summer movie, which i am sorry but you frequently judge others in a negative way about, only for those movies again you go in with a negative attitute, love harry potter, mostly love transformers but not the way you want to, love bruno, love public enemies, and thats all for now.......sorry about going on, this is first time posting, longtime reader, and i think you should try to go into movies as free as you can, at least let the idea that wolverine could be your favorite movie this summer for example, just wanted you to vent that out i guess, don't think im some asshole who only writes this to fuck with you, this is honestly how i feel, is you respond please give me your point of view on it, thanks harry....
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The Incredibles had subtext that flew over most kids heads and Ratotouille was about French cooking for crying out loud. Ya thats really kid friendly. Unless you mean why don't they stop doing animation they have pushed what passes for kids entertainment constantly.
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I love Ratatouille and WALL-E as much as the next guy, but I'm not the least bit interested in this. Strange.
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...are the only Pixar films that blow me away every time. I enjoyed all the Pixar movies but have no real urge to ever see them again...but I could probably watch THE INCREDIBLES once a week. This looks like it could be just as good.
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"Elasta-girl? You married Elasta-girl? ... (sees the two kids) AND GOT BUSY!!"<p>From the Jack-Jack Attack short: "What’s does the 'S' stand for?" "For... sitter. Yeah, sitter. Originally I was gonna have initials for baby sitter, but then I would have been going around with a big BS. And you understand why I couldn’t go with that."
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I really fell for that little piece of shit. He's Pixar's most endearing character. But Harry he's a talking turd. It doesn't matter. It's Pixar. They implanted a chip in me that makes me like every Pixar film.
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They were some of the funnest sequences I've ever seen. If UP has the same level I'm there.
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Nope. Me and the family look forward to it.
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The Incredibles<br> Wall-E<br> Toy Story 2<br> Finding Nemo<br> Toy Story<br> Monsters Inc<br> A Bugs Life<br> Cars<br> Ratatouille<br> <br> Of course, a bad film by pixar standards is better than 99% of the crap out there. Ratatouille is my least favourite, but its still a solid 8 to me. The Incredibles... goes up to 11.
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It's great. This-sounds and looks pretty good too. You gotta like Ed Asner.
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... it had a great story, wonderful characterization and the finest closing scene I've ever seen in a movie.<p> But hey, that's just, like, my opinion, man...<p><p><p><p>
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But I take any review coming from this site with a grain of salt. I actually enjoyed cars and loved Wall E. Monsters Inc was ok, But Toy Story is still the best.
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CARS is great (never got the hate, still dont) - it's FINDING NEMO and MONSTERS, INC that are overrated in my book. They're ALL good and beautifully done, but those two feel too "kiddie"-ish for me to really enjoy. I own everything else by Pixar and I'm sure I will own UP too, if it's as good as Harry says. In any case, however you rank them, Pixar has to be the most amazing creative company of modern times.
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Its incredible, as is The...Incredibles. And drag me to hell looks like one of the best films this year. UP will get me to the cinema, but i dont know what to expect.
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maybe it was the visuals and also it really got to me. I would probably put Wall E, Cars and Bug's Life near the bottom. Everything else was great though. And Ratatouille was fuckin amazing!
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1. Ratatoutille 2. The Incredibles 3. Toy Story 2 4. Finding Nemo 5. Toy Story 6. A Bug's Life 7. Monsters Inc. 8. Cars 9. Wall-E Love the first 30 minutes of WALL-E but the rest is lame and predictable. CARS is just weird...
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are entertaining! Not one dud. If you say otherwise,you are a sad pathetic douche bag.
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April 19, 2009, 7:33 p.m. CST
"This film isn’t a specified fetish film like MONSTERS, INC, THE
by henrydalton
Yeah. I have a thing for Sully.
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Not like Ratatoutille as much as most of the other Pixar movies? I put it on par with Cars, and I put both of them below all of the others. I thought it was a movie without an audience - I didn't much care for it and my kids were bored to death. Maybe it's just me. My top 3 are Monsters, Inc. Wall-E and Toy Story, but they're all good...
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April 19, 2009, 9:49 p.m. CST
I Couldnt Even Finish Reading That Random Story...
by Frodo T. Baggins
I thought I was going to hear about the movie. Instead I kept reading "The First 45 Mins" over and over and over.
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Ratatouille always struck a personal chord with me, connected with me on another level, so to speak, so it's my personal, if biased favorite. I enjoyed the fact they played up the desire for artistic purity (or purity in pursuit of whatever vocation one chooses) as a theme for the film. Of course, the Incredibles is my next favorite. Cars is the the weakest entry in my opinion, but still good and above average in the animation field in general, when compared to the average of other studio's outputs.
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There are moments in Ratatouille which are especially moving, like where Linguini has to come clean knowing how absurd the truth is, and how the truth in the end, sets him free, and how that honesty sets in motion the reaction for Collette to return and believe in that truth. It wasn't a moment born out of a contrivance, but out of genuine character. If we didn't already understand how Collette felt like the perpetual outsider - always having to prove herself, we'd never believe that she would have a change of heart at the end. It's that kind of dedication to character and development that keeps me coming back to Pixar time after time. There are so many live action films that fail to maintain that level of commitment to character.
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I'm looking forward to this! A part of me thinks it's John Pixar's attempt to outdo Ghibli's Old Woman in Howl's Moving Castle... And it's all well and good but when can we expect Pixar's answer Princess Mononoke??? Once ixar does a mroe mature animated film, only then can we truly say Pixar can do it all! C'mon ya pansies!
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ah I'm too tired to type correctly...
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the only one that bored me was Ratatoullie. maybe i was just having a bad day or something, but it did nothing for me. Probably better than Cars.
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April 20, 2009, 1:48 a.m. CST
and who in the fuck was wondering if they kill the old guy?
by BMacSmith
what the hell? why is this the thought that popped into Harry's head for this movie, and why does it matter if the story is good? fucking weird.
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April 20, 2009, 1:55 a.m. CST
even though Cars and Rat didnt do it for me, they were good
by BMacSmith
pisses me of when people say Wall-E or any Pixar movie sucked. Even if you werent a big fan, you have to admit they were great art and lots of people who arent brain dead idiots like them. Pixar has yet to make a bad movie.
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many of you followed for an indeterminate period of time..." Indeterminate period of time? Wow, is this dialogue some sort of homage to AMOS AND ANDY?
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Bullshit!
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what an annoying little monster!
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..but i did feel it was teeming with emotional spoilers. damn you harry knowles!
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that sentence in and of itself fundamentally spoils the fact that there is something to there spoil.. <br> (also, harry, why did you have to tell us that the movie gets dark or takes a dark turn after 'the dinner scene') <br> D'Oh! ..this was the most spoiler-rific review ever! (i'm exaggerating of coarse, but still!)
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that sentence in and of itself fundamentally spoils the fact that there is something there to spoil.. <br><br> also, Harry, why did you have to tell us that the movie gets dark or takes a dark turn after 'the dinner scene' ?? <br><br> d'oh! ..this was the most spoiler-rific review ever! (i'm exaggerating of coarse, but still!)
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and i wouldn't have even thought about the possibility of anyone dying until you mentioned it at all. <br><br> ugh. Thanks, Harry!
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I'm sure I'll love it
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<p>"With STAR TREK, UP and DRAG ME TO HELL – this May we have 3 completely different types of perfect BIG films. And I’ll be damned if I can figure out from a single viewing which I love most! And that is something I find incredibly fortunate to be afflicted with." </p> NO WOLVERINE? HAHHAAHA
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i thought Star Trek would far and away have been your easiest choice above all else as the superior film of this upcoming summer. <br><br> which of these 3 you've mentioned will truly stand in your heart for the years to come? <br><br> my guess would have been Trek, based on your review. <br> you made it sound like one of the greatest experiences in your lifetime.
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pixel has gone downhill since nemo and monsters inc....theyve become derivative of themselves...cars was sub-pixar on every level except visual...rat-a-too-ee was so contrived (the hair pulling puppet thing...really dumb)...and am i the only one who watched wall-e with high hopes only to be underwhelmed? WHY WOULD EVE HAVE A GUN AND FIRE AT EVERYTHING THAT MOVES IF SHES SUPPOSED TO BE SEARCHING FOR LIFE?????? and yeah the last act was not good. UP? yeah, we'll we'll see.
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I hated the robot voices. I was on pins and needles the whole time. I keep meaning to watch it like a silent film, volume off, and see if I like it more. I thought Cars was boring. It put me right to sleep. Otherwise, I love the Incredibles and Monsters INC the most. I never did see Ratatouille, but I need to.
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the whole cars concept was inherently misguided....sure kids love it but so what...kids are stupid and wil eat anything they are fed....pixal film used to work on an adult level (as ALL film should..the idea of 'kids' movies is a dumb and relatively new concept). i love all the pixar film (even bugs) except CARS, RAT and WALLE..they all felt way to FORCED, they didnt have that organic je nes ces qoi that the ealier films had. no magic. felt like a disney product.
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...is their only film that could be considered "not good".
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The only Pixar film to fall back on celebrity voices and puns on real names. May be why its not given the love of other Pixar. Me, I can't stand anything, I mean anything, that gives work and wages to Larry The Cable Guy, no matter how typecast the character was.
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Pixar shot it's load with Toy Story and Monsters Inc. TS2 was pure shit slapped together to make a dollar. The Incredibles was nothing more than a thinly veiled rip off of the Fantastic Four. Cars was some Acid Trip thrown up on film. Don't even get me started on Wall-E. No thanks Pixar I'm keeping my money.
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Ed Asner was dead. He's old.
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If your still around. I think the first head to head was actually A Bugs Life and Antz. Or even through in Any Bully in there.
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was shit, Crow, what kind of movies pass your quality test? I mean, damn, I cried with just about everyone else at Jessie's song, and was moved time after time in many other Pixar films. What films qualify as genuinely moving in your critic's handbook?<br></br><br></br>Incredibles a rip off? It has influences, but rip off implies you can't easily distinguish between the object of criticism and the point of comparison. I'm sick of people crying "rip off" whenever there's a passing resemblance to another work. I'm surprised you didn't say it was a Watchmen rip off as well, as that was the popular meme attack when it was released.
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Thanks, Harry! I can't wait to see this movie with my six and seven year old nephews.
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check out this australian website where you can see all about the ORIGINAL flying house story, complete with eccentric old man and lovable children. http://www.createchart.com.au/kookcreek.htm Pixar have never had an original idea in their lives.
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from Lawnchair Larry! <br></br><br></br> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Walters <br></br><br></br> It's a conspiracy!
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I hope when Mum's go to ask to Up at their local DVD store for their kid, they get given the Russ Meyer film.
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Cars rules! KA CHOW!
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you heard it here first
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I Love NASCAR and CARS was FUKIN AWESOME!! Doc Hollywood PIXAR style. GREAT STUFF. - IDIOTS!!
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I Love NASCAR and CARS was FUKIN AWESOME!! Doc Hollywood PIXAR style. GREAT STUFF. - IDIOTS!!
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April 22, 2009, 1:04 p.m. CST
Was Cars the one with the whole cowtipping thing?
by GibsonUSA Returns
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Go back and watch that movie and count the number of times someone yells. <BR> It's a weird thing I noticed about the movie. It is almost constant yelling. Very weird.<BR><BR> I did enjoy it, and the sequel, but I have to say my personal favorite is Finding Nemo.
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I'm hoping this movie is as surprisingly funny as Finding Nemo my favorite of pixar. I like to laugh a lot and if a movie is funny, not just the cheap laughs but down to the bones funny which i think this will be then i hoping to like it. then again if you anticipate to much you do get disappointed much to quickly damn i guess i'm going to hate this movie
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Motoko and Crooooooow....methinks you post for the sake of posting. Your comments, even if you truly believe them (which I sincerely doubt) are bullshit.
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can be misinterpreted very badly. When I saw this I thought "Up made Harry horny?"
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It's like a Scorcesse movie, no one wants to say a negative thing about it. Personally, I like most of Pixar's movies, but they aren't all the masterpieces critics claim. Wall-E had an amazing first 40 minutes and went terribly downhill after that.
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it's still better than most other GI releases (like, uh, Madagascar 2,Into the Wild, Barnyard and all that).
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you're a moron. No children and still live in mom and dad's basement, huh? Anyone with kids knows even a 'B' animation movie is okay. Did I type GI up above....meant CGI
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the shareholders are using to describe this movie.
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even cars had some of the most jaw droppingly beautifully back drops in a computer animated film. the opening to wall-e was dazzling. but i hated the movie by the time it ended. for reasons I have spoken of before. I remember loving Nemo when I saw it in the cinema in Dun laoghaire. I saw it again on tv recently. it really is the vibrant pixar film ever. Their films six films are the biggest computer animated films of all time. There are concerns, that the pixar people have become arrogant and complacent. they are not just geniuses. but they are super geniuses! go to irish times.com/the ticket and to read an article called hands off pixar.
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its very funny. http://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/articles/2009/0424/1224245276988.html
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. . . .that my young girls ALWAYS look excited when I put a Pixar DVD on. No movies produced by other companies seems to hit the same note with them. I've seen Toy Story 2 about 27 times (no joke), and it's still fun to watch. I think Wall-E gets a bad rap - its final act is excellent, and the whole movie holds together very well. John Lasseters wife said to him once that he shouldn't just make a movie for kids to enjoy once: he needs to make it for the adult who will be watching it for the 100th time. Amen to that.
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I loved Wall-E but the humans in the movie are rendered like giant ballon animals. I have used 3d programs before and I know how difficult people are to model and render. But there is capture technology with realtime voice and face, ect muscle reactions that look increadibly realistic. I rather have real actors and this new technology used to save hundreds of days of work that turns out silly looking "balloon people".
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<p>The 3D element was fantastic. Like all Pixar movies, the human element of the story is truly engaging. I enjoyed the story of this movie from beginning to end. I laughed a lot. I felt sad at some parts, the way Pixar knows how to tug at those emotions like no other production company.</p> <p>Unfortunately, the poor physics qualities of the floating house throughout the second half of the movie kept taking me out of what I was watching. It felt too impossible to be plausible. Normally, I have no problem with bending reality a little, my imagination can usually handle it. Ths time, however, it just hindered the story more than aided it, so I didn't appreciate it so much for this film. </p>
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If you didn't get teary eyed at least a few times then you have no soul
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and most moving meditation on marriage, life, all the little and big disappointments, speed-bumps, loves found and lost, and just about every other layer in a life lived that one can imagine... that I've ever seen in ANY movie, let alone an animated one. It reminded me of my grandparents. That just blew me the fuck away as no other film this year has. Brilliant and achingly human... I'd go so far as to say that montage said more about REAL life in an honest and non-ironic way than some cloying wannabe indie bullshit like Away We Go.
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Harry, I trust you didn't intend to turn Kirk into a Kurt, or that you'd also call a certain Escape from NY actor Kirk Russell (but what a great new name that'd be). Just giving you a hard time. Also, this movie, while wonderful, is really not for little kids, but I don't think that's clear to people. My theater was full of kids, and they were crying in that last act. It needs to be said that all Pixar movies aren't all alike, in fact a lot of them are down right adult in their seriousness for longer and longer stretches, and some, like this, are damned intense for kids under 10. The bad guy for example with his snarling monster dogs and homicidal tendencies was a lot to take. He clearly scared kids in the audience when he sets a certain fire, one had to be taken out as she bawled loudly. I don't think it's wrong to say that Disney has failed to make it clear this is not the movie to which parents can take the little kids who loved the villain and peril-free CARS. The danger and scares are simply not in the ads even if they are in the oh-so-ignored-MPAA's PG rating. There's so much to recommend about this movie, I loved it, and I loath that CARS is getting a sequel before the Incredibles, but I have to admit that Up does not fill the void of movies that are safe for little kids and watchable to adults. I doubt I'd care about that if it weren't being advertised as such though.
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To me it feels like every project since then has been back on track, and not the over-enthusiasm of one guy and a very bad idea... talking Cars are fine in 'Toy Story', but as a complete concept it was plain cruuud.
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