v By Ashley Bagwell

“Up” is the latest in a string of highly successful Pixar films. This list includes “Toy Story”, “A Bug’s Life”, “Toy Story 2”, “Monsters, Inc”, “Finding Nemo”, “The Incredibles”, “Cars”, “Ratatouille” and “WALL-E.” While all of these films have been extremely successful, they pale in comparison to the breathtaking animation and overall huge picture of “Up.”

Having seen almost all of these films the American teenager is the best candidate when it comes to honestly reviewing this film. Growing up in the age of the animated film doesn’t provide us with the bias of nostalgia for how movies were done in the good ol’ days, or the “emotional maturity” to restrain from laughing at the “stupid funny” parts.

While one may feel that it seems important for teenagers to swallow their youth and refuse to see children’s movies, “Up” should be an exception. Pixar has once again raised the bar for the level of emotional maturity intertwined with the “stupid funny,” which is refreshingly devoid of much stupidity. This is a film about a sad old man and an eager young boy coming together to deliver an emotionally rewarding message, without the use of jokes involving bodily fluids.

It isn’t necessary to spring for the 3D showing, the movie is brilliant on its own, however if one should chose to watch it in 3D, they will find the common “It’s coming right at you!” has been replaced with the awe inspiring “Wow that is amazing!” scenes instead.

In addition to the positive critical reviews the film received and the millions of dollars grossed, the Pixar Company has furthered its image as a charitable corporation. A 10-year-old girl from Huntington Beach, California was suffering from the final stages of terminal vascular cancer and her dying wish was to “live to see the movie” despite the advanced stage of her disease. A family friend contacted Pixar and arranged for a private screening. The child could not open her eyes due to the pain caused from the cancer, so her mother described the film to her scene by scene. The young girl died approximately seven hours after the screening ended.