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Disney/Pixar’s first 3-D movie, Up follows the adventure of Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old man who uses thousands of balloons to uproot his house and travel to South America to find the legendary Paradise Falls.  Carl and his wife Ellie always dreamed of visiting this place and following in the footsteps of their favorite explorer, Charles Muntz.  After his wife passes away, and Carl is threatened with the prospect of moving into a retirement home, he decides to leave it all behind him.  However, he doesn’t realize that he has an eight-year-old stowaway on board -- a zealous Boy Scout named Russell.  Together, they make it to Paradise Falls and find the rare and wondrous Skype bird, while Carl also befriends a devoted dog named Dug. 

Content that may be of concern to parents primarily consists of threatening, perilous, and potentially violent situations.  Carl Fredricksen misses his wife and is furious when one of the construction workers near his house almost knocks down the mailbox he and Ellie painted together.  In anger he hits the worker over the head with his cane, and the man falls down with a spot of blood forming on his forehead.  People surround the man and it appears he was hurt fairly badly.  Additionally, Charles Muntz, Carl’s childhood hero, turns out to be the villain, and perpetrates some loathsome acts.  In one instance he sets Carl’s house on fire in an attempt to steal the rare Skype bird.  Muntz has a maniacal obsession with bringing the Skype bird back to America after his credibility was questioned when he brought back only the skeleton of a Skype.  Muntz also ties up Russell and places him outside his Spirit of Adventure airship to meet his death.  He attacks Carl with a sword, and also takes up a gun in order to threaten Carl, Russell, the Skype bird, and Dug the dog.  Charles Muntz’s army of talking dogs may also be frightening to children.  At one point Alpha, Beta, and Gamma dog appear and Alpha dogs eyes glow red- this could be a disturbing image for youngsters. 

Overall Up blends visual beauty with sincere sweetness and is a wondrous, magical film.  Carl meets his beloved Ellie as a kid, and through a highly effective montage we quickly understand how deep their love runs.  After Ellie passes away, Carl shuts himself away from the world and talks to her as if she’s the house.  In an effort to give her what he could not while she was living, he uses balloons to whisk them away to Paradise Falls, a place he always promised to take her.  Slowly, Carl’s cantankerousness melts away as his affection grows for stowaway Russell, and eventually both emerge as heroes.  Ellie would be proud of him.  Up displays what it’s like to live with courage and valor, and how amazing life can be if you follow your dreams and have faith.  There are unanticipated pleasures right around the corner if you take action.  And sometimes, these surprises can lead to unimaginable rewards, like the friendship that develops between Carl and Russell.  And most importantly, it is never too late to make your aspirations a reality.        

Up is a fun-filled adventure that can be enjoyed by most members of the family, but because of intense action and perilous situations, this film is not recommended for children under the age of seven.

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