Disney/Pixar makes magic with “Up”

I probably could use a thousand adjectives to describe “Up,” Disney/Pixar’s latest animated feature.

But I think I’ve found one word that captures the movie: magic.

“Up” tells the story of the life of Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Edward Asner). He and his wife, Ellie, always planned to follow explorer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) deep into the jungles of South America, but life got in the way of their dreams. The ups and downs of their life together is shown in a gorgeous, affecting montage with no dialogue — just a lilting waltz. I smiled, and I cried, during it.

When Ellie dies, Carl, now in his 70s or 80s, is lost and depressed. He finally decides to make their dream come true anyway and attaches thousands of balloons to his house with the intent of floating peacefully to South America to, apparently, sit in his trusty chair on the top of a waterfall for the rest of his life.

Throwing a wrench into his plans is Russell (newcomer Jordan Nagai), a rambunctious, talkative Wilderness Explorer determined to get his last badge, the Helping the Elderly Badge, by helping Carl with whatever he needs, despite Carl’s curmudgeonly efforts to stop him. The pair finally make it to South America, only to have Russell befriend a large tropical bird named Kevin and a dog named Dug (who talks, with the help of a translator collar) follow them around.

And, the icing on the cake, Charles Muntz is not happy to have the pair there, trying to save Kevin (he wants to take the bird back to the U.S. to show).

“Up” is sweet, funny, heartbreaking and joyful, often all at the same time. There are very scary parts — Charles Muntz has gotten pretty crazy and violent during his decades in the jungle, and his army of dangerous dogs is frightening. There are also lighthearted moments and poignant scenes. It’s a well-rounded, layered story, the likes of which are so rare in animated movies these days. In fact, I’m pretty sure that only the crew at Disney/Pixar and anime director Hayao Miyazaki are cranking out animated films this good.

The animation is top-notch, but if you’ve seen a Pixar movie you already know that. If you see it in 3D, as I did, you’ll forget it’s in 3D (no cheap 3D tricks here!), and if you see it in 2D, I suspect you won’t miss it much. It’s the details that make the animation stand out — from each little badge on Russell’s vest, to the way Carl’s chair has been broken in, to the tennis balls on the feet of Carl’s cane. It helps make the movie sparkle.

“Up” is so much more than just a little animated children’s movie. It’s on a level with “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast” and last summer’s “Wall-E,” far above last year’s “Kung Fu Panda” and “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.” It’s a movie for all ages, and, perhaps for different reasons, adults and children will be equally delighted by “Up.”

Jenny’s Take: See it tonight.

Rated PG for some peril and action. Runs 96 minutes.

For more pop culture fun, check out Jenny’s blog at www.fwdailynews.com/jenny. Recent posts include Jenny’s opinion on comic book character Archie’s pending nuptials and a review of the season premiere of “Jon & Kate Plus 8.”