UP [2009 / 2014] [Limited Edition SteelBook] [3D Blu-ray + 2D Blu-ray] [UK Release]
Explore it in Amazing 3D! From the Creators of ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘Monsters, Inc!’
Immerse yourself in a whole new dimension of family entertainment. Bring the 3D experience home with this hilariously uplifting adventure from PIXAR and Disney.
Part rascal, part dreamer, retired balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen is ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, Carl Fredricksen sets off to the lost world of his childhood dreams. But unbeknownst to Carl Fredricksen, Russell, an overeager 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer who has never ventured beyond his backyard, is in the wrong place at the wrong time – Carl Fredricksen's front porch!
Experience every thrilling moment of their adventure as it comes to life before your eyes in spectacular PIXAR Blu-ray 3D Magic in a New Dimension that will send your spirits soaring UP, up and away!
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 2009 African-American Film Critics Association: Win: AAFCA Award for Top 10 Films. 2009 Alliance of Women Film Journalists: Win: EDA Award for Best Animated Feature Film for Pete Docter. Nominated: EDA Female Focus Award for Best Animated Female for Elie Docter for "Elle." 2009 Austin Film Critics Association: Win: AFCA Award for Best Score for Michael Giacchino. Win: AFCA Award for Best Animated Film. Nominated: AFCA Award for Best Film [3rd place]. 2009 Awards Circuit Community Awards: Win: Best Original Score for Michael Giacchino. Win: Best Animated Feature. Win: Best Foreign Language Film. Nominated: Best Motion Picture for Jonas Rivera (producer). Nominated: Best Original Screenplay for Bob Peterson (writer) and Pete Docter (writer). 2009 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards: Win: Best Animated Film. 2009 Cannes Film Festival: Win: Palm Dog Award for “Dug.” 2009 Casting Society of America: Win: Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting for an Animation Feature for Kevin Reher and Natalie Lyon. 2009 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards: Win: Best Original Score for Michael Giacchino. Win: Best Animated Feature. Nominated: Best Original Screenplay for Bob Peterson. 2009 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards: Win: Best Animated Film. Nominated: Best Picture. 2009 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards: Win: Best Film. Win: Best Director for Pete Docter. 2009 Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards: Nominated: Best Film [3rd place]. 2009 Film by the Sea International Film Festival: Win: Audience Award for Best Feature Film for Pete Docter. 2009 Florida Film Critics Circle Awards: Win: Best Animated Film. 2009 Golden Schmoes Awards: Win: Best Animated Movie of the Year. Nominated: Best Screenplay of the Year for Bob Peterson, Pete Docter and Tom McCarthy. Nominated: Best Music in a Movie. Nominated: Best DVD/Blu-ray of the Year. Nominated: Most Memorable Scene in a Movie for “Carl & Ellie montage.” 2009 Hollywood Post Alliance, USA: Nominated: HPA Awards for Outstanding Audio Post for a Feature Film for E.J. Holowicki , Michael Semanick, Michael Silvers, Tom Myers, PIXAR Animation Studios and Skywalker Sound. 2009 Houston Film Critics Society Awards: Win: Best Animated Film. Win: Best Original Score for Michael Giacchino. Nominated: Best Picture. 2009 IGN Summer Movie Awards: Win: Best Animated Movie. Nominated: Craziest Chase Sequence for “House vs Zeppelin Chase.” 2009 Indiana Film Journalists Association, USA: Nominated: IFJA Award for Best Picture. Nominated: IFJA Award for Best Animated Feature. 2009 Indiewire Critics' Poll: Nominated: ICP Award for Best Film [8th place]. 2009 Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards: Win: Best Animated Film. 2009 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards: Nominated: Best Animation for Bob Peterson and Pete Docter. 2009 National Board of Review, USA: Win: NBR Award for Best Animated Feature. Win: NBR Award for Top Ten Films. 2009 New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Nominated: Best Animated Film. 2009 New York Film Critics, Online: Win: NYFCO Award for Best Animated Feature. Win: NYFCO Award for Top Films of the Year. 2009 Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards: Nominated: Best Film [7th place]. 2009 Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards: Win: Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Bob Peterson and Pete Docter. Win: Best Original Score for Michael Giacchino. Win: Best Animated Film. 2009 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards: Win: Best Animated Film. Nominated: Best Score for Michael Giacchino. 2009 Scream Awards: Nominated: The Ultimate Scream. 2009 Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards: Win: Best Animated Film. Nominated: Best Picture [3rd place]. 2009 St. Louis Film Critics Association, USA: Win: SLFCA Award for Best Animated Film for Pete Docter. Win: SLFCA Award for Special Merit (for best scene, cinematic technique or other memorable aspect or moment) fFor the "opening marriage montage" sequence. Nominated: SLFCA Award for Best Film. Nominated: SLFCA Award for Best Music for Michael Giacchino. 2009 Teen Choice Awards: Win: Choice Summer Comedy Movie. 2009 Toronto Film Critics Association Awards: Nominated: Best Animated Feature. Nominated: Utah Film Critics Association Awards for Best Animated Feature Film. 2009 Venice Film Festival: Win: Future Film Festival Digital Award for Special Mention for Pete Docter. 2009 Village Voice Film Poll: Nominated: VVFP Award for Best Film [10th place]. 2009 Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards: Win: Best Animated Film. Nominated: Best Film. Nominated: Best Original Screenplay for Bob Peterson and Pete Docter. 2009 Women Film Critics Circle Awards: Win: Best Family Film. 2010 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score for Michael Giacchino. Win: Best Animated Feature Film of the Year for Pete Docter. Nominated: Best Motion Picture of the Year for Jonas Rivera. Nominated: Best Writing for an Original Screenplay for Bob Peterson (screenplay/story), Pete Docter (screenplay/story) and Tom McCarthy (story). Nominated: Best Achievement in Sound Editing for Michael Silvers and Tom Myers. 2010 Golden Globes: Win: Best Original Score in a Motion Picture for Michael Giacchino. Win: Best Animated Feature Film. 2010 BAFTA Film Awards: Win: Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music for Michael Giacchino. Win: BAFTA Film Award for Best Animated Film for Pete Docter. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for Best Original Screenplay for Bob Peterson and Pete Docter. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for Best Sound for Michael Semanick, Michael Silvers and Tom Myers. 2010 AARP Movies for Grownups Awards: Nominated: Best Movie for Grownups. 2010 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: Nominated: Saturn Award for Best Music for Michael Giacchino. Nominated: Saturn Award for Best Animated Film. 2010 AFI Awards, USA: Win: Movie of the Year. 2010 American Cinema Editors: Win: Eddie Award for Best Edited Animated Feature Film for Kevin Nolting. 2010 Annie Awards: Win: Best Animated Feature. Win: Directing in a Feature Production for Pete Docter. Nominated: Animated Effects for Eric Froemling. Nominated: Character Animation in a Feature Production for Dan Nguyen. Nominated: Character Design in a Feature Production for Daniel Lopez Muñoz. Nominated: Music in a Feature Production for Michael Giacchino. Nominated: Storyboarding in a Feature Production for Ronnie Del Carmen. Nominated: Storyboarding in a Feature Production for Peter Sohn. Nominated: Writing in a Feature Production for Bob Peterson, Pete Docter and Tom McCarthy. 2010 ASECAN: Win: ASECAN Award for Best Foreign Film for Bob Peterson and Pete Docter. 2010 Black Reel Awards: Nominated: Best Voice Performance for Delroy Lindo. 2010 BMI Film & TV Awards: Win: BMI Film Music Award for Film Music for Michael Giacchino. 2010 Bodil Awards: Win: Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film) for Pete Docter. 2010 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards: Win: Critics Choice Award for Best Score for Michael Giacchino. Win: Critics Choice Award for Best Animated Feature. Nominated: Critics Choice Award for Best Picture. Nominated: Critics Choice Award for Best Original Screenplay for Bob Peterson and Pete Docter. 2010 Central Ohio Film Critics Association: Win: Best Score for Michael Giacchino. Win: Best Animated Film. Nominated: Best Picture [2nd place]. Nominated: Best Original Screenplay for Bob Peterson and Pete Docter. 2010 Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain: Nominated: Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera). 2010 Danish Film Awards (Robert): Win: Robert Award for Best American Film (Årets amerikanske film) for Pete Docter. 2010 GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics: Nominated: Dorian Award for Film of the Year. 2010 Genesis Awards: Win: Outstanding Feature Film. 2010 Gold Derby Awards: Win: Original Score for Michael Giacchino. Win: Animated Feature. Nominated: Motion Picture for Jonas Rivera. Nominated: Original Screenplay for Bob Peterson, Pete Docter and Tom McCarthy. Nominated: Original Screenplay of the Decade for Bob Peterson, Pete Docter and Tom McCarthy. 2010 Grammy Awards: Win: Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for Michael Giacchino. 2010 Hugo Awards: Nominated: Best Dramatic Presentation in Long Form for Bob Peterson (story/screenplay/director), Pete Docter (story/screenplay/director) and Tom McCarthy (story). 2010 International Cinephile Society Awards: Nominated: Best Original Score for Michael Giacchino. Nominated: Best Animated Film. 2010 International Film Music Critics Award: Win: Film Score of the Year for Michael Giacchino. Win: Best Original Score for an Animated Film for Michael Giacchino. Nominated: Film Music Composition of the Year for Michael Giacchino for Track: "Married Life." 2010 International Online Cinema Awards: Nominated: Best Original Score for Michael Giacchino. Nominated: Best Animated Feature for Pete Docter. Nominated: Best Sound Editing for Michael Silvers and Tom Myers. 2010 Iowa Film Critics Awards: Win: Best Animated Feature. 2010 Irish Film and Television Awards: Nominated: Best International Film. 2010 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists: Nominated: Silver Ribbon Award for Best 3D Film Director (Regista del Miglior Film in 3D) for Bob Peterson and Pete Docter. 2010 Italian Online Movie Awards: Win: Best Animated Feature Film (Miglior film d'animazione). Nominated: Best Original Screenplay (Miglior sceneggiatura originale) for Bob Peterson, Pete Docter and Tom McCarthy. 2010 Kids' Choice Awards, USA: Win: Blimp Award for Favorite Animated Movie. 2010 Leggio d'oro: Win: Leggio d'oro Award for Best Dubbing Direction for Carlo Valli (director voice). 2010 Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA: Win: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing, Sound Effects, Foley, Music, Dialogue and ADR Animation in a Feature Film foe Michael Silvers (supervising sound editor), Tom Myers (supervising sound editor, sound designer), E.J. Holowicki (sound designer), Pascal Garneau (supervising foley editor), Stephen M. Davis (music editor), Al Nelson (sound effects editor), J.R. Grubbs (sound effects editor), Teresa Eckton (sound effects editor), Jonathan Null (foley editor), Steve Slanec (adr editor), Jana Vance (foley artist) and Dennie Thorpe (foley artist). 2010 North Texas Film Critics Association: Win: NTFCA Award for Best Animated Film for Pete Docter. 2010 Online Film & Television Association: Win: OFTA Film Award for Best Animated Picture for Jonas Rivera. Win: OFTA Film Award for Best Music Original Score for Michael Giacchino. Win: OFTA Film Award for Most Cinematic Moment for “Carl & Ellie: A Life Together.” Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Bob Peterson (screen story/screenplay), Pete Docter (screen story/screenplay) and Tom McCarthy (screen story). Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Sound Mixing for Doc Kane, Michael Semanick, Tom Myers and Vince Caro. Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Sound Effects Editing for Michael Silvers and Tom Myers. Nominated: OFTA Film Award for Best Titles Sequence. 2010 Online Film Critics Society Awards: Win: Best Original Score for Michael Giacchino. Win: Best Animated Feature. Nominated: Best Picture. Nominated: Best Original for Screenplay for Bob Peterson. 2010 People's Choice Awards, USA: Win: Favorite Family Movie. 2010 PGA Awards: Win: Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures for Jonas Rivera. Nominated: Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures for Jonas Rivera. 2010 Visual Effects Society Awards: Win: Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture for Gary Bruins (effects supervisor), Jonas Rivera (producer), Pete Docter (director) and Steve May (supervising technical director). Win: Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Brian Tindall (character modeling and articulation artist), Carmen Ngai (character cloth artist), Edward Asner (voice of Carl Fredricksen), Ron Zorman (animator) for “Carl – No dad scene.” Win: Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture for Alexis Angelidis (effects artist), Eric Froemling (effects artist), Jason Johnston (effects artist) and Jon Reisch (effects artist). 2010 Young Artist Awards: Win: Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role for Young Actor/Actress for Jordan Nagai.
FILM FACT No.2: ‘UP’ is the third PIXAR film to be scored by Michael Giacchino, after ‘The Incredibles’ and ‘Ratatouille.’ What Pete Docter wanted more importantly out of the music was the emotion, so Michael Giacchino wrote a character theme-based score that producer Jonas Rivera thought enhanced the story. At the beginning of the animation film, when young Fredricksen is in the film theatre watching a newsreel about Muntz, the first piece of music heard is "Muntz's Theme," which starts out as a celebratory theme, and echoes through the film when Muntz reappears 70 years later. "Ellie's Theme" is first heard when she is introduced as a little kid and plays several times during the film in different versions; for instance, during the sequence where Carl lifts his house with the balloons, the theme is changed from a simple piano melody to a full orchestral arrangement. Michael Giacchino has compared the film to opera since each character has a unique theme that changes during a particular moment in the story. A technical director worked out that in order to make Carl's house fly, he would require 23 million balloons, but Pete Docter realised that number made the balloons look like small dots. Instead, the balloons created were made to be twice Carl's size. There are 10,927 balloons for shots of the house just flying, 20,622 balloons for the lift-off sequence, and a varying number in other scenes.
Voice Cast: Ed Asner (Carl Fredricksen), Christopher Plummer (Charles Muntz), Jordan Nagai (Russell), Bob Peterson (Dug / Alpha), Delroy Lindo (Beta), Jerome Ranft (Gamma), John Ratzenberger (Construction Foreman Tom), David Kaye (Newsreel Announcer), Elie Docter (Young Ellie), Jeremy Leary (Young Carl), Mickie T. McGowan (Police Officer Edith), Danny Mann (Construction Worker Steve), Donald Fullilove (Nurse George), Jess Harnell (Nurse AJ), Josh Cooley (Omega), Pete Docter (Campmaster Strauch), Mark Andrews (Additional Voices), Bob Bergen (Additional Voices), Brenda Chapman (Additional Voices), Emma Coats (Additional Voices), John Cygan (Additional Voices), Paul Eiding (Additional Voices), Tony Fucile (Additional Voices), Teresa Ganzel (Additional Voices), Sherry Lynn (Additional Voices), Laraine Newman (voice), Teddy Newton (Additional Voices), Jeff Pidgeon (Additional Voices), Valerie LaPointe (Additional Voices), Jan Rabson (Additional Voices), Bob Scott (Additional Voices), Murat Sen (Haber Spikeri) (uncredited) and Sebastian Warholm (Russell) (uncredited)
Directors: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (co-director)
Producers: Andrew Stanton, Denise Ream, John Lasseter, Jonas Rivera and Kori Rae
Screenplay: Bob Peterson (screenplay/story), Pete Docter (screenplay/story) and Tom McCarthy (story)
Composer: Michael Giacchino
Cinematography: Jean-Claude Kalache (Director of Photography) and Patrick Lin (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio ES
English: 2.0 Audio Descriptive
French: 5.1 DTS ES Audio
Dutch: 5.1 DTS ES Audio
Flemish: 5.1 Dolby Digital EX Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French and Dutch
Running Time: 96 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 2
Studio: PIXAR Animation Studio / Walt Disney Studios
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: PIXAR’s ‘UP’ 3D is another of the PIXAR Animation Studio’s marvels of humour, hope, and heart. Combining an exciting adventure tale with a more humanistic story of love lost and life reaffirmed. ‘UP’ 3D animated film brings the celebrated PIXAR animation studio another triumphant entry in their string of Oscar-winning innovative computer animated adventures. Appealing characters of all ages and kinds and an engrossing tale set in a fantastic other-worldly region of the Earth give ‘UP’ its unique hold on one’s imagination, and the addition of 3D in this latest release only increases the impact of these adventures. Despite some obvious fantasy elements, there will be moments during the film where you’re likely to forget you’re even watching animation. The characters and their situations become real, and the story becomes so enthralling that its form fades in your memory. It’s the hallmark of magnificent filmmaking to say that this is a great and very inventive animated film, and not just a great animated film.
Newly widowed Carl Fredericksen [Ed Asner] is deemed a public menace after attacking a building contractor who’s trying to get him to sell his property for big city building projects, and he’s sentenced to be sent to an old age retirement home. On the morning he’s to be taken away, the former balloon shop owner takes off in his house lifted by thousands of balloons and heads toward a remote section of Venezuela called Paradise Falls, a spot he and his late wife Ellie had always planned to visit but never got the chance. Carl Fredericksen is surprised to find young boy scout Russell [Jordan Nagai] tagging along hoping to earn his last merit badge from helping the elderly. Once they arrive at their destination, they’re shocked to find themselves in the midst of once famous and now disgraced explorer Charles Muntz [Christopher Plummer] and his trained dog pack hunting a rare bird whose capture will allow Charles Muntz a chance to redeem his reputation. Carl Fredericksen and Russell, however, have made friends with the mother bird they’ve named Kevin and will do everything in their power to return the mother to her chicks. Aiding them is one of Charles Muntz’s mistreated dogs Dug [Bob Peterson] who loves the care and attention lavished on him by the sweet-natured Russell.
The screenplay by director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson, based on a story by those two and Tom McCarthy, and touches on the theme of dreams unfulfilled and dreams realised through many different characters in the story. Part of the poignancy inherent in the story derives from each viewer’s having his own hopes for his life sometimes realized and sometimes put on hold for the indefinite future, and seeing these fantasies sometimes become a reality gives the film such an uplifting feeling of purpose and achievement that one can’t help establishing a strong rooting interest with the tale’s protagonists. The master Pixar animators have now gotten so adept at storytelling that they can condense mountains of exposition into brief sequences that not only give us the background but accomplish it in such beautifully artistic ways. Two great examples are the newsreel which opens the film telling us about the fame and infamy of adventurer Charles Muntz and the unforgettably lovely and moving condensation of Carl Fredericksen and Ellie’s married life done in a five-minute pantomime sequence that’s as terrific as anything you’re likely to see at the cinema. The animators also do little things just right, too: a graceful segue from Carl Fredericksen at Ellie’s funeral getting up, turning around, and entering the front door of his own house is accomplished with such unpretentious style and beauty that it’s breath-taking. So are numerous Road Runner-like sequences with Kevin escaping all of Charles Muntz’s traps and, naturally, the climactic showdown between the good guys and the bad one which plays completely fair with each side’s strengths and weaknesses and delights all the more because it’s been set up so expertly all throughout the PIXAR animated film.
As with all PIXAR animated films, the voice casting is sublimely superb. Ed Asner simply is Carl Fredericksen, a grumpy and bitter at the beginning and slowly coming around to see that life is not over because his marriage is. Jordan Nagai’s hyperactive Russell is perfection, the embodiment of every restless kid who talks too fast and asks too many questions and can’t sit still for a minute since he finds everything around him so thrilling. Co-director Bob Peterson does such an ingratiating job with the faithful Dug that he easily becomes everyone’s favourite pooch. Christopher Plummer takes his time establishing Charles Muntz’s sinister qualities but once there we relish his insidiousness evil intentions.
UP MUSIC TRACK LIST
HABANERA (uncredited) (1875) from "Carmen" (Composed by Georges Bizet) (Arranged by Michael Giacchino)
THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE (uncredited) (2009) (Written by Michael Giacchino)
3D Blu-ray Image Quality – The animated film ‘UP’ has been framed in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and is presented in a stunning 1080p 3D image. The transfer is in every way a top notch showstopper, among the greatest animation encodes you will ever likely to see. The amount of incredible detail in clothing weaves, hair, leather, stone, leaves, even the grey stubble on Carl Fredericksen’s face is simply stunning and constantly jaw-dropping. Colours are eye-popping where appropriate, especially with Kevin the beautiful bird and subdued when necessary, but those jungles of South America pop with the many varieties and shades of colour available to the animators, and there’s no hint of banding anywhere in sight. Even the colourful balloons, transparent when freshly inflated and becoming opaque as they lose buoyancy, are incredible to look at. Though the film was presented in 3D originally in cinemas in 2009, this is its home video 3D premiere. As with all of PIXAR’s 3D films, the 3D has been applied in more subtle ways than in say, DreamWorks animated films. There is almost no outward projection apart from Kevin’s beak periodically poking beyond the frame for brief instances. But the amount of depth offered in the imagery is often breath-taking especially once the house goes aloft and floats above the countryside. The South American scenes likewise have such depth to the endless vistas that watching them in 3D is pure pleasure. The jungles seem wider and deeper, too, in this new transfer, and the animators have done a beautiful job placing characters and surrounding objects to achieve a striking view of the story told on multiple planes. The climactic aerial shots as Russell, Charles Muntz, Carl Fredericksen, and Dug scurry high above the ground while the camera points downward might cause those with touches of vertigo some problems.
3D Blu-ray Audio Quality – ‘UP’ debuts on Blu-ray 3D with an impressive 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio ES mix as was its 2009 2D counterpart and again it is just as impressive once again. Like everything else about this disc, it's just absolutely stunning. Atmosphere and ambience are always present, with the surround sound getting a vigorous workout, not just in the more action packed sequences, but in the way that the house breathes and groans once it’s lifted in the air, or the individualized balloons bumping into one another and letting out that brief squeak. I mean, it's just amazing. The amount of nuance is totally incredible. But most of all Michael Giacchino’s Oscar-winning music, particularly the lilting waltz tune that underscores many of the Carl-Ellie moments, gets spread to wonderful effect in the fronts and rears. The audio here is a classy, adept sound mix that gives the film a wonderfully antique feel that’s completely unique. All of the wonderful dialogue is perfect, and everything is well prioritized in the mix has been expertly recorded and has been placed in the centre channel. But also simple things like a window shattering just sound amazing. The action sequences are absolutely phenomenal and dwarf the biggest Hollywood action spectacles and it just scores 100% total perfection and wins hands down, and the mixed sounds are beautiful and lovelier than ever and will envelope you I a totally amazing sound experience.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Partly Cloudy [2009] [1080p] [1.78:1] [5:49] This charming PIXAR animated short, directed by Pete Sohn, who served as inspiration for rambunctious Wilderness Explorer Russell. Everyone knows that the stork delivers babies, but where do the storks get the babies from? The answer lies up in the stratosphere, where cloud people sculpt babies from clouds and bring them to life. Gus, a lonely and insecure grey cloud, is a master at creating "dangerous" babies, including crocodiles, porcupines, rams and more. Gus's beloved creations are works of art, but more than a handful for his loyal delivery stork partner, Peck. As Gus's creations become more and more rambunctious, Peck's job gets harder and harder. How will Peck manage to handle both his hazardous cargo and his friend's fiery temperament? PIXAR has honed the amount of time it takes for you to fall in love with a character to around 30 seconds.
Special Feature: Dug's Special Mission [2009] [1080p] [1.78:1] [4:42] This is an all new PIXAR animated short that follows talking dog Dug, right before he meets up with Carl Fredericksen and Russell. I really don't want to give away anything, but this might be the best new-short-for-home-video since ‘Jack Jack Attack’ and from 'The Incredibles' extra special features. According to Jonas Rivera, the producer of PIXAR's film ‘UP,’ informs us that ‘Dug's Special Mission’ "is a little bit of the backstory of what Dug was actually doing out there on this mysterious mission when we meet him in the animated film UP." In the short, Dug is instructed on how to catch the bird Kevin by Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, but their instructions are really intended to keep Dug away from the three dogs.
Special Feature: Adventure Is Out There! [2009] [1080] [1.78:1] [22:17] A lot of times with these PIXAR Blu-ray discs, they will talk about their research trip where they went on to get information for a project. Like the brief trip the ‘Ratatouille’ gang spent racing around Paris trying to soak up the atmosphere. But this is the first time I've seen an honest-to-god documentary solely about one of these research expeditions, and the results are truly spectacular. They went down to the South American jungles with a guy named Adrian Warren, who has written and documented these plateau-type mountains you see in the film. Very few humans have ever set foot on the top of the mountain, so it was a real coup for a half dozen or so animators, technical guys, and the film's directors, to get to do it. Most of them talk about how otherworldly it was. This documentary mixes footage they actually shot of the journey, with interviews with the guys that went down there, and it's just spellbinding.
Special Feature: Alternative Scene: The Many Endings of Muntz [2009] [1080] [1.78:1] [4:56] The villain Charles Muntz was a real tough nut to crack and you hear about somebody involved with PIXAR, and they were telling him that they struggled with the Charles Muntz character until the last possible minute. This brief but fascinating documentary showcases some of the possible deaths of Charles Muntz, and how director Pete Docter had a fundamental opposition to even having a villain in the animated film, but felt it necessary in a thematic context. Also, without Charles Muntz, you wouldn't have had a hilarious old man fight. One of the best bits in here is a kind of 'Shining' type moment, where Charles Muntz gets lost in a labyrinth of rock formations; chilling stuff.
Sneak Previews: ‘BRAVE’ 3D; ‘PLANES’ 3D; ‘TOYS STORY 3,’ ‘The Princess & The Frog’ and ‘DUMBO.’
Finally, 'UP' 3D remains one of my all-time favourite PIXAR animated film. The first 15 minutes sucks you in and punches you in the heart before sending you off on a whimsical tale of adventure and friendship. This package is virtually identical to its 2009 counterpart, save for a few different trailers on the 3D Blu-ray and, of course, the 2D Blu-ray. The 3D Blu-ray’s Image and Audio are high definition perfection, while the special features are still quite good. The question really is, is this double dip worthy? If you enjoy 3D at home, then by all means consider this a Must Own release. If you don't like 3D, then there's really no point in purchasing this Blu-ray, but I suppose you could just watch the 2D Blu-ray disc, but you would miss out on something totally spectacular. If you haven't yet seen, or purchased, 'UP' in high definition, then this animated film and especially the Blu-ray comes Highly Recommended and that is why it is such an honour to add this to my ever increasing PIXAR Blu-ray Collection and if you want to impress your friends, then this 3D Blu-ray is the one that will blow you away! Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
