Up is another gem from Pixar. A shy little boy Carl Fredrick­sen meets the exuberant Ellie, who also hero worships Charles Muntz, noted explorer of Paradise Falls. They grow old together and Ellie dies before they can achieve their lifelong dream of an adventure. With nothing left to lose, Carl attaches 10,000 helium balloons to his house and floats off to South America in search of Paradise Falls, in­ad­ver­tent­ly taking Russell, a Wilderness Explorer, with him.

The movie appealed just as much to the kids at our showing as the adults. The sto­ry­telling is first rate, combining humor, adventure, love, and pathos. The story is rooted in the lifelong romance between Carl and Ellie, which is beau­ti­ful­ly told at the beginning, mostly without words. Pixar’s animation and artwork gets better with each film: it looks gorgeous, evoking the feel of the Lost World.

Highly rec­om­mend­ed.