UP, a real let down

I know there is currently a lot of Oscar buzz centered around Pixar’s Up, and people have been treating it like the second coming of Christ, even going as far as saying it may take best picture, but to tell you the truth I can’t see why. The film centers around a curmudgeony old widower named Carl, and a young overeager "wilderness explorer" named Russell, who fly to South America in a house suspended from balloons. The story is your typical young kid brings old hermit out of their shell story, except this time it’s in a floating house--wow! Oh, how could I forget, there is also a talking dog, and he gets pretty annoying too.
Sure it looks really nice, but I can’t say I see any vast improvement in this movie (visually) from Wall-e or Cars. In my opinion Pixar phoned this one in. Aside from Wall-e, I really feel the company has been on a slight downward spiral. What could we expect though with the imperialistic Disney Satanists now at the helm (Disney purchased Pixar in 2006). They ruined their own animation empire, so I guess they figured it was time they ruin someone else’s. Undoubtedly, your children will love it, but as parents (who inadvertenly have to watch these movies anyway) we deserve more.

"I swear, my penis is this big!"

Thankfully, in a mid-December surprise, both the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association named “Fantastic Mr. Fox” the best animated movie of 2009. But, the Oscar race is far from over. Nominations will be announced on Feb. 2 and the awards given on March 7. And despite UP’s many shortcomings, I would be very surprised if it didn’t walk away with at least one of those little gold, art-deco, knights. Two out of five beers.