Up

Thinking back to the original Disney/Pixar hit, "Toy Story," I remember a time when these family films didn't come with a depressing yet inspiring message. They were just entertaining romps for the whole family, perhaps with small messages and times to learn but not filled with social commentary like "Wall-E."With the studios' latest feature film, "Up," audiences can be sure to cry, laugh, cry, laugh, cry - or at the very least feel sad, happy, sad, happy, sad. Most of these Pixar films are first promoted with teaser trailers that barely explain any plot points or characters. It's tradition. Then, when the movie finally hits screens, it's revealed what is actually happening, whether it be monsters hiding in a closet world, a dad looking for his baby fish or a lovable robot trying to save the planet.

With "Up," the first glimpses were simply a house rising above the city by a plethora of balloons and a crotchety old man at the helm. The truth to "Up" is not that simple and carefree.

The film opens with a young Carl Fredricksen, who will later become our crotchety protagonist, watching a newsreel revolving around the great adventures of famed explorer Charles Muntz. Carl wants to also explore other frontiers and tame the wilderness, just like his hero, and while walking home, he hears a fellow wannabe explorer imagining adventures in a broken down old house. Ellie is her name and though she's kind of scraggly and talks a lot, Carl's eyes sparkle at a young lady who wants the same adventure he does, more specifically to travel to South America and build her dream house on Paradise Falls. She even has a scrapbook to keep the dream building.

What follows is a realistic, heartbreaking montage with no dialogue that truly epitomizes the power of images, even cartoon ones. Ellie and Carl grow up, get married, rebuild her dilapidated playhouse into a loving home and continue to try and save money for their South American adventure. But the adventure is never to be taken as Ellie passes away, leaving Carl a depressed, lonely recluse with no happiness in his life.

The physical possessions they built, bought and loved together take her place in Carl's heart, and even though the land around him is being developed into skyscrapers, he sits, determined to never leave his beloved home. However, an incident with the builders gives the government reason to force him into a retirement home.

Carl has another idea though, and somehow creates complete flotation for his home in the form of thousands of balloons, all to travel to South America. The only one with him is a stowaway name Russell, a young wilderness explorer who just wants to earn his final "Helping the Elderly" patch.

These events only provide the background for the true story and plot progression, and the innocent and wide-eyed Russell provides comic relief just in time for the adults realizing the magnitude of Carl's sadness.

Ed Asner is a perfect choice to voice Carl, the elderly man who has lots of love in his heart but feels defeated by life and its cruel realities. His and Ellie's dreams were deferred and he's determined to right this wrong. Along the way, the duo have adventures and make friends, including a wild bird that Russell affectionately names Kevin and a squirrel-loving pooch, attached to an English-speaking collar named Dug.

At some points, the film falls into a cartoon fantasy adventure with bad guys and dangerous obstacles, all to get to Paradise Falls, but at other times, it falls back into the realistic pains and bittersweet moments of life. It's tender, touching, humorous and entertaining for children who enjoy the slapstick and adults who can appreciate the message.

The pristine animation of a simple house with balloons and that of a South American wilderness highlight the film's technical achievements, not even counting the incredible emotion felt for these 2D, or perhaps 3D for certain screenings, characters on screen.

There is nothing negative to say about "Up," as it's a fantastic treat of wonderment and love perfect for a family audience, but I can't help but yearn for the days of Pixar's movies not leaving me with the desire to adopt a robot or hold an older man's hand. The cutesy "Toy Story 3" teaser trailer has given me hope for a less somber film next summer.