Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...

South America, Present DayFrom its rocky cliffs and waterfalls to Kevin and her brightly-colored brood, Up’s South American setting oozes adventure. It isn’t just out there, as Muntz might say,...

One Day at a TimeFor a story that features talking dogs and a seriously old dude dragging his house across South America, Up plays it pretty straight with its narrative structure. The story may be...

AnimationPop quiz, Shmoop-shot: Is animation a genre or a technique? We’d say it’s both. As a genre, animated films are characterized by brilliant colors and fantastical worlds. Up has both of...

Up doesn’t just refer to the ascent of Carl’s house; it describes the trajectory of Carl himself. After Ellie’s death, Carl has nowhere to go but up. He’s stuck in a rut, hiding out in his...

We have two things happening at the end of Up. Let’s start with the easy one: Carl and Russell eating ice cream on the curb, counting red and blue cars. This is a callback to the story that Russe...

PGUp earns its PG rating for its emotional heft. The montage of Carl and Ellie’s marriage is moving and tackles some tough topics, like infertility and death, which might require a healthy dose o...