"Up" - A Review

The Pixar company has turned out 10 movies so far, and each one has been excellent.

The creative teams there have tapped into the real secret of making a great movie: first, have a really good story to tell. Add in clever and innovative animation, and the result is always going to be fun.

The company's newest movie is simply titled Up, and it tells a story you wouldn't expect to see in a "kid's" movie - and I use the quotes because I don't believe animated movies are automatically just for kids.

The central character is a grouchy old man who finds himself alone in his home, and construction is closing in around him. Before his time runs out, he wants to take one last great adventure - but he doesn't want to lose his home.

His solution to the problem is clever and stunning in its execution (though I wouldn't recommend trying it in the real world).

What follows is a unique adventure that moves into a lost world in South America, where encounters include some unique animals, a living legend and some difficult decisions.

There are a few scary scenes, so the movie might not be right for the youngest eyes (although all the best Disney movies have a scary moment or two in them, too). But there are some big laughs in there, too, and more than once I heard a child cheering during the show.

But it's a clever and truly touching film - those of us in the older category would be well advised to keep a hanky handy. You'll need it more than once.

I don't know if it's the best Pixar movie yet (that would be high praise indeed), but it's right up there - and it's the most emotional. I'm looking forward to seeing it again.

The 3-D was very effective (although I had a twinge of the traditional 3-D headache at the beginning, it quickly went away), and didn't detract from the film at all.

So what I'm saying is: recommended. Highly! (Ha! Get it?)