Now you must wear the cone of shame

I almost take Pixar for granted nowadays. Before I even see a Pixar feature, it's almost a foregone conclusion in my mind that the movie is going to be excellent. But I have to admit, the trailer for Up didn't really lure me in. Let' see - you have a grumpy old man, house flown by balloons, boy scout stowaway, a silly bird, and a talking dog. Uh huh. But the unanimous praise piqued my curiosity. To cut to the chase, Up was surprisingly brilliant. And I now understand why Pixar did not reveal too much in the trailer. It all comes to together beautifully at the end. I left the theater with the same level of satisfaction as Wall-E, Ratatouille, and The Incredibles.

What amazes me is how Pixar can keep cranking them out year after year - taking all too familiar themes that would no doubt = EPIC fail with live action. But somehow the combo of CG animation, interesting characters, and brilliant screenplay/storytelling, Pixar is able to consistently produce works that become instant classics. In a way, I feel bad for Dreamworks. Other than Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, I can't really remember many of their animated works.

My only criticism of Up was on the technical presentation of the film and not on the film itself. I had a $8.50 off movie cash voucher and paid $4 extra for the 3D version. If you ask me, 3D is a gimmick. Yah, you can see the 3D effect and it's cool at times but it really did not enhance the viewing experience for me and picture is also less bright with the glasses. Maybe I'm old school but I think 2D offers a more satisfying viewing experience.