Up

The tenth Pixar animated masterwork sees grumpy old widower Carl Fredricksen (effectively growled by Ed Asner) fulfil a lifelong dream of great adventure when he attaches thousands of balloons to his house and floats it away to a South American lost world. But he has company in the shape of an accidental stowaway - eight-year-old scout Russell (Jordan Nagai). The pair then attempts to save a rare bird of paradise from the clutches of an eccentric adventurer (Christopher Plummer) and his pack of talking dogs. The film is funny, thrilling, startling and moving by turns, as the writer/director team of Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc) and Bob Peterson create a world filled with fantastic sights and all-too-human sadness. For at the disarming heart of this high-flying escapism lies the affecting truth that everyday adventures are just as potent as storybook ones. Aimed at adults - the near-silent prelude charting the passing of married life is wonderfully poignant - but with enough action to entertain the kids, Up is breathtaking in its imaginative detail and astonishing in its emotional range.