UP, 2009 (Grade B)

Directors: Peter Doctor & Bob Peterson
Studio: PIXAR
Awards? Academy Award Bests Picture Nominee 
Starring: Edward Asner; Jordan Nagai; Christopher Plummer; Bob Peterson; Delroy Lindo; Jerome Ranft; John Ratzenberger; Elie Docter; Jeremy Leary; Mickie McGowen

sez says: I was really suspicious of this--how could I possible really LIKE an animated movie. Sure I take the grand kids to see them..but how many have I ever watched that I really and truly liked myself...not many, if any.  They are what they are but generally they are not my cup of tea--I don';t hate them but I don't go to see them without a youngster asking me to take them.

But this movie got nominated for Best Picture --and even my grown son told me it was worth seeing, and he isn't one to be wowed by a kids movie. So we got it and watched it.  I was surprised at how quickly I suspended my need for the characters to be real humans.  I was a little annoyed by the overly cute balloons as flying machine/ house mover motif.  But ok I let it go and went along for the ride.  For me it was the dogs that finally won me over -- once I met the 'good dog' I found myself engaged with the characters and enjoyed the rest of the movie. Well done -- and all the little boys in the world now have a magical story to cleave to about the importance of fathers: about being a father, about having a father, and about substituting for a father when the original one is missing.