Pixar's new animation feature Up should come with a warning: 'Will induce tears in the first 10 minutes.' Fortunately, the rest will mostly be laughter. Fans of The Incredibles and Wall-E will be pleased to know that the studio's 10th animated film, Up, will be released in Hong Kong at the end of this month.
Up follows the story of 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen, a retired balloon salesman who fulfils his ambition of travelling by attaching balloons to his house and flying away. What Carl doesn't know is that Russell, a talkative eight-year-old boy, is hiding in his house. Along the way, they meet an exotic bird, a talking dog, and even the famous explorer who inspired Carl to travel.
As with all journeys, they face difficult challenges, such as bursting balloons and stormy weather, and even have to drag the house along with ropes. But, as you might expect in a Disney movie, they eventually pull through with wit, determination and a bit of luck.
Interestingly, this is Pixar's first casting of an Asian lead character (Russell), with a superb performance by voice actor Jordan Nagai, who was only seven years old at the time. Other impressive performances include Ed Asner as Carl, the likable grouch, and Christopher Plummer (of The Sound of Music fame) as the evil villain.
Up stands out from recent films as very down-to-earth, with the unlikely choice of an elderly man as the main character. Not the average 'hero saves the day' story, Up is a testament to the power of dreams - if a 78-year-old can take to the skies in his house, so can you.
Up opens on July 30