As with Wall-E especially, UP begins extremely well (if a little downbeat for youngsters), but once it goes up, it's quickly down down down all the way.

It's like the committee writing the script gave up after lunch. I can imagine the chairman straightening his notes at the head of the table saying “OK, so we got to the point where they land on Paradise Falls… what now?”

“Oh! oh! I know!” pipes up an enterprising Pixar member, “I heard of this great auto-scipt device as revealed by Jett Loe in his review of The Wrestler! ..We've already awed and wowed the audience enough -let's switch that on and get to work on the visuals!”

“Great idea number 27! Next time around you get to direct!”

What's that you say? Only a kids' movie? Why is that an excuse?
Any movie or story needs to be true to itself if it's to hold water, if it's to be taken as 'as-great-as-these-movies-purport-to-be-trying-to-be'.

This one gave up. Maybe that's the reason for the title.

Would you like to know The SECRET OF PIXAR!? Really? Well, OK, here it is:

Come up with an interesting, kinda mad notion in one or two sentences. Now spend the rest of the plot working it back to a predictable formula, ending in a half hour chase, preferably with 5 minute Jesus-Resurrection sequence.

Exercise: “A slipper is stolen from a shoe shop by a one-legged thief.”
Now that you know the plot, add the Disintegration Formula and you have a GUARANTEED HIT! Expectations have been lowered so much it's like taking candy from a baby. They'll lap it up like a sequel to a loud robot movie.

Up isn't as bad as Wall-E of course. I liked a lot of it. But nowhere near what kids deserve. Or me for that matter.

As with Wall-E especially, UP begins extremely well (if a little downbeat for youngsters), but once it goes up, it's quickly down down down all the way.

It's like the committee writing the script gave up after lunch. I can imagine the chairman straightening his notes at the head of the table saying “OK, so we got to the point where they land on Paradise Falls… what now?”

“Oh! oh! I know!” pipes up an enterprising Pixar member, “I heard of this great auto-scipt device as revealed by Jett Loe in his review of The Wrestler! ..We've already awed and wowed the audience enough -let's switch that on and get to work on the visuals!”

“Great idea number 27! Next time around you get to direct!”

What's that you say? Only a kids' movie? Why is that an excuse?
Any movie or story needs to be true to itself if it's to hold water, if it's to be taken as 'as-great-as-these-movies-purport-to-be-trying-to-be'.

This one gave up. Maybe that's the reason for the title.

Would you like to know The SECRET OF PIXAR!? Really? Well, OK, here it is:

Come up with an interesting, kinda mad notion in one or two sentences. Now spend the rest of the plot working it back to a predictable formula, ending in a half hour chase, preferably with 5 minute Jesus-Resurrection sequence.

Exercise: “A slipper is stolen from a shoe shop by a one-legged thief.”
Now that you know the plot, add the Disintegration Formula and you have a GUARANTEED HIT! Expectations have been lowered so much it's like taking candy from a baby. They'll lap it up like a sequel to a loud robot movie.

Up isn't as bad as Wall-E of course. I liked a lot of it. But nowhere near what kids deserve. Or me for that matter.

Actually Kamen's DH score is great, I love his use of Beethoven's 9th in the film. Did you notice how his use of sleigh bells is also employed in his other Christmas movie – Brazil? It's such a shame he's gone, I really liked his stuff.