Should "Up" Have Been Called Downer?

[disneyworldluvr349]

I cried through this movie. Yes I actually cried...like a baby! I took my 7 year old brother too see it and he didn't like it at all. He had a blank stare on his face through the whole thing and though it was boring.

I thought it was so beautiful, but it was so sad. People in the theater were crying, thus meaning the name of the film is misleading.

To me Disney's messages are becoming more and more dark. Like in Wall-E, fast forward and our Earth is destroyed and we are all obese.

This one just pulled and pulled at my heartstrings the entire time, and I loved it, but I just think it was way over the kid's heads...

 

[LadyZolt]

It's not really Disney, but Pixar (John Lasseter, et al), and we didn't like WALL-E for the reasons you said, but we enjoyed "Up." The dog in particular was hysterical. We laughed and only at the end did I get some tears in my eyes, but none actually left. It wasn't that moving, IMO. I didn't think the film was a downer at all, although I did think it took it too long to get to the main story, especially considering it's a family film. WALL-E seemed to be Pixar preaching about how we need to take care of the planet and ourselves -- be environmentally aware and fight obesity. This film could have done the same thing, but it restrained itself and I think that was the smart move.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[phorsenuf]

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2195799

 

[lillygator]

nope.

 

[dementia412]

Fantastic movie and my kids loved it and begged to buy the movie when it comes out. We also all loved Wall-E. I could have lived without Cars though.

 

[Avalon_toon]

My guys - 4 and 8 - loved it. I haven't seen it yet, they went with their dad, but I'm really looking forward to it.

 

[kelleigh1]

My husband and I saw it last weekend and we really liked it. I'd read an article in the paper a few days later about it being terribly depressing, but I didn't get that at all. We spent most of the movie laughing and only got teary at the very end - and not because it was depressing, but because it was touching.

I do have a friend who took his 9 year old daughter and her friend and they apparently all thought it was boring.

This is why I never listen to critics. We all have different tastes, so what I really like, someone else doesn't like at all. But I really can't figure out why some find it "depressing".

 

[AndreaDM]

I enjoyed it, but by very intuitive 6 yo DD said it was very sad. We did like the dog and Kevin though!

 

[dmlashultz]

Fantastic movie and my kids loved it and begged to buy the movie when it comes out.

We just saw it Sat. with DD7 & 11. We all loved it, thought the beginning sequence very touching - even my husband. That whole "spending your whole life together" thing got me. We all had lots of laughs. I would classify this as a "good kid movie, very watchable by an adult".

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

We went and saw it yesterday and absolutely LOVED it!! Bravo to Pixar and Disney for making a movie that is sad, funny, heartwarming and adventurous.

 

[dismom2]

My kids and I loved it. Certain movies (Marley and Me, for example) make me cry, but this one did not. My kids are talking about the Doberman's funny voice still, and have not mentioned or focused on the 'sad' parts of the movie at all.

 

[Keli]

Dh and I enjoyed the movie and although I didn't cry at the end I did feel a little emotional.

 

[WDWtraveler27]

no

 

[sbell111]

Up was awesome. We saw it twice.

 

[Aimeedyan]

(older post but since it's been bumped...)

I saw it twice. Once with DH - I cried through 2 parts of it but really loved the film. He thought it was great, didn't cry (but he's not a crier) and didn't find it to be a downer.

Took a group of kids the 2nd time, they all LOVED it. None of them noticed anything sad about it and were excited to see it again when we left the theater. I was the only adult to cry.

 

[disney1990]

Yes, I cried, but I can't wait to see UP again.

I loved it!!!

 

[snykymom]

My college student daughter could only say, "That was so SAD!" She did like it, though, but won't buy it. But I will! I thought it was great (and yes, I cried, but that's because it was touching).

I think it depends on where you are in your life. It's not a typical "kids" movie, but there's nothing inappropriate for children. The difference is that rather being from the kid/young animal's viewpoint, it's from Simba's. Think of the "Lion King" from Sarabi's (Simba's mother) viewpoint, rather than from young Simba's. It would be a different movie. UP is one of the few PIXAR movies that looks at life from an adult's viewpoint (and AFAIK, the only animated movie that looks at life from a senior's viewpoint).

I thought the point at which Carl finally looked at the end of Ellie's Adventure Book, and realizes that she was not disappointed with her life and that his wasn't over, was wonderful and inspirational, not a downer.

And to the extent that the movie can show some in our "youth-obsessed" culture that older people can still be active and have adventures and have something to contribute to the young and don't need to be put out to pasture, I say two thumbs up!