Pixar's stunning adventure is an upper for everyone.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Products & Purchases
some
This movie is part of the Disney-Pixar dynasty, with merchandise and other marketing tie-ins associated with the film.
Violence & Scariness
a little
There's some mild peril from thunderstorms hitting the house, and a sad sequence that shows Ellie sick in the hospital and then Carl in a funeral home, surrounded by flowers. Both a real gun and a tranquilizer gun are fired at various characters. A house gets set on fire. Younger kids might be scared by some 3-D images that jump at them from the screen, as well as Muntz' dogs, which sometimes appear seemingly out of nowhere, growling and angry. Muntz tries to get rid of Carl and Russell, even if it means trying to kill them. One character falls to his death.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Carl and Russell become good friends and teach each other about responsibility, caring for nature, and the movie's main theme about "the spirit of adventure." Loyalty, grit, teamwork, and creative thinking are also themes.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Strong role models for multi-generational friendship and a successful marriage. Young Ellie befriends an otherwise lonely young Carl; they become best friends and later a married couple. He takes care of her after she grows ill, and he embarks on a journey to fulfill a lifelong dream of theirs. Russell is a spunky, determined kid. Characters demonstrate integrity, empathy, and gratitude.
Educational Value
very little
Meant to entertain, but might inspire an interest in travel and adventure.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Up is the second Pixar movie (after The Incredibles) to receive a PG rating, mostly due to a few potentially frightening scenes involving a band of trained talking dogs trying to get rid of the protagonists, some moments where characters almost fall from a floating house, and some guns firing. That said, it's Disney/Pixar, so the violence is mild. Viewers should note that an early wordless sequence follows an emotional and potentially upsetting trajectory that could trigger questions about old age, illness, and death. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
This was not the funny, uplifting, and adventurous movie we were hoping for. There are a lot of sad and emotionally intense events in this movie. We stopped the movie at the house fire scene with two sobbing kids. If you have sensitive kids, this may just be too sad.
I think this could be an ok movie for older tweens or adults who know to expect a poignant tear-jerker.
I saw this film back in 2009, and it was really great, due to the years where Pixar's animation has been blowing up, etc. So far, I think the most intense part is not the beginning where the wife dies, or the final battle at the blimp, but rather the ending; (SPOILER) the main protagonist's house falling out of sight. Its not as violent as other Pixar films like Incredibles or Cars 2, but has a lot more emotional payoff in the end. I wouldn't recommend it for sensitive children due to the intensity of the emotional scenes in the movie.
What's the Story?
In UP, septuagenarian Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) and his wife Ellie had a shared dream since childhood: to visit exotic Paradise Falls in South America, a place the once-famous explorer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) claimed was the most beautiful in the world. After Ellie dies, Carl decides to make his beloved late wife's dream come true and unveils hundreds of helium balloons to fly his house to Paradise Falls. Unbeknownst to Carl, a young Wildlife Explorer scout named Russell (Justin Nagai) is along for the ride. When they finally arrive, the odd couple discovers that Muntz is more interested in killing an elusive rare bird than living in paradise.
Pixar has brought to life a multi-generational odd couple in a film that's visually stunning, surprisingly touching, and unsurprisingly delightful. After nine films, Pixar's legend is well known; it's the only studio with a perfect record both commercially (each of its releases has grossed more than $150 million) and critically. Up is no exception on the latter front, and considering the demand for family entertainment, it's sure to be a big hit money-wise, too.
The beginning of the film is an unexpected tearjerker following the entire marriage -- from first sight to widowhood -- of adventurous-at-heart Carl and Ellie Fredricksen. But he bulk of the story, as the trailer promises, is Carl and Russell's amazing skyward journey to Paradise Falls. Above the gorgeous and colorful animated vistas, Pixar's astonishing achievement is the sweet, funny, lasting relationship that it's odd-couple heroes share.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Up's central relationship between Carl and Russell. What does the movie have to say about multigenerational friendships? What does a young boy teach an elderly man, and vice versa?
Kids: What kind of adventures do you dream of having? Does an adventure need to be somewhere far away?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
