In the latest featurette promoting Disney/Pixar's Up, Pixar co-founder and executive producer John Lasseter calls it "the funniest Pixar film we've ever made."
Strong words from the studio who brought us Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and other great CGI animated films. Is Lasseter unloading the usual Hollywood promo B.S. here, or is there something to what he's saying?
New Up Featurette: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, John Lasseter Discuss "Unlikely Heroes"
Myspace scored an exclusive featurette that focuses on the two main characters in the movie: 78-year-old retiree Carl Fredericksen (Ed Asner) and 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer Russell (Jordan Nagai).
"Up is the story of Carl Fredericksen, who never really got to experience the adventure that he dreamed of," explains writer/director Bob Peterson in the featurette. Carl finally takes action by tying thousands of balloons to the top of his house and flies off to Venezuela. He also ends up with an unwitting stowaway.
"(Russell's) got every badge, he's read every book, he knows everything there is to know about the wilderness, but he's never actually been there," says writer/director Pete Docter. "The comedy in this film is developed out of the contrast between these two characters."
"(Russell is) exactly the sort of character you'd want to annoy Carl," adds producer Jonas Rivera.
"Put these two characters together," sums up executive producer John Lasseter, "and I think it's the funniest Pixar film we've ever made."
Naturally every studio is going to promote their film as the greatest thing since sliced bread, but there are other indications that Up may justify the hype.
Back when the film was announced, several observers initially considered it to be a retrenchment of sorts for Pixar, after the stellar one-two punch that was Ratatouille and WALL-E. Docter and Peterson had previously produced A Bugs' Life and Monsters Inc.: two wonderful films but not as strong as Finding Nemo or The Incredibles. Based on that track record, Up was perceived as a middle-of-the-road flick: no Finding Nemo but no Cars, either.
That initial perception has now changed. Recent reports suggest that Up may be equal to, if not stronger than, anything in Pixar's recent catalogue. Certainly the fact that it's opening this year's Cannes Film Festival indicates the film intelligentsia believe Disney/Pixar has something very special indeed with this picture.
Up for Best Animated Feature Film Oscar?
That said, despite all the hype surrounding this movie, it's unlikely that Up will take home the Best Animated Feature Film statuette at next year's Oscars. That honour will likely go to Disney's return to cel animation, The Princess and the Frog.
Will Up be the "funniest Pixar movie"? Find out when it opens May 29th.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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