Have you ever felt that you needed to watch a movie to escape the frustrations of everyday life? Do you want to watch a movie that only has two letters in its name? If so, then “Up” is the movie for you. It’s packed with hilarious acts, suspenseful chases, and thousands of balloons used to make a house float in the sky. This movie is definitely the best movie ever!

“Up” is about an old man named, Carl Fredricksen, who wants to fulfill his deceased wife’s dream of moving their house, her old clubhouse, to a cliff overlooking Paradise Falls in Venezuela. After being labeled a public menace and ordered to go to a retirement home, Carl decides to attach thousands of balloons to his house in order to save his house from destruction and float it to Paradise Falls. However, things start to go awry when he discovers that Russell, a young Wilderness Explorer, whom he met earlier has stowed away on his porch. Russell is trying to still earn his last merit badge for helping the elderly. A large thunderstorm then blows them off course and lands the house near a ravine across from Paradise Falls. Carl and Russell then have to walk and drag the house to Paradise Falls before the balloons lose all their helium. On the way, they meet two unexpected allies: Dug, the talking dog, and Kevin, the colorful prehistoric bird. They find out that Dug belongs to the explorer, Charles Muntz, Carl’s childhood hero, and are taken to him by a pack of dogs. Charles Muntz welcomes them aboard his blimp and informs them that he has been in disgrace in the scientific community because he hasn’t found the live giant bird that corresponds to the gigantic bird skeleton he discovered before in Paradise Falls. When Russell observes that the skeleton looks like Kevin, the group has to escape from Muntz and his army of dogs to save Kevin. Will they escape and save Kevin so that she can return to her chicks? Is all hope lost for our band of ragtag explorers? Watch the movie to find out!

The actors for “Up” did a great job capturing the emotions and personalities of the characters. Edward Asner made Carl Fredricksen come to life as a grumpy old man and realistically expressed his reactions to many surprises. Russell, voiced by Jordan Nagai, is convincingly portrayed as the annoying scout who follows Carl on his adventures. There are energetic qualities in Nagai’s rapidly speaking voice that go well with the comic relief that Russell constantly produces. The overly talkative Dug, voiced by Bob Peterson, has a very naïve tone in his speech, which adds to the dog’s gullible and adorable personality.

There are many characteristics about “Up” that I liked. I enjoyed the humor caused by so many oppositely portrayed characters interacting with each other, such as Russell annoying Carl, and the moments when Kevin tries to follow their group. The story’s moral is very memorable because it includes a message that people matter more than memories and possessions, and is shown multiple times throughout the story. As unexpected as the events are, the interesting story plot is easy to follow and each character is irreplaceable in the story. One criticism that I have for this movie is the transitions from sad to upbeat moments seem too abrupt. The changes really should have been more gradual.

The moral of the movie is that people and experiences are more important than objects. Ever since he became a widow, Carl has been obsessed with his house, the objects in his house, and has never parted from them because they remind him of his wife and her love. Towards the end of the movie, he decides to dump the things from his weighed-down house to save his friends. Finally, he leaves his house forever on Paradise Falls to live a new life filled with the friends he made on his journey.

“Up” can be watched by a variety of viewers of all ages. The movie contains funny moments as well as sad, touching ones. It also has plenty of suspenseful adventures that keep viewers on their toes. “Up” tells a story about life, memories, friendships, courage, and hard decisions that make the story truly meaningful to any audience.

I give “Up” a rating of 9 out of 10 because it expresses all the emotions people experience in life, from happiness to grief, in one wacky adventure. Small details such as the repetitive theme in the soundtrack or the oversized proportions of the character’s features make the story come to life. This movie is the most unique and interesting film I have ever seen. That is why “Up” is a great movie for both kids and adults to watch.