Exclusive preview: Up

Director Pete Docter (Toy Story, Monsters Inc., WALL•E) keeps Pixar’s reputation intact by taking this bizarre premise, adding talking dogs and a rare exotic bird called Kevin, and turning it into one of the most beautiful and moving films of the year, and quite possibly one of Pixar’s most grown-up films so far.

Within the first five minutes you should've shed at least one tear, or be sobbing into your popcorn. We see Carl Fredricksen’s whole life with his childhood sweetheart Ellie played out in a stunningly crafted montage, so that Carl’s journey to South America is given a context and meaning that belies its absurdity. In order to achieve his goal, Carl has to work with wilderness explorer Russell, who has stowed away on Carl’s porch so that he can get his ‘Assisting the Elderly’ badge. Their relationship evolves into something that, while it may be slightly obvious, is nevertheless enchanting and genuine.

If this all sounds a little intense for a children’s film (and there’s no reason this should be exclusively a children’s film) then fear not as there are plenty of belly laughs along the way. Not least of which come from an adorable dog called Dug, whose master has equipped him and his furry friends with electronic collars that voice their thoughts. Pixar’s South American jungle is full of weird and wonderful things and yet manages to feel real, with an explosion of colour to boot. For those watching in 3D this will be a spectacular experience.

Up stands as a testament to the fact that, thirteen years after they changed the cinematic landscape with Toy Story, the Pixar team still stands in a class of its own when it comes to computer-animated features. They are one of the few studios making family films that are truly for all the family, and for everyone else.

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