UP is worth your time.

Because I rarely make it to the theater, I don't report much on movies in this blog. But yesterday Anna had surgery (on her ear lobes, nothing serious) and to lighten the mood afterward we all went to see UP. Anna and Cora have wanted to see it for a long time. I, however, didn't have high hopes for it. The ads didn't appeal to me much.

To my delight, however, the movie was wonderful. It has everything. Humor. Pathos. Deep sadness. Triumph. Visually it's magnificent. I left the theater thinking, "Man, when they want to, American movie makers can accomplish great things."

There were times when I was glad I was wearing 3D glasses because I didn't want people to see me tearing up (I take after my mother that way). There were times when I laughed out loud (which I rarely do at a movie). Pixar has made some good movies, but this one is easily my favorite, and that surprises me.

When it comes to cartoons, I'm from the Bugs Bunny generation. I usually want my cartoons to be silly and pointless. Sometime during the 80s cartoons became politicized and they attempted to have meaning. I think Captain Planet was the first to try to use cartoons as a vehicle to win the hearts of kids for a specific agenda. I've lamented that change in cartoons many times. But if it took 25 years of cartoons wondering off the "silly and pointless" path to arrive at this movie then the wondering was worth it.

Kudos, Pixar! I applaud you.