Walt Disney Pictures & Pixar Animation’s “UP” on DVD/BluRay 11/10

We have family game night. We have family movie time. I am a mad nut for kids’ movies that make us parents laugh out loud.

Today Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the #1 Animated Film of the Year, UP, on Blu-ray and DVD, and MONSTERS, INC. for the first time on Blu-ray High-Def!

If you have not seen UP, this is truly a cute movie that you need to add to your holiday stocking stuffer list. Precious and so fun! I have a fantastic review team here at our house to review movies and give me their opinions, along with we have our own. We all loved “UP”. Loved it!

We are already huge Pixar fans, so this addition was a huge plus for us.

Long story short: Carl Fredericksen is a grumpy 78-year-old retired balloon salesman that is totally lonely. In the beginning of the movie, a young Carl meets the love of his life, Ellie. During the movie, we see them grow up, get married, grow old, while they enjoy their future dreams to go to South America. I don’t want to spoil the movie for you, so I will leave that part at that.

Years down the road, Carl meets ‘Russell’, not knowing that he would be pesky, yet helpful. This kid in the movie is so cute! While the followings with Carl & Russell have lots of fun, action, and plots, Carl & Russell travel to South America together while gaining an unexpected friendship with each other. Overall moral (in my thoughts) of the movie is: discovering the importance of life in general.

Here is some general information about “UP”.

Academy Award®-nominee Pete Docter (2008, Best Original Screenplay, WALL•E; 2001, Best Animated Feature Film, Monsters, Inc.) directs one of the funniest fantasy- adventures of all time, UP, featuring a gifted voice cast includeing Ed Asner (Elf), Christopher Plummer (Inside Man), and John Ratzenberger (who has lent his voice to every Disney•Pixar feature film). Bonus material includes all new original short Dug’s Special Mission, alternate endings, directors’ commentary and MORE!

An exhilarating, hilarious and heartfelt animated adventure comes home when Disney•Pixar’s Up arrives on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD on November 10, 2009 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Blending inspired whimsy with powerful emotion, the hugely successful feature film is an artistic and
entertaining tour de force for the entire family. Up is available in a four-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, and a two-disc DVD, which both include DisneyFile, a digital copy of the movie that can be viewed on an array of electronic devices, as well as enough bonus features that keep the fun coming.

Academy Award®-nominee Pete Docter (2008, Best Original Screenplay, WALL•E; 2001, Best Animated Feature Film, Monsters, Inc.) directs one of the funniest fantasy- adventures of all time featuring a gifted voice cast that includes Ed Asner (Elf), Christopher Plummer (Inside Man), Up co-director and writer Bob Peterson (Monsters, Inc.), Delroy Lindo (This Christmas) and John Ratzenberger (who has lent his voice to every Disney•Pixar feature film).

Up is the tenth in an unprecedented streak of critical and box office triumphs for Disney•Pixar that includes four Academy Award® winners for Best Animated Feature— WALL•E (2008), Rtatouille (2007), The Incredibles (2004) and Finding Nemo (2003)— as well as Cars, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life and Toy Story. Up joined each of its predecessors in ranking #1 at the box office on its opening weekend.

BONUS FEATURES FOR UP

Commentary by director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson.
Dug’s Special Mission – An all new original short film that follows the misadventures of Dug as he attempts to complete his “special mission.” The short is directed by Up Story Supervisor, Ronnie Del Carmen.
The Many Endings of Muntz – Many ideas were hatched about how to dispose of the film’s arch villain, Muntz, and now viewers can see the many alternate endings proposed during story development.
Partly Cloudy –The hilarious short film that preceded screenings of Up. Everyone knows that the stork delivers babies, but where do the storks get the babies? The answer lies up in the stratosphere where the cloud Gus is a master at creating “dangerous” babies, which prove to be more than a handful for his
loval delivery stork Peck. Directed by Pixar story artist, animator and voice actor Peter Sohn.
Adventure is Out There – This action-packed documentary tells the story of the filmmakers’ own trek to the tepuis mountains of South America to research the design and story of the film.

And, only on Blu-ray Hi-Def, hours of features, and behind-the scenes bonus features, including:

Cine-Explore – A visual montage of concept art, clips and documentary coverage that illustrates the directors’ commentary.
Geriatric Hero – A character study of Carl, from research to realization including art and design, rigging, animation and story. It focuses on the issues of aging, “simplexity”, shape-language and compelling character arcs.
Canine Companions – For anyone who ever wondered where CG puppies come from, an introduction to the design, behavior and language of dogs. • Russell: Wilderness Explorer – A character study of Russell from inspiration and design to finding the character arc and authentic voice for this wilderness
ranger.
Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin – Find out how avian research and development at Pixar helped bring a mythical, 13-foot tall iridescent bird to life.
Homemakers of Pixar – Carl and Ellie’s house is an important “character” in the film. Fans follow the development of the house from story to art to its ultimate realization in the computer.
Balloons and Flight – Carl’s house and Muntz’s dirigible presented the filmmakers with two different problems—how could they make a physical impossibility possible? And, in the case of the dirigible, how would they unearth a fallen giant and let it soar?
Composing for Characters – Composer Michael Giacchino returns to score his third Disney•Pixar feature film. See how the Up filmmakers collaborated with Giacchino to create the memorable score and compelling musical themes.
Married Life – The original story concept that became the powerful “Married Life” scene, showing Carl and Ellie’s love story.
Global Guardian Badge Game – Players try to locate countries, states and capitals around the globe in a multi-layered BD-Exclusive geography game enhanced by BD-Live.

Synopsis:
Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios take moviegoers up, up and away on one of the funniest adventures of all time with their latest comedy-fantasy. Up follows the uplifting tale of 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Their journey to a lost world, where they encounter some strange, exotic and surprising characters, is filled with hilarity, emotion and wildly imaginative adventure.

Up has a suggested retail price of $39.99 SRP (US) or $44.99 SRP (Canada) for the 2-Disc DVD, and $45.99 SRP (US) or $52.99 SRP (Canada) for the 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo pack. A 1-Disc DVD is also available at SRP $29.99 (US), $35.99 (Canada)

STREET DATE: 11/10
Pricing: 2-Disc DVD: $39.99, 4-Disc Combo: $45.99
Feature run time: 96 minutes
Rated: PG
Bonus Materials Not Rated in US
Technical specifications may only apply to feature.
Aspect ratio: DVD: Widescreen 16×9
Sound: SD: 5.1 Dolby Digital, BD: Dolby Digital EX 1080P
Languages: English, Canadian French, Spanish

The overall experience and plot of UP is fantastic! We have watched it over and over again – at home, and in the van on trips. The characters and voice decisions were fantastic! I loved the Commentary, as I always love to check out the behind the scenes of movies, meeting ‘behind the scenes’ and getting to know the characters.

You can buy UP at any location that sells DVD’s, or online as well. Great holiday gift for anyone; adult or child!