I was skeptical about how an elderly man can carry this animated movie all by himself when the previous ones had either animals or children. Pixar’s latest animated movie is about an elderly Mr. Frederick who is reclusive after the death of his wife, Ellie.
When urbanization steps in, and annoyed by the ill treatment of the society, Mr. Frederick decides to pursue his wife’s and his adventure dream to the Paradise Falls in South America in his house lifted by ravishing colored balloons. Russel, an uninvited 8 year old wilderness explorer accompanies Frederick in his adventure. Frederick’s and Russel’s relationship grow as they encounter a rare species of bird, Kevin, talking dogs and Charles, Frederick’s childhood hero who’s also after the bird.
The movie is rich in color but does that alone require one to watch it in 3-D? The functional marital relationship between Mr.Frederick and Ellie is heart touching, especially when Ellie and Frederick see images of babies in the clouds and when they touch each other’s hands while reading. The cute yet hilarious interaction between Russel and Mr.Frederick doesn’t fail to remind us of Denise the Menace, at least in the first half. However, as the story progresses, it turns out to be serious and clichéd with its predictable outcomes. For instance, we know what to expect when Mr. Frederick looks at the other end of the rope. Charles should be much older than Frederick but he looks the same age as him.
Ideally, the movie would have been a perfect adventure to the Paradise Fall if it was about how Frederick and Russel reach the falls amidst all the obstacles, with the help of Kevin and the talking dog, in the end finishing with a moral.Nevertheless, our old cougar manages to carry the movie single-handedly as he did with his house.