Super Frat

There’s a reason this movie got a 98% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, it’s fucking awesome.   And I don’t mean to oversell it, because I really want you to see this movie bros.  Without giving too much away, the story centers on Carl, an old man with a dream that’s been on the backburner all his life.  He wants to go to South America and Paradise Falls.  Russel, the young Wilderness Explorer, becomes his reluctant sidekick when Carl escapes the old folks home by tying a bunch of balloons to his house and floating away.  (I basically just described the trailer.)

What the trailer doesn’t show you is the wind up with Carl.  In the first 10 minutes or so, we follow his life.  And if you’re not choking up by the end of that montage, you’re some sort of soulless robot from the future sent back to destroy John Connor and Pixar.  Maybe it’s just because the whole seriousness of the situation took me off guard.  Bad things sometimes happens in Pixar movies, but when one of the characters actually draws blood with a blow and then is turned into the cops, it becomes very dark indeed.

The characters here have more nuance and depth than most movies you’ll see this summer.  When Carl finally has his “moment of clarity” it’s done without words and the visual just blows you away.  You even feel sorry for the “villain” in the story, but I’m reluctant to call him that since he too has a back story and his actions are perfectly justified.

So look, get past the balloon thing and don’t walk in the theater determined not to be wowwed by something that’s magic and emotional.  Up is a great movie.  Possibly the great movie of 2009.  If you liked Wall-E, this is a must see and it’s also showing in 3-D.

I give Up 10 keggers out of 10.  Don’t miss this one, bros.  And I won’t be the one to call you a pussy if you cry.