It was no surprise to me that “UP” was the number one movie for the weekend. Its main competition was a horror flick titled, “Drag Me to Hell.” No thanks, I’ve seen “Ishtar” already. Pixar is holding true to its promise to make available all their movies in modern state-of-the-art, high-tech 3D. Hey, wait a minute! Hasn’t 3D been around since like the 1950’s? What’s the big deal? I remember getting 3D glasses in my box of King Vitamin in the early 1970’s too. Oops, there I go again tipping my hand as to how old I am.  

New or old, 3D is viewed (no pun intended) as the wave of the future. Again, this is another statement that was voiced some 40 - 50 years ago. This time, however, I think they are going to pull it off.

The process has not changed much, using multiple cameras for each scene, but when you are talking about a cartoon, or CGI-created characters as in “UP,” the possibilities are endless.

“UP” starts off as a melancholy story of young love that blossoms into marriage and beyond. Along the way, real life scenarios dampen dreams and hopes that are all but lost and gone.

When Carl Fredericksen, voiced by Ed Asner, finds himself old and alone, he decides to fulfill one last dream and go on the adventure of a lifetime.

I’m sure you have seen the commercials or the advertisements with all the balloons. What Carl does to move his home, making it a virtual Macy’s Day Parade Float, is to tie hundreds if not thousands of small helium-filled balloons to his chimney. (Kids, don’t try this at home. It’s only a cartoon.)

He is accompanied by an accidental stowaway named Russell. All Russell wanted was to help an elderly man in order to earn a badge for his Wilderness Troop.

Thrown together by chance, these two adventurers learn to work together to find something that is missing in their lives.

See, there it goes. Just when you thought it was only a cartoon about a cranky old man, balloons, and a kid, you find out it’s about life, its troubles, and how not everything works out how we planned.

The merit of this film can and will be enjoyed by all ages. I know the “all ages” is shouted from advertisements all the time, but once and a while they get it right.

I am reminded of a poem by Earnest Thayer titled “Casey at the Bat.” It’s been years since I’ve read it, but it does speak volumes for stories we read, movies we see, and the life we live. Things don’t always go as planned and there isn’t always the happy ending, as we view happy endings.

Before I get philosophical, let’s remember that we are not in control of all this anyway. We may have free will to make choices of our own, with all the consequences to bear, but when our bad choices or the ripple effect of other bad things happen to us, it’s important to remember that from all that bad, good can come from it. In simpler terms, we can be served lemonade from all the lemons in our life.

“UP” is a highly recommended movie that needs no prequel and heaven help us, no sequel. You can enjoy “UP” in 3D or in its primitive mono-dimensional flat version. It’s your pick. I just think the glasses make me look cool.

Until Next Time I’ll See You At The Theatre.