Up Lets Me Down + Other Films Watched Recently

沖天救兵 Up

Up is a funny adventure with very well rendered and well animated 3D images. It delivers a message that we, irrespective of age, should never forget about dreams and are able to lead meaningful lives. It also sheds some light on the importance of letting go.

However, some ideas are underdeveloped and puzzling. First, the relationship between the old man Carl and the kid Russell is not well-developed enough. Judging from Carl's indifference to Russell's visit, I do not feel his desire to have children after Ellie's death. Simultaneously, Russell's admiration for Carl as his role model can be further developed so that their very good relationship in the last two scenes can be better prepared. For example, what skills has Russell learnt from Carl who used to be an adventurer? After watching the film, some may find the ten-minute Carl-and-Ellie love story much more touching and memorable than the Carl-and-Russell adventure. Second, Carl, who relies on an electric chair to move downstairs and staggers along with a stick, suddenly becomes so strong that he can even climb the ladder with his feet hanging in the air, which does not make any sense even in the created world. Third, it is too easy for them to "float" to Paradise Falls, a mysterious place, without scenes showing Carl's prior knowledge on aviation or science, which not only makes the plot contrived, but also the first-15-mintue adventure less exciting. Fourth, why and how does the bad guy invent a device helping his dogs talk with different languages? Fifth, the bad guy should be much older than Carl and I wonder why he is still alive and looks even younger than Carl. Sixth, why does the dog, a loyal animal, betray the explorer, even when he has the upper hand?

On the whole, Up is interesting, visually stunning and suitable for kids to watch. However, the story and characters can be further developed. Wall-E, with robots who cannot speak, is more touching, while Bolt, a Disney animation, is funnier than this one with hundreds of dogs. Until now, my favorite Pixar film is still Finding Nemo. Toy Story 2 and Wall-E rank the second and the third respectively. The rest of my top five are The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Up, despite using two ordinary human beings as the main characters, lets me DOWN. 3.5 / 5

影評刊載於「香港影評人協會」、「兩岸三地影評人協會聯盟」及「IMDB」。

收錯愛情風 He is Just Not That into You
He is Just Not That into You, a 2B version of Sex and the City, is an entertaining and heart warming rom-com with witty and thought provoking lines. However, as there are many characters, they are not well developed enough, despite a very charming cast. Anyway, I just enjoy watching this movie. 3.5 / 5

醉爆伴郎團 Hangover
This comedy is quite funny and the plot in which the characters forget about what happens that night is engaging as they have to look for clues to find it out. However, the characters are not pleasing, using foul language very often. Besides, the jokes are sometimes clichéd. For instance, the fat guy bumped the baby's head on the door, which reminded me of a scene in Four Christmases. On the whole, Hangover is entertaining, yet it is not suitable for kids. 3.5 / 5

幸福來訪時 The Visitor
It is a bittersweet and well acted drama about loneliness and identity. 4.5 / 5

東京殘酷警察 Tokyo Police Gore
It is a very gory and creative cult independent movie with jaw-dropping props. 4 / 5

琳達!琳達! Linda Linda Linda
It is a very realistic movie about a group of teenage girls who prepare for a music performance. The director cares much to make the film less commercial and just truly show the beauty of youth. In this film, not every problem is resolved, but perhaps this is life. 4 / 5

美國女孩的秘密 Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
It is a sweet and nostalgic family movie with a very pleasing cast and an engaging story. 4 / 5