What Has Pixar Been “Up” to?

Pat, just curious — have you seen Ratatouille more than once? My wife and I (and our kids) are big Pixar fans. Wifey didn’t like Ratatouille when we saw it in the theater, and while I thought it was pretty good, I wasn’t terribly impressed, at least in comparison with other Pixar flicks.

Since it came out on DVD, however, it’s become one of our two favorites (the other is The Incredibles).

Compare that to Monsters, Inc. When I first saw it, I was disappointed — good, but not up to the standards set by the first three Pixar efforts. And after many viewings, it remains my least favorite of the Pixar library. So my changing attitude toward Ratatouille wasn’t preordained.

I’m not trying to convince you of anything, just curious whether multiple viewings might change your opinion.

Oh yeah, here’s the official synopsis of “Up”:

Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. “Up” takes audiences on a thrilling journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures.

Well, who knows — you still might not like it much, but it’s worth a a try.

Like you, I’d love to see more “mature” movies from Pixar, but given Pixar’s stated goal of making movies “for everyone,” chances aren’t real good that we’ll get many (or any). Oh well. At least I’ve got some decent movies to watch with my kids. These days most other stuff out of Disney, Hollywood and TV is junk (from my perspective).