Did you ever think about how many balloons it would actually take to make a house float?
Did you notice which real person the villain was named after?
Maybe you did if you watched the movie as a grown-up.
Keep watching for more stuff in "Up" kids don't normally catch.
"Up" begins by introducing Carl and Ellie, two youngsters who bond over their shared
love of adventure.
Yet before they even meet, we see a 9-year-old Carl in a dimly-lit movie theater screening
a black-and-white newsreel.
Wide-eyed and filled with wonder, young Carl's gaze is glued to the screen as a crackling
1930s voiceover tells the story of famous adventurer — and Carl's hero — Charles
Muntz.
The newsreel describes the rise and fall of the fearless explorer, which later comes into
play in the third act of the movie.
Because the main plot of "Up" takes place in 2009, it's possible that its core demographic
might not be aware of the historical reference being made at the beginning of the film.
Today, movies in theaters are preceded by ads, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, trivia
quizzes, trailers and so on.
In the early days of cinema, however, short documentaries covering the events of the day
were the norm.
Of course, once televisions became available in most households, theatrical newsreels went
the way of the dinosaur.
It's likely that most kids — and honestly, even many adults — might be a bit out of
the loop on this one.
Kids are often under the impression that adults have an endless supply of cash — they're
the ones with the jobs, after all.
They buy the food, the clothes, the toys, the tablets ... so why do they always claim
that they don't have any money when the kids ask for it?
They must be a bunch of liars, right?
"Up" provides a very good reason why this is not the case.
In the movie's montage opening, Ellie and Carl can be seen dropping coins into a jar
labeled "Paradise Falls," their dream vacation destination.
Of course, they often must break the jar open to dig into their savings, because, well,
stuff happens.
Flat tires, hospital visits, and roof repairs are just a few examples of unpredictable expenses
that grown-ups have to contend with.
Sadly, these trials often mean that dreams and future goals have to be put on hold — if
they even happen at all.
As the old saying goes, life is what happens while you're making other plans.
Most adults know that those plans — and life — tend to cost a lot.
Yet as "Up" also teaches, life's greatest adventures can also be had without ever spending
a dime.
When most fans think of "Up," they think about the film's first heartbreaking 10 minutes.
In that short period, we see a lifetime of memories flash before our eyes.
What makes the scene even more moving is that it happens mostly without dialogue, using
simple and relatable imagery to tug at the audience's emotions.
"You know, you don't talk very much.
I like you!"
It's probably safe to assume that for most young people, the montage is just there to
provide a backstory for Carl.
Sure, there's some sadness to it, but it may be difficult for some younger viewers to understand
why their parents are reaching for the tissues.
And one moment of the sequence, in particular, might go a little over the heads of most kids.
While Ellie's death is certainly poignant, for many adults, it's the scene of her miscarriage
that gets the tears flowing.
Lots of kids may have had to ask the adult in the room to even understand what was happening.
Losing a child before they're born is a painful ordeal, one that only those who have experienced
it for themselves can ever know.
Ellie and Carl's heartbreak is evident, but it's one that kids will have to grow up a
little more to truly fathom.
Shortly after the audience sees Carl in his natural state, they are introduced to aspiring
Senior Wilderness Explorer Russell.
He’s a rambunctious 8-year-old who is trying to earn his "assist the elderly" badge and
has his eye set on assisting Carl.
Unfortunately for Russell, Carl has no need of assistance and no patience for the well-meaning
boy.
To get Russell out of his hair, Carl asks for his help in tracking down a snipe that
has been getting into his prized azaleas.
Russell eagerly accepts the task, only to later learn the whole thing was a ruse.
Though the imaginary snipe hunt may be a new concept for kids, some adults may find it
all too familiar.
In fact, it's a tradition going back generations.
Fans of the animated series "King of the Hill" may remember another reference to snipe hunting
from the Season 1 episode "The Order of the Straight Arrow," in which the practical joke
goes a bit too far.
For Russell and Carl in "Up," however, the "snipe" becomes a wondrous aspect of their
journey.
"Found the snipe!"
"Oh, did you?"
An early scene in "Up" shows Carl relaxing in front of a glowing TV set before his respite
is interrupted by Russell knocking on the front door.
The audience doesn't have to see the screen to know what Carl is watching — even a few
seconds of audio is enough to recognize a home shopping segment.
Yet only adults—if they are paying close enough attention—may recognize the clip's
audio from a famous viral video of the 2000s.
The particular clip that Carl is watching is a home shopping blooper video in which
a man is promoting the sale of a high-quality camera.
To demonstrate the camera's printer capabilities, he holds a giant, blown-up photo of a moth.
He then states, very confidently, that the photo is a picture of a horse, saying,
"Look at that horse.
The bushy tail, the big teeth, the hooves."
It's only when the producer relays the truth to him over an earpiece that the host realizes
his mistake.
But by then the damage has been done, and the hilarious result was ripe for internet
fodder.
One thing that Pixar and Disney do well is feed audiences' imaginations in unique and
awe-inspiring ways.
That's certainly the case with "Up" — when Carl's beloved home is lifted aloft by an
array of colorful balloons and starts soaring through the air, viewers know that they are
in for the ride of their lives.
"So long, boys"
As majestic as the sight is, however, many adults can't help but feel a stab of cynicism
at the concept.
According to Slate Magazine, Pete Docter, the co-director of "Up," said that the number
of balloons estimated by their technician team to carry out such a feat is 23.5 million.
However, animating that many balloons would have been far too daunting a task, so Pixar
settled for just over 20,000 in the scene where the house first lifts off, and half
that number in subsequent scenes.
Since then, many have attempted to answer the question of how Carl's floating balloon
house could actually work.
One video from YouTuber Matthew Patrick delved deep, considering every potential factor from
the house's building materials to the ratio of helium and mass weight.
In the end, Patrick estimated that it would take approximately 31 million balloons to
achieve the stunt in real life.
The antagonist of "Up" is the washed-up explorer Charles Muntz, who has made it his life's
work to find a rare species of large bird, evidence of which he was once accused of fabricating,
and clear his good name.
When he discovers that Carl and Russell are in the company of the female bird they've
named Kevin, Muntz' greedy obsession turns to thoughts of murder.
Muntz will do whatever it takes to claim his prize, even if it means he has to kill an
old man and a small child to do it.
Muntz is clearly a bad guy, but what younger fans might miss is that the man whom he is
named for was something of a Disney villain himself.
In Walt Disney's early days as an animator, his distributor was a man named Charles Mintz.
Mintz had a hand in commissioning Disney's first popular cartoon character, Oswald the
Lucky Rabbit.
But Mintz ultimately cheated Disney out of the ownership of Oswald and stole most of
the Disney brothers' animation team, forming his own studio, which would later become Screen
Gems.
Unfortunately for Mintz, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit isn't well-remembered today.
Disney soon created another character whose popularity would make his company the world's
most powerful media empire.
The Walt Disney Company also purchased the rights to Oswald in 2006.
Some jokes never get old, and a bunch of dogs playing poker is one of those timeless classics.
During the climax of "Up," Russell and Carl's bird friend, Kevin, is captured by the dastardly
Charles Muntz.
When Carl refuses to help, Russell fearlessly takes on the mission by himself, mounting
a leaf blower held aloft by a bouquet of balloons.
Against all odds, Russell makes it to Muntz's giant zeppelin, the Spirit of Adventure, with
Carl close behind after a change of heart.
As Russell approaches the Spirit of Adventure, he is spotted by Muntz's guard dogs through
the window.
The pack is in the middle of a card game, with one bulldog in particular seeming to
have won the jackpot of doggie treats.
This is, of course, a funny visual gag, but kids probably didn't get the cultural reference.
It's a nod to a famous series of American paintings: "Dogs Playing Poker," by Cassius
Marcellus Coolidge.
Coolidge created 18 paintings for his iconic series, the most recognizable being "A Friend
in Need," which was painted in 1903.
The artwork depicts seven dogs of various breeds sitting around a poker table and holding
cards.
One of them even has an Ace of Clubs hidden away, just like one of the dogs in "Up."
Marvel movie end credits are known for their sneak peeks and easter eggs, but Disney and
Pixar also have their little secrets as well.
Watch the end of "Up" and you'll see a few.
At the beginning of the movie, Carl collects his mail and finds a brochure for Shady Oaks
Retirement Home.
He scoffs at the literature, clearly not even considering assisted living to be an option.
However, he is forced to leave his home after attacking a construction worker and presumably
losing a court battle.
Two retirement home employees show up at his door to escort him to his destination, but
he manages to escape their clutches.
After Carl and Russell return home from their adventures, audiences can get a glimpse of
a few of their outings via scrapbook photos in the end credits.
They can be seen picnicking on a hill, visiting a museum, and chasing after a squirrel-hunting
Dug.
There is also a photo of the two of them with the elderly folks at what is likely Shady
Oaks.
The dogs from Muntz's crew enjoy quality time with the residents, and it appears that Carl
also feels quite at home.
With his own house now overlooking Paradise Falls, it looks as though Carl may have decided
that assisted living wasn't such a bad idea after all.
From the film's opening scene to the roll of the end credits, the theme of "Up" is abundantly
clear.
Adventure is out there, and — despite what kids might think — life doesn't end when
you're old.
For Carl, his first adventure began when he met Ellie in the abandoned house in his neighborhood.
That adventure continued when he and Ellie wed, though it came to a sad end at her death.
However, as Carl soon learned, his own adventures were far from over.
Instead of accepting a quiet and mundane life in his twilight years, he decided to seize
the day and go on his very own journey of discovery and wonder.
Just like Carl as a young boy, everyone at one time in their lives has felt the need
for adventure — whether it's playing pretend in their backyard or seeing the world.
And just because people get older, doesn't mean they lose that spark and lust for life.
As Carl learns throughout his time in "Up," adventure is indeed out there and can be found
in many places.
Marriage is an adventure.
Life is an adventure.
And you're never too old to hold onto that childlike awe and go out and seek it for yourself.
"Ellie, it's so beautiful."
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