Author: cyrakitty

Review of Disney/Pixar’s ‘UP’

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Under normal circumstances, I do not like to write a review that contains spoilers.  But knowing what to expect might heighten your experience of this film.

In Pixar’s tenth animated feature film in association with Disney, ‘UP’ starts out showing us a movie theatre news reel – for we are in the 1930’s.  This is where we meet the young Carl Fredricksen.  The newsreel highlights explorer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer).  On his way home, with his imagination full of adventure, he hears another adventure bound voice coming from an abandoned and boarded up house.  Carl goes in to discover, Ellie, who is just as passionate about adventure and their idol Muntz as he is.

I understand that disappointment and death is part of life as well as a theme for Disney animation.  From the death of Bambi’s mom to the comic misadventures of Donald Duck, a Disney flick is likely to be an emotional rollercoaster. The problem I have is that we spend the first 15 minutes of the film in classic slit-your-wrists Disney fashion. It seems that ‘UP’ takes an overzealous attitude and hits the viewer with an emotional mallet.  We watch as Carl and Ellie age, learn they can’t have children, become infirm and then Ellie dies with Carl never having fulfilled his promise to take her on an adventure to South America.  Carl is now alone.  Hardly seems like a movie for young children.

During this montage, though, we learn how much Carl and Ellie loved each other as well as Carl’s penchant for balloons – being a balloon salesman.  Now retired and with Big Business after his house, Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) is forced to deal with the construction foreman voiced by John Ratzenberger, continuing his tradition of being the only actor to do a voice in every Pixar film.  Carl faces trouble after he assaults a construction worker for almost demolishing the mailbox Ellie had hand painted.  The law decides it is time for Carl to be placed in a retirement home.  But before they can collect him, he unleashes thousands of balloons fastened through the chimney and the house takes flight.  He is finally headed toward Paradise Falls in South America.

Good ol’ cartoon physics at work here.  Some masterful (or overly bored) person decided to do some calculations.  “If Carl’s house was approximately 1600 square feet, and the average house weights between 60-100 pounds per square foot, it weights 120,000 pounds.  If the average helium balloon can carry .009 pounds, it would take 12,658,392 balloons to lift his house off the ground.”  However, they do not go into how high off the ground the house would actually get – or adding the weights of the characters.

What Carl had not counted on, however, was a stowaway.  Russell, an overeager Wilderness Explorer desperate to get his last “Assisting The Elderly” badge in order to

Russell

advance to Senior rank, was on his porch when the house took flight.  Russell is Pixar’s first Asian-American character to be voiced by an Asian-American, newcomer Jordan Nagai.  Nagai got the part because he was a chatterbox like the character and wouldn’t shut up during auditions.  Even though Russell has amassed a large array of badges, he has never left the city and confesses he has never been able to camp outside.  It appears that the main reason he wants to become a Senior Wilderness Explorer is so that he may spend time with his absentee father after the “pinning” ceremony.  Again, we are assaulted with more negative emotional ties.

Dug the dog, Kevin the bird, Russell and Carl

So now with a crotchety old man and a young boy with a spirit that cannot be dampened, all we need is a talking dog to have a classic Disney Theme.  Fear not, we are indeed introduced to that talking dog (Dug) 40 minutes in.  Now, throw in a rare 13-foot tall flightless bird trying to get back to her babies without being captured or killed. . . that’s it, stop the car, I want to get out.

Despite all the negative aspects of life displayed, you do get to laugh.  Not often.  But it does happen.  I think the viewer can get more enjoyment out of ‘UP’ if they go into it knowing what to expect.  Sadly, I did not have this luxury.

So. . . . Cyrakitty says:

Can't bring myself to give it anything better than a C

Are you smarter than a Curator?

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A fascinating and wonderful website (forwarded to me by my buddy Mac1949) – Are you smarter than a Curator? Every month they feature a different curator.  You answer five multiple choice questions and for each correct answer 10¢ will be donated to that zoo.  It doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up.  Plus you get an “Are you smarter than a curator?” sticker.

This month, they are featuring Smithsonian – National Zoological Park and its Curator of Enrichment, Training and Beaver Valley, Heidi Hellmuth.

So let’s all be sure to visit this site each month and raise money for the animals!!

The fine print: “By taking the quiz, you’ll sign up to receive periodic updates from the Smithsonian. You can unsubscribe at any time. Limit: one free sticker per U.S. residential mailing address. A maximum of 50 cents per unique individual quiz taker will be donated. Correct answers submitted more than once by the same individual will not be counted.“

Bipolar Disorder

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Most people do not understand Bipolar Illness and even if they do, they can have no clear concept of what it is actually like unless they either have it or live with someone who does.

Bipolar Disorder is defined as follows: “also referred to as bipolar affective disorder or manic depression, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels,cognition, and mood with or without one or more depressive episodes.”  This is a complex definition and I hope to break it down a little for you.

According to the DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) – “Depression and bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) are both highly treatable medical illnesses. Unfortunately many people do not get the help they need because of misunderstanding the issues surrounding the illnesses or the fear associated with stigma.”  I also need to add that even if you go to the doctor with symptoms it is sometimes overlooked and a diagnosis is given as something other than Bipolar.  I was not diagnosed until I was 21.  And even then I don’t think I would have had it checked out if it wasn’t for taking a psychology class.  It was the first time I was ever able to see all my symptoms laid out in one place – with one likely cause.

The DBSA goes on to explain: “Bipolar disorder differs significantly from clinical depression, although the symptoms for the depressive phase of the illness are similar. People who have bipolar disorder talk about experiencing mood shifts. These swings can be severe, ranging from extreme energy to deep despair. These mood shifts disrupt normal life activities distinguish bipolar mood episodes from ordinary mood changes.  The shifts may be mild ranging from sadness to irritability or restlessness.”  I would like to add here that the shifts of mood can be very rapid.  Personally, I have experienced times when all was well and then as if turning on a dime I was in a rage.  Another aspect that people do not understand is that the “manic” phase(s) do not necessarily mean happy, laughing or the life of the party.  It can manifest itself as violence or rage.

Here is a small list of symptoms for both the manic and depressive phases.  If you know someone, or you yourself, experience these symptoms – please seek medical attention.  It can be controlled.  It may take time to find a treatment that will work for you, but it will be well worth it as you will see (and feel) the improvement.  I would also like to extend the offer to be available via comment or email should you wish to speak with me about my personal experiences living with Bipolar Disorder.

Symptoms of mania – the “highs” of bipolar disorder

  • Increased physical and mental activity and energy
  • Heightened mood, exaggerated optimism and self-confidence
  • Excessive irritability, aggressive behavior
  • Decreased need for sleep without experiencing fatigue
  • Grandiose delusions, inflated sense of self-importance
  • Racing speech, racing thoughts, flight of ideas
  • Impulsiveness, poor judgment, distractibility
  • Reckless behavior
  • In the most severe cases, delusions and hallucinations

Symptoms of depression – the “lows” of bipolar disorder

  • Prolonged sadness or unexplained crying spells
  • Significant changes in appetite and sleep patterns
  • Irritability, anger, worry, agitation, anxiety
  • Pessimism, indifference
  • Loss of energy, persistent lethargy
  • Feelings of guilt, worthlessness
  • Inability to concentrate, indecisiveness
  • Inability to take pleasure in former interests, social withdrawal
  • Unexplained aches and pains
  • Recurring thoughts of death or suicide

Hump Day Hottie – Special Request

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Our Hump Day Hottie this week is a special request.  According to the Daily Mail in England, our special hottie is “the pop star turned pin-up professor”, while the Telegraph calls him the man “who made science sexy”.   That’s right – we’re talking about Professor Brian Cox!

November 2009 - Photo by Paul Clarke

I can sum up the professor in one word : WOW!  Cox started out in Hulme Grammar School where he even received a D for A-Level Mathematics.  So don’t worry kids, if you get a few bad grades that will not stop you from obtaining awesome heights!

In 1993, while studying physics at the University of Manchester, he joined the band D:Ream as the keyboard player.  Even while working with the band, Brian was able to complete an undergraduate first class honours degree and a M.Phil – both in physics.  To round things off, in 1997 he received his Ph.D. in high energy particle physics.

Brian has been the host of numerous British programs on radio as well as television.  Some of Cox’s other achievements include:

  1. 2006 – received the British Association’s Lord Kelvin Award
  2. 2006 – elected as a University Research Fellow of The Royal Society
  3. 2010 – won the Institute of Physics Kelvin Prize
  4. 2010 – was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
  5. 2011 – won Best Presenter by the Royal Television Society for Wonders of the Solar System

So am I right?  WOW!!  Below is the first part of an episode of the British Panel Show, Would I Lie To You? Brian and his team-mates try to out-lie the other guys.  Hope you enjoy it!  Also, follow Brian Cox on Twitter (if you’re into that).

I was asked to connect to the second part as it was unclear as to which was the correct one from YouTube – so here is part 2 of Brian’s appearance on Would I Lie To You?