Up

Funny and poignant and full of life, Up easily qualifies as one of the best movies of the year so far. Go with someone you care about.

A hugely enjoyable work, whose care, craftsmanship and creative courage are rarely found in mainstream films - animated or otherwise.

If it had lived up to its golden first five minutes, Up would have been the film of the decade. As it is, it remains the best animated flick of 2009, a funny, moving, beautifully made argument that dreamers can move mountains.

What's so impressive about Up is that the film-makers never lose sight of their adult concerns.

Another original, boundary pushing story. It's not quite Nemo, but it will have you shouting 'Squirrel!' at every opportunity.

The humour gets weirder as it goes on and it's among the lightest of Pixar's films, but the first 20 minutes offer the saddest, most poignant sequence seen in an animation film since Bambi's mother died.

Pete Docter is one of the best directors in animation history for a reason, as his second film is a definitive work in the medium.

... a film of whimsy and wonder, mixing Jules Verne imagination with the bubble-gum colors of a children’s picture book and Pixar’s trademark bouncy humor, all stirred with memories of childhood dreams.

Pixar’s clarity of purpose astounds. Flawlessly evocative, the film’s joys are so very joyful and the saddening moments ever so tender.

A perfect blend of visual designs and imaginative storytelling.