UP!
Posted on June 22nd, 2009
My son and I went to see Up! on opening weekend.
I thought nothing of it. Guy raises his house with a bunch of balloons and goes who knows where. There’s a boy scout and I think a talking dog. I cannot remember seeing a more innocuous ad campaign since “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie”.
Seems our talking dog had friends, and they were mean, fast, and fanged. My son (who is 5) screamed his head off and begged to go home. We left in the middle of the movie (and in Los Angeles, at the Arclight theater, that’s a $26 loss, not including popcorn).
Can you imagine if we had seen it in 3D?
They sold me balloons, blue skies and an old man. They told me there was a talking dog. The previews gave no indication that rabid dogs chased our heroes. The New York Times warned me of the following:
“Up” is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested). A wee bit of gentle action and a climactic fight scene, but nothing inappropriate for any viewer of any age.
Bull-hooey!
There were not only packs of hungry dogs, there was a sense of dread during the dinner scene that practically put my son in my lap. And yes, I’m proud of him for seeing the dread there. I beam a little at my young dramaturge. But he is not alone in his sensitivities. The adults reviewing, previewing and rating these films are looking through the eyes and minds of adults, and desensitized ones at that, when they should be looking through the eyes of a child.
Here is Pixar’s sanitized clip of the dog chase, you tell me.