There's something special about alternate versions of great classic properties. The thing is, usually it's the fans who reimagine their favorite stories in different styles. But it looks like Pixar wanted to get in on the action this time, and they've made a surprising new take on their own film Up.
The animation company's official YouTube page recently posted a short video that simultaneously poses and answers the question "what would the movie Up be like if it was an anime?" The end result is a heavily condensed retelling of the film's emotional story in the style of a classic anime opening sequence. Complete with an energetic guitar-driven theme song, it goes through the whole film with impressive detail in only 90 seconds.
From an abridged version of the film's famously heartbreaking intro to a Dragon Ball Z-style battle between main character Carl and his hero-turned nemesis Charles Muntz, Pixar really nailed the balance between parody and loving homage. They've also clearly not lost their touch for humor, as shown by the hilarious end to the aforementioned battle, with both fighters hurting their backs. It's a quick but effective retake on one of the studio's most well-regarded films.
It isn't even the first time Pixar has done something like this. Their same channel had, only 9 months earlier, posted a similar video reimagining their well-loved sci-fi film WALL•E in the style of a retro 16-bit video game, complete with chiptune music and charmingly low-fidelity sound effects. The music is also a satisfying mash-up between those blippy electronic sounds and some orchestral elements, which really help merge the style to the story in a surprising way. The video is on Pixar's YouTube channel with the same "Pixar Remix" title framing as the Up video, for anyone curious.
Eagle-eyed anime fans will likely note that while there are certainly plenty of tropes present that people associate with that particular medium, the art style itself is still distinctly western. That's not exactly surprising, of course, since Pixar is a western company, after all. Though that's not to downplay Pixar's own wide range of styles, particularly seen in their short films. Still, it's possible some who appreciated the excellent adaptation of the visuals in the WALL•E video might feel a bit of a disconnect this time around due to a slight focus more on the tropes than the visuals.
Even so, this Up video is clearly made with love, and even those willing to nitpick the art style will probably see the overwhelming amounts of charm emanating from each frame. It's the same endearing quality that makes fans want an Untitled Goose Game movie from Pixar. There's nothing wrong with being critical, of course. But as the studio's own Ratatouille proved, to simply be creative is to be worthy of respect.
Pixar's Up is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: Pixar/YouTube