Carl's Date

An actual sequel to Up probably would've been pushing it so Carl's Date feels like the best way to revisit these characters and tell a fun self contained story without any risk of ruining an incredible original. It's inoffensive, funny and sincere.

Ed Asner kind yet gruff voice is a delight to hear one last time, just the mere mention of Ellie triggers the waterworks without fail. Bob Peterson's performance really compliments Dug's animation beautifully.

Andrea Datzman's score wisely chooses to call back to Michael Giacchino's iconic work in its final moments, offering a nice reminder of just how devastating it is. Combined with Ed Asner's performance it's overwhelmingly emotional, even if it's arguably manipulative.

What a wasted opportunity to let Ed Asner's wonderful character from Up shine again.

Instead of showing us some more of the heart of this wonderful character in the hands of a talented actor in his last film role we get a barely anything story that manages to damage the glow of the original film, in that it shows Carl moving on from his lifelong devotion to his beloved wife of his entire life, for no apparent real reason. There is nothing in the original film to suggest Carl has any interest in ever giving his attention to anyone else and that was one of the core moments of beauty to it, true undying love.

I don't know what this short film thought it was doing but of all the things they could have used Asner for, this slight and unnecessary film was not a worthy full stop to a wonderful legacy.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, Pixar shorts were simple, understated, and, well...short. Sometimes they even had no dialogue, a charming throwback to the days where the theater's organ player had to do all the story's heavy-lifting.

"Carl's Date" is none of these things. It's overwritten, it tries too hard, and it's definitely too long. Credit where credit is due, Ed Asner does a fine job (Rest in Peace) and if you liked his performance in Up, you'll at least find this watchable. But it's far from one of the best Pixar has to offer. Give me "One Man Band" or "Geri's Game" any time. This? Not so much.

"Carl" is a widower struggling to get back into the dating game following the death of his much loved wife. Fortunately, he has his savvy mutt "Dug" to help him choose his clothes and to generally get his mojo back - only this four-legged friend tends to think of things rather more in doggy terms than in human ones. It's a fun, short and sweet, glimpse at the couple and their interdependence and moves along nicely, if unremarkably, for a few minutes peppered with some enjoyable observational dialogue. It might well resonate better with dog owners/lovers who can probably appreciate the symbiosis here, perhaps not so much with others - but it is an OK little, nicely detailed, animation to watch.

There's only so much you can achieve in under ten minutes and Pixar would normally nail it but this little piece of cinema didn't hit the right notes ~ apart from when the sad music begins.

The premise is really, really simple: Carl is asked out on a date and is then bombarded by an incessant stream of the dog prattling on. I'd completely forgotten about the collar from the 2009 original.

Anyway, I wish the writers had given us more time with Carl contemplating the emotional pathway to letting go yet keeping Mrs Carl in his heart. For me, the dog spoiled that tenderness, because it wasn't funny.