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This 2009 animation from Pixar won film of the year - and deservedly so. It is a gentle tale with likeable characters, a great story and a strong message.

As a young boy Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) is mesmerised by his hero, the explorer Charles Muntz (voiced by  Christopher Plummer) who explores remote areas of South America around Paradise Falls. He brings back the skeleton of a large bird but it is deemed by the scientific community to be fake and Muntz is banished. He returns to South America to capture a live specimen of the bird and so show himself to be honourable.

Carl stumbles on Ellie, a girl of similar age (voiced by Elie Docter) who uses an abandoned house as a den where she too is fixated on exploration and Muntz. Eventually they marry, buy the house and renovate it. Ellie builds a scrapbook and keeps most of it for her adventure of a lifetime - a visit to Paradise Falls in Venezuela.

Life for the couple goes on - Ellie as a keeper at the zoo and Carl as a balloon seller also at the zoo. In old age in her hospital bed Ellie gives her scrapbook to Carl before she dies. With the neighbourhood around the home being redeveloped by high-rise blocks, Carl holds out against the developers. He is eventually forced to move into a retirement home but instead attaches thousands of balloons to the house which breaks free from its foundations and flies off into the skies. 

Carl is enjoying the flight when he is disturbed by a knock at the door. Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai) is a Wilderness Explorer Scout aiming to earn his final badge - helping the elderly. He has stowed away under the porch when the house took off. As the journey progresses, successfully navigating several hazards, Carl and Russell forge an uneasy relationship with Carl being grumpy and fixated on fulfilling his promise to Ellie.

Miraculously, the house lands in sight of Paradise Falls (only in a Disney story). As they explore, the couple meet Dug a talking dog (voiced by Rob Peterson) who knows the area well. They encounter a living giant bird (Kevin) with bright plumage and soon after other talking dogs which it turns out are the eyes and ears of Muntz, now advanced in years but seeking the bird as proof.

Muntz has soured and become nasty in his isolated existence and there are some great action sequences involving the characters. Eventually Carl, Russell and Dug commandeer Muntz's airship and journey home. Carl presents Russell with his badge to complete his collection.

Unbeknown to Carl, winds pick up the house and drop on the top of Paradise Falls thereby fulfilling Carl's promise to Ellie. In reflective mood, Carl opens Ellie's scrapbook and turns the pages reaching the title "My greatest adventure" which was intended to be used to record the trip to Paradise Falls. Instead the pages are full of pictures and notes from Ellie who lived her greatest adventure as Carl's wife and had a great life!

The message of the film is simple - don't waste your life waiting for your great adventure - go and live it now! An excellent film with great characters and animation. I'll give it 8/10.