Directed by Pete Docter

I approach animations these days with some suspicion, fearing an excess of cuteness, noise, and syrupy archness, but this time I was quite beguiled. This tale of a grumpy old widower and his escape from his lonely life in search of adventure and a boyhood hero is fast moving but not frantic, genuinely funny, and beautiful to look at. If you're after a family film that will entertain everybody, this is the one.

Carl Fredericksen (very nicely voiced by Ed Asner) is sick of his life in the modern world now he's lost his wife Ellie. (We see their back story in a beautifully told little prelude that manages to be poignant without being sentimental.) So he sets off following the trail of airship ace Charles F Muntz (Christopher Plummer), who hasn't been seen for decades after an expedition to South America. An unintentional stowaway on his balloon-powered flying house is plump and chirpy boy scout Russell (Jordan Nagai). There are many lovely and sharply funny moments on their journey to a mysterious land which may recall Conan Doyle's Lost World. The talking animals, almost obligatory in animation, that they find are very wittily conceived here. They are, with the exception of an exotic bird which is the object of Muntz's quest, very recognisable domestic dogs, who look and behave like dogs but talk like people. Plot and characterisation are surprisingly subtle, and the technical skill in bringing the large and small scale action so consistently alive is a fine achievement.

This is Pixar's first 3D film, and my first taste of 3D for more years than I care to admit to. Yes, it was first time round, mid-1950s, Kiss Me Kate, when Bob Fosse was just a junior dancer, and they chucked juggling balls at the audience (and we ducked). That was thrilling, but here (though maybe it's because I'm not in infant school any more) I found it a pleasant but not terribly exciting experience, adding something to the visual beauty, but seldom used for real effect. A bit of propeller flew toward the audience at one point, but otherwise one just tended to stop noticing after a while. The specs have certainly moved on - the squarish cardboard efforts with red and green cellophane which I remember languishing for years in our kitchen drawer at home (not sure what we thought we were saving them for), has become a sturdy plastic set of shades with a hint of Ivy League nerd about them. Amuse yourself during a quiet moment looking round at your fellow ardent viewers as the light reflects across a bank of glass lenses. See it in 3D if you can, but 2D will be fine, it's good enough not to depend on fancy visual effect for its charm and humour.

Seen at Cinema Days, Empire Cinema, Rubery, Birmingham, 2 October 2009