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The new Pixar animated movie called Elemental might leave something to be desired in the eyes of some audience members, and seem cute but fairly run-of-the-mill in other audience members’ eyes, but there was one surprise from Pixar that theater attendees did not see coming!
The Famous Up Scene
The Pixar movie Up is famous for its heartbreaking beginning, in which an old man named Carl is widowed after his beloved wife Ellie passes away.
Carl goes on an adventure to honor Ellie, with several unintended consequences and a bittersweet but happy ending (in typical Pixar style).
Carl and Ellie in ‘Up’. Carl was voiced by the late Ed Asner. Credit: D23
Now, Pixar has just revealed a new Up film in the form of a short called Carl’s Date — and although the tone of this short is clearly meant to be lighthearted, it does still sneak some emotional grief-riddled pangs into viewers’ hearts.
The main premise of the show involves Carl (who is voiced one last time by the late Ed Asner) nervously preparing for his first date since his wife’s passing, and his new dog Dug’s attempts to help the old man prepare.
The widower Carl in ‘Carl’s Date’, a Pixar short starring the late Ed Asner in his role from ‘Up’. Credit: Pixar
However, Carl’s love for Ellie and his grief still inevitably make an appearance, tempering the happy tone of the short with the sadness that made Up famous in the first place.
“Another Reason to Sob”
Since many Disney fans and Pixar fans consciously avoid watching the parts of Up that focus on Carl’s love for his late wife, and since plenty of theater visitors will not have heard about the Up spinoff being shown before Elemental despite the trailer’s release, the sadder parts of this short are not necessarily welcome!
“I’ve found another reason to sob over Carl and his pals,” one viewer wrote after watching Carl’s Date, which is also included as part of the Dug Days series.
The widower Carl and Dug the dog. Credit: D23
Too Much Dug?
Carl’s Date has not necessarily been well-received, either; according to this review, it is “the worst theatrical short Pixar has ever made.”
Pixar reportedly “underestimates our respect for Carl” and “vastly overestimates our love of Dug,” according to that same review.
Have you seen Elemental in theaters yet, and therefore seen Carl’s Date? Were you happy to see more Up scenes, or groaning inwardly at the idea of more crying?
