Get Atlas VPN: get.atlasvpn.com/4shame Alsooooo...This video already got more views in the first hour as my last video did in a week lol

If Muntz hadn't spent so much of his life intensely training hundreds of dogs, he probably would have found the bird earlier.

It's funny how Russell attracts the bird with chocolate, something Charles wouldn't have around because it's very poisonous for dogs.

Fun fact, I watched Up with a friend, and they completely misunderstood the opening. They thought that the girl was actually a boy, then the boy went off and became the villain, while the main character stayed home, found a girlfriend and regretted not going with his friend when he had the chance. I was like "...What? How... How did you get that from the opening?"

"It's sort of a twist that Charles is even alive" made me laugh more than it had any right

"Adventure is out there!" - the antithesis of the film. Muntz status as antagonist is established form his very first line. He convinces Carl and Ellie that a life worth living is far outside the mundane. Compare this to Ellies last message: "Thanks for the adventure" Referencing their mundane life together. The message of the film is what matter most in life is right on your doorstep.

I think Muntz is a very effective villain because he is a very realistic villain: his actions are driven not by a traditional villain plot but by obsession. His need to get what he wants and prove what he wants is what causes him to damage not only others and his dogs but himself.

Can we talk about how Muntz was pursuing a dead dream? Even if he captured the bird, would the public even still care? Heck! Would the Explorer’s Society even still be around? And even if it was would the current members even know who Muntz is? Consider that Muntz started his adventure circa-1940s or 50s and the movie takes place in 2009, when it was released. That’s about 70 years and in that time it’s not impossible for his name to be swept away by future members of the Society

I feel so sad for the cartographer and botanist, the knowledge they may have gained could be lost forever

What I think is so tragically comidic about Muntz is that he was so tunnel visioned by his goal it never struck him that he had pretty much given his dogs human intelligence with his collars, collars that he made with early-mid 1900 technology. He could have gained fame once more but he was so blinded by that bird that it never really crossed his mind because his ego was so bruised.

The sad part about this is that if Carl and Ellie did make it to paradise falls, they likely would’ve succumb to muntz like all the others before them did

Many people have theorized that Charles Muntz was named after Walt Disney's old boss Charles Mintz; back during the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons. Talking about Pixar villians, you should talk about Hopper from A Bug's Life. I think he's one of Pixar's more darker villians; at least in my opinion.

Virtually all of Muntz's canine companions are war dogs - Dobermans, Alsatians, Boxers, German Shepherds, Bulldogs, Airedales, Labradors, and the like. These breeds were all developed as guard and attack animals, their hunting and tracking abilities virtually non-existent relative to other canines. Despite being in Paradise Falls for decades, none of these dogs ever succeeded in locating the mysterious bird Muntz sought. Dug, by comparison, is a Golden Retriever - descended from Bloodhounds (known for superior tracking abilities) and Water Spaniels (known for their hunting prowess). He was always excluded from hunting with the other dogs yet, finally striking out on his own, immediately found Carl, Russel, and (shortly after) the bird.

8:20 It’s weird that Charles would continue his search. I mean, from the beginning of the film, it looked like the scientific community already gave Charles the bird.

It infuriates me that people say that up isnt as good as the first 15 minutes, its still a good movie

There's an interesting change in motivation for Charles in this movie that I don't see a lot of people take note of. The whole reason he went to Paradise Falls was to bring the bird back alive, proving that it is indeed a real living creature. However in the climactic fight near the end Charles yells that he's bringing that bird back dead or alive. He's gotten so obsessed over this bird that at this point he doesn't even care about fulfilling that promise he made so many years ago, at this point it's just the principle of catching that bird that's eluded him all these years. It's not too different from how Carl's motivation subtly changes actually. Originally his dream of going to Paradise Falls was to go on grand adventures with the love of his life, but when Ellie passed away he still stubbornly follows that dream, even though at this point going through with it would achieve nothing, it's just a matter of principle.

he definitely works as a twist villain but one of the most unique ones is King Kandy from Wreck-it Ralph

Do they ever say what year Up is set in as well? There's no real modern technology in the movie, so it could easily be set in the '90s Etc. Making Muntz being alive quite plausable. Also, Muntz invented a collar that can translate dogs... He could have become a multi-millionare, maybe even a billionaire patenting something like that! Far more fame and respect than from discovering a bird in the modern world. Then again, that could be his character, not seeing what life could offer him if he just let go of his obsession. The prime definition of the old addage: "Can't see the forest for the trees".

I believe it is supposed to be hinted at that the jungle had some sort of magical property to it that eased pain/increased life. It has been a long time since I have seen the movie but one of the clips in this video at 8:06 shows that the boy scout (sorry, character, I forgot your name I think it is Russel but not sure and don't wanna google) notices Carl rushing away without his cane that he previously needed to move around. He also holds the house with the hose and it is the hose peeling away from the house and not his inability to maintain grip which causes him to struggle with keeping a hold on it. That isn't typical for a man of his age and previously shown strength. There are a few other things I can't fully recall off the top of my head but there are several hints that suggest the jungle allowed Muntz to continue on with feats beyond what people his age are typically capable of. The sword he is swinging around looks to be two handed, and he is breaking apart hard material specimens such as bone. Those things are heavy.

Charles Muntz is a prime example of "never meet your heroes".

My favorite part of UP is how every time Carl lets go of a fragment of his life with Ellie, he gains something both of them wanted in the process. And conversely, the more he holds on to the past, the further away he gets from the underlying desires that motivated their dreams. He and Ellie wanted a child, and by letting go of his old possessions he got to experience what that’s like by being a father figure for Russel and coming to his rescue. By letting go of his plan to put his house next to paradise falls, he got to experience the adventure he’d always dreamed of. By letting go of his house, he gained a zeppelin. And finally in the end, he gave Russel the Ellie pin, making Russel his new adventure and symbolizing letting go of the last remaining fragment of his life with Ellie. Nothing in this movie is a coincidence, every event is symbolic of Carl’s character development, and that makes it one of the most beautiful stories ever told in a film IMO. Every second of it is absolutely brilliant and I love it.

I knew you would talk about Charles as a twist villain that works. Myself I had a hard time accepting he was actually villainous when I watched this movie when it was released. I was 13 back then and dealing with mild bullying in high school. I guess it influenced my perception of our man Muntz and his evolution. His reveal was so disturbing at least to me, I was in denial about his revealed villany repeating myself "No he can't be evil, he can't be evil".

I think the Roosevelt discrepancy is viewed as thus - considering Muntz is still alive in the film, it's led many to the assumption that he was likely quite young in his career, in his twenties or some such, when he left for Paradise Falls in the 30s. If we put him at that age, he would've been too young perhaps to interact with T. R. really. FDR would not be an option - FDR had the limited use of his legs, and likely was not going on any safaris. This leads us to several theories. - Muntz is not the real Charles Muntz. The theory... works? Kind of? But it's very lame. - Carl is crazy. This is the other oft touted theory I see. It does make sense, of course to Carl's mind Muntz did such cool things, has such a massive ship, etc. It is of course, the very depressing option, and I'm misinclined to adopt it because it feels not to be the original creators' intention. - Muntz is far older than is believed. Perhaps the madness of the man has fueled his life on sheer rage alone, and he has kept to a strict health regimen to stay fit even at his age. - It is simply the magical realism of the film's world. In real life no one took a gigantic fancy blimp deep into the rainforest of South America, you couldn't fly a house with balloons, etc. This seems closest to the creators' intentions; it is simply atmosphere for the story. - And I think my personal pick, and a simple one - Charles is simply exaggerating or outright lying. Maybe he did meet Teddy Roosevelt but as a child, and spun it to be a fantastic part of his story. Maybe he just outright made it up. This could play into Muntz's character. He may be somewhat of a pathological liar - but while taking most times he might be caught in stride, being accused of forgery made him far more distraught, because he knew it was real. This is all headcanon stuff, but I think that in viewing it a certain way, it might reveal some interesting facets to his character.

When a character gets introduced into a story like this that focuses on just a couple key players, this late into the plot, and also happens to be a seemingly very nice guy that the protagonist idolizes: it's not exactly surprising when they turn out to be evil (especially with the dog army). The reveal comes so soon after his reintroduction that I'd struggle to even call it a twist in the traditional sense, more just a simple bait and switch. He's a great villain, don't get me wrong, but not an unexpected one.

Charles Muntz's gradual turn from being this welcoming old man to being sinister, showing that he's murdered everyone who comes to Paradise Falls, is genuinely one of the most chilling villain reveals I've ever seen.

Russel being at risk of falling down the same hole is a good point I wish you'd extrapolated on a little; he was obsessed with getting his wilderness explorer badge because he wanted his dad to come to the ceremony.

For me, what makes Charles such a fascinating villain is the fact we can all become Charles, if we insist on remaining entombed in the past. The fact that Karl was almost a parallel version of his own idol, demonstrates this could happen to anyone, and everyone, when we try to relive the best moments of our past, holding onto zany dreams or trying to correct a past wrong, it can led to either enjoyment and gratification, or wickedness and villainy. This is the lesson all of us should learn from, of letting go and moving on, have new dream and goals, and experience new things to have more memoires, thus the past is a memory and should be treated as such.

Another thing I think needs mentioning is the turning point in the movie when Carl discovers that Ellie had filled the Adventure book with memories of their happy life together. Carl represents someone that didn't waste his life, in contrast to Charles who did.

One moment I like from the movie is after they escape Charles ship Carl says "I finally get to meet my hero and he tries to kill me!" I find it funny cause we first had the Incredibles where are villain was an obsess fan who was shunned by his idol (even if Mr incredible didn't intended for it be that way) and ends up becoming a dangerous person. Then we have Up thats the other side of the coin where our main character realizes that his hero that he and his wife idolize became derange from his obsession of restoring his past reputation.

The main musical theme of Up keeps tripping me up. I'll be sitting there, enjoying it while thinking "This is so happy, but why do I feel impending depression?"

This is first and only movie that made me legitimately cry, so needless to say it holds a special place in my heart.

i think the funniest thing about UP is that at the end of the movie, Carl actually achieves his goals by letting go of them, the house literally floats down to the exact spot Carl and his wife wanted to visit after he lets go. if that's not poetry, idk what is.

this is one of the movies I'm afraid to rewatch because of how emotionally taxing I know it is - it's simply too well done.

The whole idea of "living/being stuck in the past" also in a way exists in Paradise Falls itself. The place is based on the real-life tepuis of Venezuela, Guiana, and Brazil, where these flat-topped mountains act as islands in the sky, isolating the animal &plant life there. Many biologists speculated that the plants & animals of the tepui represented relict populations of organisms that have gone extinct in the lowlands; this idea helped Arthur Conan Doyle write The Lost World back in the day, about how there could even be dinosaurs and other animals known only from fossils on the mountains. I'm pretty sure Ellie even says that Paradise Falls is "a land lost in time" in the movie. This can kinda be seen in what Kevin is implied to be- some kind of flightless primitive bird. While said to be inspired by a Himalayan Monal Pheasant, a lot of people (including myself as a kid) definitely picked up some moa or even terror bird vibes. The former is an extinct bird from New Zealand, and one that's relatively "primitive"; the latter is a group of mostly South American flightless birds that went extinct during the last ice age (and were carnivorous, hence the moniker "terror bird"). Muntz also has an Arsinoitherium skeleton (this I also remember seeing him mention by name) and many other bones- he claims to have killed the animal in Ethiopia? This could kinda allude to him being a bit villainous, assuming that he has hunted the last of these ancient mammals into extinction? Then again, he could have been lying about it being alive, and simply excavated the thing as a fossil (Arsinoitherium is known from fossils in Ethiopia). Other real & extinct animals, from the thylacine (which went extinct in 1936) to some giant south american ground sloths, to an oversized Somali giant leopard tortoise, can be seen. There's also human artifacts from Africa and possibly elsewhere- it's wholly possible that he obtained these through, um, forceful methods that would be frowned upon in modern science (hunting/poaching, killing, graverobbing, colonialism, etc.). Muntz's museum is just a big mystery to me as a biology/paleontology student and history enthusiast- and its existence can be said to point to his more sinister methods of artifact extraction and status as a villain. It's a shame there's next to zero documentation of his museum on the internet.

The difference between Carl’s and Charles’ motives, is Carl was an old man wanting to fulfill his and his recently dead wife’s dream of getting to paradise falls, a dream they were forced to postpone until it was too late, and wanted to retire and die there. Charles went to paradise falls as a young man to hunt his dream, failed, and continued to follow it until he became too old to follow it, then continued to follow it until he died.

While I sort of understood Carl's character arc at a surface level, I hadn't realized the depth of it until this video, or how Charles mirrors him (albeit in fairness, I was rather little in this film's day and my ability to extract meaning from media beyond the immediately apparent had yet to develop). It's quite well-done, really. Very telling that you bring up Kevin's maze when discussing why Charles can't succeed; iirc, at one point the writers wanted to dispose of him by having him baited into going inside and then getting lost. And since you pointed out the bottle cap as a symbol of Carl literally carrying the past with him, I imagine that would add a layer of "finally letting go" meaning when he gives it away to Russell.

I didn’t realize it until you pointed it out, but the consequences of holding onto your past hit way harder than I remember in the scene of Kevin’s capture. Carl tries to free Kevin from her net without hesitation, but then heel turns when Muntz tries to burn his house, who Carl constantly refers to as “Ellie” throughout the film. It’s an incredible way of taking Carl’s biggest flaw and showing the heaviest consequences it can bring. He (temporarily) sacrifices a mother trying to get back to her babies, and breaks the hearts of the new family he was forming, pushing himself away even further until he has his epiphany later on.

i often forget just how revolutionary and incredible up really is. my memory of it is always just that one film from 2009 that everyone talked about, but rewatching it brings back just how much the film has to offer. not to mention the nostalgia too, bc man it hits home

I recently re-watched this movie with my nephew and niece.. I was just blown away by the movie.. Truly one of a kind movie

Personally like Syndrome the best way more screen time way more memorable and him getting an origin from the hero and him inadvertently causing the ban on superheros to begin with is so interesting to me.

I haven't seen this movie in years, and this video brought back my appreciation for it. Hope it gets the recognition it deserves!

Also there's the question about Muntz's zeppelin. Hydrogen doesn't get along when close to the equator in particular.

Up is quite underrated to me, when most people talk about this movie they focus mostly in the initial sequence with carl and ellie, ignoring the beauty of the rest of the movie. Honestly, the moment when Carl is looking at Ellie's adventure book and sees the "thank you for the adventure, now go on to the next" or something like that made me cry much more than the initial sequence.

Can I point out that even if Carl did use enough balloons that it could lift his house, it would still be impossible. My prediction for what would actually happen is it would just rip the chimney out. I mean think about it, he put all of the balloons on a single connection point, so that bar in his chimney is under the pressure of the entire house’s weight. Also, even if it didn’t rip off, the house would be very imbalanced. That bar he hooked the balloons to is very low in the house, so the house would definitely tip and be at an angle. Also also not only are the balloons strong enough to lift the house, but they are also strong enough to rip the piping under the house with little struggle. Reply banana if you read this. Also also also with how strong those balloons are, there’s no way the tarp in the beginning would be strong enough to hold them down. I’m probably looking to deep into this, but whatever.

Cars 3 actually DID have a pretty solid through-line, though! It was a metaphor for athletes at the end of their professional run who are no longer physically able to keep up with the newer young athletes, despite their best efforts, simply due to the effects of aging. It was about Lightning "passing the torch" to Cruz, so to speak, and finding value in the role of mentor and thus coming full circle, a parallel to Doc Hudson for Lightning back in the first film.

Everybody acts like Charles Muntz is irrelevant to the story of up and could be removed completely. However people don't realize how important he really is to nearly every plot point in the movie, in the beginning he is important as a good guy and as important as a villain.

I also had a theory about Up. I think one of the smaller morals of the movie is “it’s more about the journey than the destination”. You can see this in the fact that Carl focuses on the “saved for Paradise Falls” page. Only until the middle end of the film does he realize that there were more pages of photos beyond that saved page. And in those pages, we’re photos of his marriage with Ellie. It could be seen that Ellie was able to enjoy the life she had, without focusing too much on the long term goal of Paradise Falls.

I feel like the bird is a metaphor for whatever ephemeral “thing” you’re trying to take from the past to the present. That would make the maze the past itself.

RIP Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer

...it just hit me that Muntz is a serial killer

Congrats on the sponser! You're moooooooooovin' Up! (very clever yet obvious reference)

I always thought up was more about appreciating what you have, and not getting too overly focused on your goals, not so much letting go of the past. This, in many ways, fits better. Carl was so focused on getting his wife to Paradise Falls, that he failed to truly appreciate the life he had with Elle. Same with Charles, he was so focused on undoing his (admittedly wrongful)disgrace that he spent decades trying to undo it, when he could have easily just moved on and built a life for himself.

"And you're gonna do it nice and softly because I like it that way..."

One thing you could have touched on was how the movie shows Carl letting go of the past: he gives the soda can badge to Russell.

Just want to say that I really appreciate your videos. Your content and format is consistently good quality.

13:00 That was actually a note in my physics solution textbook in college. It was a question about many balloons with helium of this density does it take to lift a person of this many kilos in an air with this density. "This is why the movie Up is unrealistic".

Amazing video 4shame!

Your analysis of these shows is just brilliant. I love it !

While I agree that Charles Muntz was a great Villain for Up. I can't quite say he's the best. For me I believe that title falls to Anton Ego.

Your commentary as always so insightful 🙂

Even though I kind of forgot a bit of this movie, this made me remember enough to understand it better. Really nice analysis

Incredible video. Very well researched and presented!

between this and that "Auto is the best AI villain" video essay you have more than earned a sub from me- Keep up the amazing work! Can't wait to look through more of you back catalog

Ahhh yes my fav movie, I’m a fanatic about it, and this I agree with u about it.

Only upon my last viewing did it finally click with me what “You know, it’s just a house” truly meant, I’m so glad you also described the blunt realization of the film

There are so many things about this movie that just sink in with me when I was younger, need to go back and watch it again.

oml hes back!!! missed your stuff bear man

I mean a quick search on a wiki can say that the ages can match up, Charles Muntz was 23 at the start of the film and 92 by the end. Which it's not too farfetched for Carl whose in his 70's to meet someone in their 90's I mean I have a grandpa in his 70's and his mother my great grandma in her 90's it's not impossible and i don't really buy into the imposter or ghost theories. But may have been foreshadowed somewhere and I missed it.

"Never meet your heroes" is another good takeaway from this excellent movie. ^^

If anyone thinks it’s weird that Muntz was still living, Director Pete Doctor confirmed he is only 23 at the start of the film while Carl is 9. In the present, Muntz is 92 while Carl is 78; a 14 year gap. It’s possible he would still be living.

really good video!!

I've watched Up at least 50 times. It's my favorite Pixar movie and among my all-time favorite films.

Oh the nostalgia.

Thanks for this.

The name "Paradise Falls" is a clever pun. Because Charles and Carl were both living in the past, they were also living constantly in the shadow of what destroyed the happiness of their past--in a sense, each was constantly living in the moment when his paradise fell. For Charles, this was when he was labeled a fraud. For Carl, this was not only Ellie's death, but the prospect of losing the house and the last vestiges of his life with Ellie. In both cases, they ended up directly in Paradise Falls. Note that, as a verb, "falls" is in the present tense--while they cling to the past, paradise falls for them in the present. Only when Carl lets go of losing the house (which remains at Paradise Falls) does he gain the spirit of adventure that he looked to as a child (another pun). It's very tongue in cheek.

I really don’t like ads in the vid but that was a GREAT transition

Construction part gets me because I live in SoCal and they’re literally buying all the properties on my grandmas street and have been building warehouses, the whole neighborhood used to be homes and farms, now just endless warehouses, but my grandma and others refuse to sell so now we’re surrounded by warehouses, really sad

Oooo a new video!

I remember watching this in theaters with my family as a kid and I remember almost everyone in tears during the beginning and end XD

Watched this move so many times as a kid and until I watched your video today I never knew his name was Charles Muntz

The past is never gone; it's still there in the past. It can't be changed, but you can certainly learn from it.

Yeah you're right he is actually a pretty awesome twist villain and yes this movie is amazing and it was so amazing to see it in theaters back in the late 2000s

Your series of Perfect twist villains is amazing. I do wonder if lego has any twist villains?

“People said that the movies I review aren’t available in some countries and-“ “Just give me the VPN sponsorship already”

Charles has to be SO OLD. He was an experienced explorer when Carl was a child. Now Carl is pretty old. Charles has to be like….85? He’s in great shape for that

"Charles is the version of Carl who has spent the last years of his life obsessively chasing a dream that is long gone. Charles is a man who wasted all of his years of life trying to get the past back to the present, but of course it's impossible. You can't bring the past back, it's gone, forever". Or to quote Kirk Douglas from the movie "Two weeks in another town": -I came here looking for the past. I found it and to hell with it.

My favorie scene in up is the opening scene. Yes, it's really sad. But it's also SOOOOOOO good

You've heard of Paradise Falls. We all have. The legends. The curses. Some foolishness about it being a land lost in time. A place of ghosts. Beyond the clouds. A spectacular sight of nature. Finding it though, that's not the hard part. It's letting go.

I heard many interpretations of UP Ones that take it literally, as a childhood movie with a message. But there are ones that possit that the story is last days of Mr.Fredriksen. And supprisingly I am not exactly pissed at the latter interpretation, as it still conveys message of letting go of obsessions, be it to continiue further life or not get stuck in the last days of it

In your video on Atlantis and why Rorke is such a good twist villain, you mention how the film itself is kinda forgotten, despite being a good film. I'm curious to see if you have any videos planned about Treasure Planet. It's one of my favourite Disney movies ever, based on a classic book, and yet, like Atlantis, doesn't get the recognition it really deserves.

I think I ended up realizing the message this last time I watched the movie after like 5 or 6 watchings of it lol. It probably has to do with events of my life, but I was able to really enjoy the "snap" where Karl realizes that he needs to live in the present, and he starts to just enjoy his adventure.

Thor: Well, you know what they say, “never meet your heroes”

something worth noting: Charles lost sight of the "Spirit of Adventure" He became so obessed with the destination/goal with finding the bird he lost sight of the journey- the adventure itself Carl also forgot to enjoy the adventure as he made his way through this incredible jungle but it wasn't until he read Elli's words that he was reminded what an adventure is really about Just a perfect movie

It struck me right now. The bird's natural diet probably contain cacao beans, since it likes chocolate.

I wonder if Muntz got his wish and retrieved the bird how would he have ended up.

my personal headcanon is that muntz is born circa 1915 -ish and he's in his early 20s when he's thrown out of his society, circa 1934-1938. a good indicator of this is the dirigible muntz flies (not a blimp, it's a rigid airship llike the Graf Zeppelin) was basically out of common use by the late 30s, because of advancements in airplanes and the fact that hydrogen-gas airships like the Hindenburg and Graf Zeppelin and the USS Macon (ZRS-5) and similar are extremely vulnerable to fire, and adverse weather conditions that aircraft of the time could much better survive.

Man I remember the movie as if I watched it yesterday. The Charles Muntz was an underrated villain.

I have an idea for a video, you did a video about AI villains and you've done videos about twist villains, how about a video about god villains or deity villains. I find the topic of divine beings taking the villain role really interesting even if you don't believe they exist. Edit: The reason I find the topic interesting is because Godly characters are both easy and hard to write at the same time. Like A.I. we don't really understand them despite being their creators, with gods we don't understand them mainly due to being older than time itself. The rules of a god and what applies to them make them so flexible yet they can still be hard to write sometimes. What would a god want? Would they even want anything? What would they be doing that could be considered antagonistic? How would they react to being defeated by a mortal? so many things. What fits my criteria of what I believe a god is. 1: They have to be an ancient being. 2: They obviously need to have godly powers. 3: They must play a critical role to the universe such as being one of the first beings created or being older than the universe such as being the one who made it. They're some villains who can technically fit into the category of a god but I made a sub-category God-Like villains and/or God wannabes. These are characters who don't fit all my criteria to be a god but still insanely close to not be classified as a god such for example a villain in a movie gains some kind of ancient power that makes them nearly unstoppable they weren't ancient and didn't play a crucial role to the universe yet still has the godly powers.

I would love if you could just make a full video on up and why it’s the Pixar movie

The epitome of "Never Meet Your Heroes."