Carl's Date

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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.

source: Carl's Date

This short film, about Carl Fredricksen who reluctantly agrees to go on a date with a lady friend-but admittedly has no idea how dating works these days, is a weak movie. The story is not bad, but not special in any way, either. That Carl was going to date someone was a bit exciting on his behalf, but I expected more from the story. It basically only contained Carl talking with Dug about this date, and I didn't really find it entertaining. It was slightly funny and emotional, but despite the success of Up (2009), it was a disappointment because it wasn't really that deep. This is a weak short film that fails to live up to the success of Up. The story is not bad, but it is not special in any way. It's basically Carl talking with Dug about his date, and it is not very entertaining or deep. Overall, this was a disappointment.

"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.

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.

Initially slated to be released on Disney+ as the first episode of 'Dug Days (2021-)' season 2, 'Carl's Date (2023)' was inexplicably promoted to full-blown short film, presumably because the studio realised that they didn't actually have a short to play before 'Elemental (2023)'. The result is, perhaps expectedly, underwhelming. In fact, I'd even say this is less compelling than most (if not all) actual episodes of the show, meaning it would be disappointing even if it were the opener to a straight-to-series second season. To be fair, I think the piece is less effective precisely because it's presented as a pre-Pixar short (plus, although Pixar didn't actually make it, it kind of masquerades as a Pixar film and is therefore subject to a higher level of scrutiny). The piece isn't particularly bad, with solid voice work and several gags that clearly appeal to the intended audience (the kids in the cinema loved it when Dug mentioned rolling in poo). The short is about Carl being invited on a date and becoming increasingly worried as it draws ever nearer. It has some nice theming surrounding his guilt over going on a date with a woman who isn't his late wife, but it doesn't mine this element for all it's worth and feels as though it leaves a lot of potent material untouched in favour of silly "I'm anxious" antics. Still, there are a couple of touching moments that add a bit of gravity to the overall affair. Ultimately, this is a decent yet undercooked short film that doesn't do much to outgrow its straight-to-streaming roots.

. . . send many ELEMENTAL ticket buyers arriving on time to see that animated feature film back to the box office for a refund, without seeing even a minute of the main event, which would be tragic for those of us who gave Carl's original film--UP--a rating of 10 of 10, and stuck out being hoodwinked as a captive audience member for the egregious CARL'S DATE shoddy television series episode to enjoy ELEMENTAL, another solid "10" on the ratings chart. This banal short is far worse than an eight-minute promo for the theater's concession stand would be, or even a similar period of white noise. CARL'S DATE plods along aimlessly, never even reaching the promised main event suggested by the title. Television is no longer "free," but whatever they're charging for drivel like this qualifies as highway robbery.