Make sure you see the 3-D version, as it adds a ton to the viewing experience.
The colors and the animation are just phenomenal.
image sourceAt the beginning of the film, a short montage, called "Married Life" fills the viewer in on back-history of the main character, Carl, before moving to the present tense of the story.
It encapsulates Carl and his wife Ellie's life together, including a daring dip into reality with a really sad scene at the doctor's after a miscarriage. What really helps to drive home this montage is the use of color to illustrate each stage of the character's lives together.
I was thrilled to find an article that touched upon this topic a little bit:
If you watch the scene closely, you also will notice that the color palette shifts to reflect the nature of Carl and Ellie's relationship. When they are young, the shades are sepia-toned, suggesting something from the 1930s. In the prime of their lives, the colors are richer -- vibrant greens and blues. "Hopefully it's not something the audience is even conscious of," [director Pete] Docter says.
There aren't too many movie stills online yet, so you'll have to go see the movie to experience the full effect.
I am especially fond of the old man's house. A funny coincidence: before I saw the movie, as a joke, I had just created an outrageously colorful mock-up for a client, so I was tickled to see Pixar's version of an equally-vibrant paint job. Oh, how fabulous would that be to work for Pixar? Their campus is a mere 10 minutes away from me in Emeryville. Too bad they don't have a job position exclusively for color consultations. Ah well, one can dream...all images (except my crazy house) copyright Pixar/Disney