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I might as well quit while I'm ahead. I've already seen the best movie this summer.

"Up" is a movie that is way too good for an audience now forcefed bad acting and cheesy computer graphics. The fact that "Up" is a Pixar movie and computer-driven itself is immaterial. The movie has more intelligence and heart than hundreds of other films released by mainstream Hollywood over the past ten years.

It starts simply. You meet Carl Fredricksen as a child, mesmerized by famed explorer Charles Muntz in some 1930 newsreel. But, it's not long before Carl's attention is diverted by cute little Ellie who, in one of the best montages ever captured on film, ultimately becomes Carl's wife for life. You are whisked amazingly through their childhood, their courtship, their marriage, even the loss of an unborn child, perhaps Disney's first on-screen miscarriage.

Ellie passes on, leaving Carl as a grouchy old man, expertly voiced by Edward Asner who hasn't sounded this crabby since CBS cancelled "Lou Grant." His house is the lone residence in an urban renewal project and you think you're headed for a plot that is recycled from a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie starring perhaps a live action Edward Asner. But, that's when "Up," propelled with helium balloons and a flight of fancy, takes off. Carl hoists his house to the sky on his way to fulfilling a lifelong dream held by Ellie. The only problem is that, while aloft, he discovers a chubby neighborhood Boy Scout, Russell, on his porch.

Realism morphs into fantasy as Carl and Russell have an adventure someplace in South America that is like no other. There's a bizarre bird named Kevin, some voice-activated dogs, and a meeting with...well, it's not hard to figure out who. But, as predictable as the plot sometimes gets, you are nevertheless surprised along the way by an impeccable blend of humor, action, and pathos. Few movies these days do any of those qualities well. "Up" manages to achieve the highest level of excellence for all three. It was probably a real risk for Disney to feature an entire movie around an old guy and a fat Asian kid, but the gamble was worth it.

Indeed, one might argue that "Up" is too smart for an audience that will naturally be comprised of little kids looking for the next guinea pig fart joke (from the trailer I saw that is exactly what is coming this summer with Disney's "G Force"). I saw "Up" at the wonderful El Capitan Theater which was packed to the rafters, both orchestra and balcony, for the Saturday 7PM show. Lots of little kids were scattered about, and the youngest seemed to get bored halfway through. Lots of fidgeting, crying, and whining. Toddlers taken to the lobby for a respite. A great Disney film usually has something for both children and adults. In the case of "Up," there was probably more for the latter than the former as it has a real solid chance of winning an Oscar for Best Picture.

There was one moment of child intrusion that did have us laughing. At one point in the film, Carl tries to keep Russell's chattering to a minimum by introducing a game where they get to see who can stay quiet the longest. Two rows behind, a little girl called to her father.

"Daddy, that's the same game you play with me."

Dinner last night: Crispy spicy beef at the Cheesecake Factory.