Why was Muntz made into a villain?? - Up (2009) Discussion

[–] srnumber9 14 years ago

Because most stories need some kind of conflict, and that usually means you need a bad guy.

If you could ask Muntz, he'd say he wasn't evil at all: as he saw it he was robbed of his reputation by the rest of the world and all of those guys who showed up were trying to deny him his right to restore it.

-file that one under Paranoia.

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[–] trshr 13 years ago

I think a lot of people, especially those who wanted Carl to help Muntz clear his name, and people who said the movie was 3-in-1, missed the bigger picture and the point of the movie. It's not a movie about love or about discovery. It's a movie about obsession and being so driven to a goal that you forget everything that's important along the way.

Carl is obsessed about fulfilling his promise to Ellie. Muntz is obsessed about trapping the bird. Russell is obsessed about getting his explorers badges.

And they are all doing it for the wrong reasons: Muntz because he thinks it's going to save his long dead reputation, Carl because he thinks it's going to bring him closer to Ellie somehow, Russell because he thinks it's going to make his father love him more.

Ironically, it's the kid who realizes first that there are more important things than his relentless pursuit. Then Carl. Muntz was too far gone and obsessed for too long. Kevin was his Moby Dick and he had sacrificed too much already to go back. He was not a villain. Unlike Carl and Russell, he had nothing else.

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[–] don_macabre 13 years ago

This is one of the best posts I've read on any forum online. If I could rep you, I would.

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[–] coldpizza 13 years ago

Rep you? The term is rec, as in recommend.

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[–] yama_strife 12 years ago

Rep, as in, give reputation points. Something common in other internet forums. If you don't understand the terminology you should look it up instead of making incorrect assumptions.

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[–] Moonlighty 9 years ago

Ha ha I know this post is old, but yeah you shouldn't try to correct someone without checking if they are actually wrong or not.

-
Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that I'll be over here looking through your stuff.

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[–] PoppyTransfusion 12 years ago

It's a movie about obsession and being so driven to a goal that you forget everything that's important along the way.

Carl is obsessed about fulfilling his promise to Ellie. Muntz is obsessed about trapping the bird. Russell is obsessed about getting his explorers badges.

And they are all doing it for the wrong reasons: Muntz because he thinks it's going to save his long dead reputation, Carl because he thinks it's going to bring him closer to Ellie somehow, Russell because he thinks it's going to make his father love him more.

Completely agree. The film changes when Carl realises that Ellie does not expect from him what he had been obsessing about himself. Once he lets go of that he sees what needs to be done.

Fatima had a fetish for a wiggle in her scoot

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[–] Shadowcat85 14 years ago

My 2 reasons:
1.) It's easier if he's made into an outright villian because this was still marketed as a kids film.
2.) But it also shows how holding onto the past can take over you and destroy your life. Carl was able to remember his yet move on. Muntz couldn't.

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[–] MightBiteYa 14 years ago

Well, it is heavily implied that he killed everyone who stumbled upon him, out of paranoia that they wanted to take his bird. And given his obvious state of insanity, the fact that the people he killed in all likelihood had no idea that bird existed puts him pretty damn well aligned with evil.

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[–] fomorian 14 years ago

I think that loneliness slowly turned him evil. Imagine him sitting there, festering in his hate, growing ever more paranoid and jealous of outsiders... In the face of all that, the fact that the main characters knew of his fame wasn't enough.

Also, the character was based on the guy who stole Walt Disney's original idea for an animation, so he was always meant to be a bad guy. I think they did too good a job in humanizing him, so that when he inevitably turned bad, a lot of us were thrown off.

Mcdonald's: C'est ca que j'aime! It is that which I love!

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[–] SharWeasley 13 years ago

bc the film needed a bad guy...

MOON SHOES POTTER!

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[–] too-good60 13 years ago

Not only did the story need a more concrete conflict, Muntz was a good representation of the path Fredrickson was heading towards.

Obsession over a goal (Muntz=capturing the bird,, Fred=planting the house) led both down a path of isolation which disconnected them of their humanity.

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[–] rciafardone-2 13 years ago

You nailed. This movie is heavy on symbolism, but done the right way, instead of shoving it down ones throat, is set into the story in a harmonious way. And of course sparkled all over with cool silliness. Love it.

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[–] sandifay62 13 years ago

I agree, too. I don't get why people don't understand how the man being isolated for so many years Living with the ridicule and need to prove himself wouldn't drive him crazy. He didn't think he was evil because he thought he was just trying to vindicate himself adn anyone how came along was a threat to his vindication. So he saw no problem in seeking vindication in any means necessary.

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[–] DKark 13 years ago

He actually didn't feel anything, because he's an animated character. You see, animated characters aren't real, so they don't have feelings. The filmmakers just make them appear to have feelings.

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[–] celestialtreat 12 years ago

Yes, but the real villain of the movie is squirrels.

There's a tidal wave coming, so you'd better start learning to swim. - Jukebox the Ghost

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[–] abraxas1122 13 years ago

I totally agree... I loved this movie, but there was something there that felt a bit contrived to create the final conflict.

Actually, I felt sympathy for Muntz... he just wanted to clean his name, recover his reputation and he was going to capture the bird alive, which would have been a great progress for science. He spent his lifetime on this goal, which at the end wasn't rewarded at all.

In addition, he even welcomed to his place and gave them dinner, and seeing the bird on top of the house totally justified his fears of his lifetime goal being jeopardized.

At the end, Carl ends up stealing his zeppelin and not giving justice to his childhood hero. Very very odd morally.

In a nutshell... he was not a totally evil character, which is refreshing and great for character development; but got the resolution of a totally evil character, which I don't think is good at all.

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[–] Quinn76 13 years ago

Don't forget however, that he apparently killed everyone else he had met since being there.

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[–] flyerzzrul 11 years ago

He killed everyone who came accross him, he tried to kill a kid, by bringing back the bird he would have doomed the birds offspring and brought the bird from its paradise home to live in captivity. Enough reasons to be a villian? The guy deserved to be a splatter on a road somewhere.

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[–] sad_antoine 13 years ago

Because he lives in Venezuela.

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[–] CountOroku01 12 years ago

I didn't like making Muntz a bad guy either. Do films really need conflict in order to be something?

I was under the idea that the authorities would be the bad guys. That as soon as Carl would return to the States with the bird to show Muntz was right, he would be arrested or into legal problems.

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[–] MetFanMac 12 years ago

This is less about good guys-bad guys than it is about different ways of coping with loss, emotional baggage, etc.

Supermodels...spoiled stupid little stick figures mit poofy lips who sink only about zemselves.

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[–] 12 years ago

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