Pixar presented some rough, unfinished footage of Up at Comic Con and even as is, the footage impressed. No surprise there. Pixar can do no wrong in my eyes. Co-director Pete Docter dropped some info on the plot and it sounds like a heartwarming tale with an epic visual scope.

According to Docter, the film follows a cranky old geezer  and widower named Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) who promised his life-long love that they’d have a life of adventure in South America. But it never happened. And with her gone and the city trying to throw him into a retirement home since he’s the last holdout in the neighborhood to sell his house for commercial development, Carl does what anyone would: strap five billion ballons to his house and fly off to South America.

The first footage Docter showed was the scene of Carl’s house taking off, right before two men come to drive him off to the retirement home. After the house lifts off, it floats down the city streets as people watch through the windows. What really struck me about the scene was how enjoyable the character of Carl is. He’s a cranky coot. And it’s funny stuff. But since this is Pixar, we get a few touching character bits as Carl kisses the picture of his dead wife once he’s well on his way. Whimsy is plentiful here, but it’s not overbearing.

However, apparently Carl isn’t the only one on this journey. Somehow a spazoid Boy Scout, who has earned every badge except the one for aiding the elderly, snuck on the house before lift off. Docter rolled another, but much shorter, clip of the Boy Scout and Carl walking in the jungle pulling the floating house above them. It’s essentially a scene of slap-dish comedy as the Boy Scout gets distracted, unstraps himself from the house, and Carl starts to float away. Quite amusing.

Apparently, Carl’s destination is a particular type of mountains in South America, which are mile-high plateaus made of the oldest rock in the world. And for research the folks of Pixar made the rather difficult trip out to these mountains in Venezuela for research. Dedicated artists to the very end. Up comes to theaters next May