Disney-Pixar has a near-flawless track record when it comes to its animated films. From "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc." to "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles," the company almost always hits its mark with critics and consumers, alike.

The same can't be said for the video-game adaptations of Disney-Pixar films. For every good game ("Cars," Metacritic score of 65), there are a couple of not-so-good ones ("Wall-E," Metacritic score of 50 and "Ratatouille," Metacritic score of 56).

Disney-Pixar has raised the bar again with its latest film, "Up." And while "Up: The Video Game" doesn't quite reach the heights of its theatrical inspiration, it certainly stands as one of the better Disney-Pixar movie-based games.

Developed by Heavy Iron Studios and published by THQ, "Up: The Video Game" is an excellent companion to the film, which tells the tale of Carl Fredricksen and his young Wildness Explorer companion Russell as they set off on an adventure through the South American jungle. You can switch between the two main characters with the press of a button, or enjoy the game with a friend in the co-op mode. Later in the game, you'll also control Dug the dog and enlist the aid of Kevin the bird.

Each character has its own special skills, and combining these skills is key to clearing each stage. Carl can use his walker to help Russell reach high places, while Russell can shimmy across narrow ledges and use his trusty pocket knife to cut vines. The pair also needs to work together to execute a handful of double-team moves. I was surprised at how well the AI performed during these situations, as it almost always managed to put itself into the right position. There were a couple of times I had to switch back and forth between characters to move them into the right spots manually, but overall the AI performed admirably. Of course, playing with a friend (which I highly recommend) negates all of those problems.

The gameplay itself is pretty standard platforming fare, but it fits well enough here. You'll guide Carl and Russell through jungles, caves and cliffs, squashing bugs and collecting items along the way. While the game's difficulty is clearly geared toward younger gamers (my 4 year olds thought it was great), I admit I had trouble with the boss battles. Not because they were hard, but because the solution to defeating each boss wasn't exactly clear. Of course, once I figured out what I was supposed to do, I had no trouble moving on. The flying sequences were another disappointment thanks to some spotty hit detection, but luckily there are only two such stages to mess with.

Visually "Up: The Video Game" does a good job of capturing the general look of the film and I really enjoyed the old news-reel style footage that set up each stage. The audio is solid as well, though many of the character's comments got repetitive quickly.

The game can be completed in under five hours, but what's here is certainly worth the time. With its great co-op play and cute story, "Up: The Video Game" is a fun romp that parents and kids can enjoy together.

"Disney-Pixar's Up: The Video Game"

Developer: Heavy Iron Studios

Publisher: THQ

Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 ($39.99); Nintendo DS, PSP ($29.99); PlayStation 2, PC ($19.99)

Rating: E for everyone

Score: 7.1/10

Disney-Pixar has a near-flawless track record when it comes to its animated films. From "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc." to "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles," the company almost always hits its mark with critics and consumers, alike.

The same can't be said for the video-game adaptations of Disney-Pixar films. For every good game ("Cars," Metacritic score of 65), there are a couple of not-so-good ones ("Wall-E," Metacritic score of 50 and "Ratatouille," Metacritic score of 56).

Disney-Pixar has raised the bar again with its latest film, "Up." And while "Up: The Video Game" doesn't quite reach the heights of its theatrical inspiration, it certainly stands as one of the better Disney-Pixar movie-based games.

Developed by Heavy Iron Studios and published by THQ, "Up: The Video Game" is an excellent companion to the film, which tells the tale of Carl Fredricksen and his young Wildness Explorer companion Russell as they set off on an adventure through the South American jungle. You can switch between the two main characters with the press of a button, or enjoy the game with a friend in the co-op mode. Later in the game, you'll also control Dug the dog and enlist the aid of Kevin the bird.

Each character has its own special skills, and combining these skills is key to clearing each stage. Carl can use his walker to help Russell reach high places, while Russell can shimmy across narrow ledges and use his trusty pocket knife to cut vines. The pair also needs to work together to execute a handful of double-team moves. I was surprised at how well the AI performed during these situations, as it almost always managed to put itself into the right position. There were a couple of times I had to switch back and forth between characters to move them into the right spots manually, but overall the AI performed admirably. Of course, playing with a friend (which I highly recommend) negates all of those problems.

The gameplay itself is pretty standard platforming fare, but it fits well enough here. You'll guide Carl and Russell through jungles, caves and cliffs, squashing bugs and collecting items along the way. While the game's difficulty is clearly geared toward younger gamers (my 4 year olds thought it was great), I admit I had trouble with the boss battles. Not because they were hard, but because the solution to defeating each boss wasn't exactly clear. Of course, once I figured out what I was supposed to do, I had no trouble moving on. The flying sequences were another disappointment thanks to some spotty hit detection, but luckily there are only two such stages to mess with.

Visually "Up: The Video Game" does a good job of capturing the general look of the film and I really enjoyed the old news-reel style footage that set up each stage. The audio is solid as well, though many of the character's comments got repetitive quickly.

The game can be completed in under five hours, but what's here is certainly worth the time. With its great co-op play and cute story, "Up: The Video Game" is a fun romp that parents and kids can enjoy together.

"Disney-Pixar's Up: The Video Game"

Developer: Heavy Iron Studios

Publisher: THQ

Available for: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 ($39.99); Nintendo DS, PSP ($29.99); PlayStation 2, PC ($19.99)

Rating: E for everyone

Score: 7.1/10