I would say that the death in Beauty actually grates me more, but only because I otherwise like that film better and so it nags or sticks out. The question about why one can more easily bracket elements one doesn’t like in some films and not others is a complex one with various answers, probably having more to do with biographical reasons (when I saw each film, what experiences I’ve had, etc.) rather than formal ones (what the films do differently).

I wouldn’t say Up is emotionally empty, but I would say it has elements that can rub some viewers the wrong way and mitigate their enjoyment of the film. That those viewers (which include me) are in the minority, I’ll freely concede.

I would argue that Muntz’s death is a tragic event, and Carl identifies it as such — the look on his face as he watches his idol fall to his death is pained. Muntz, an inherently tragic figure, has let his desire become his obsession, allowing it to consume him completely to the point where he does resort to attempted murder, which in the context of the film is not exactly an unexpected thing. For someone who’s spent decades of his life pursuing a goal, watching it evaporate before his eyes would be almost too much to bear. As “Up” is a Pixar film, there’s a morality tale here about both idols and obsession — not to let either control you life, lest they both betray you. I think you misinterpret Muntz’s death profoundly.

As for Carl’s wife, it is her absence, not her presence, that drives the action of the film. It’s therefore logical that her life is inconsequential, as much a memory by the end of the film to the audience as to Carl, and composed of nothing but pictures and the trinkets (and house) that remind him of her. Her death is what matters, and while there’s a point to be made that her death is much less poignant than it would have been should her life have mattered, I was deeply affected by the silent montage that propelled the film through time and don’t think that critique can be applied to “Up.”