Alles steht Kopf

I am not normally one to write reviews, but I couldn't help reading several for this film on this site that just did't seem to understand where I think the film was supposed to be coming from.

The majority of the complaints I saw were that the film was 'too depressing for a children's film', but whilst I see where they are coming from in some regards, every child who I have seen watch this film (I work in a cinema) has absolutely loved it, and laughed out loud almost constantly. They are not old enough to realise the message the film is trying to convey: that life isn't all about happiness. I applaud the attempt from Pixar to make a film that is not only hilarious in places, but is also a major comment on what life is like to be a younger teenager, transitioning through one of the most important moments of life.

From a more personal perspective, why should everything we show our children gloss over the reality of life, and try to make them believe everything is rosy 24/7? Again, what this film does brilliantly through the message I took away at the end was that life will never be 100% full of happiness, but that is fine. Why does it have to be? A little bit of sadness is necessary. If a person was never sad, they would be inhumane.

Overall then, I suppose my review is more of a comment on the type of film we exhibit to children, and how the Nanny-state we live in looks to protect them from most of lives inevitabilities. Either way, what can't be ignored is that this film is equal parts sad, and equal parts what I am sure will become a timeless classic in years to come.

For some reason, I couldn't quite catch this movie in theaters and I managed to watch it on an international flight. And boy, am I glad I did!

As far as concepts go, I was astonished at the amount of detail and coherence in execution. The visuals are absolutely stunning, the colors rich and vibrant, the characters utterly memorable and some of the most poignantly heart-breaking lines of dialogue ever spoken/sung in any movie, let alone feature animation. It is every bit a Disney-Pixar classic and as emphatic a return to form as it can get.

The story revolves around a young girl child who is happy in her world and has to suddenly acclimatize to another environment when her family has to move. Growing pains and social issues affect her while she grapples with increasingly complex situations, both at home and school. Meanwhile, the interplay between the five primary emotions inside her mind is both dynamic and fraught with compromises, much like how we deal with others everyday. As things come to a head and young Riley is about to make a life-changing decision, the events that follow leave a lasting impression, with an increased appreciation of the phrase "emotions are what makes us human"!

I recognized some dichotomies - for instance, Minnesota, usually perceived cold, is regarded as warm and comforting by Riley while San Francisco, renowned for its sunny weather, is seen as foreign and unwelcome. The other contrast I noticed was all five emotional figures (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust) do not always stay true to form, with Joy especially exhibiting nuances far beyond what her name implies - case in point, her touching admission preceding the last act (that entire sequence was too much for my eyes to take, by the way). All this might be considered a tad too much for young children to appreciate, but with time, they may probably realize how beautifully honest this movie was in trying to portray their growth and the underlying issues.

Certainly, it is not without flaws: the plot meandered a bit 2/3rds into the length; Joy's "A-ha" moment seems strangely contrived, despite the impact it had; the music was adequate but not truly captivating as in the case of other Pixar offerings. But the beauty of this medium is that it offers filmmakers opportunities to steer audiences to more engaging experiences; Pete Docter and Co accomplish this with aplomb.

In terms of cast and crew, the voice actors are superb selections - Lewis Black aces the Angry persona with generous dollops of sarcasm; Mindy Kaling is just perfect voicing Disgust; Richard Kind's performance as the imaginary Bing Bong is an absolute tear-jerker, while Kaitlyn Dias shows remarkable poise playing Riley. But it is Amy Poehler who steals the show in a coruscating blend of vivacity, vibrancy, and vicariousness. Her Joy is not an infallible leader, but one who accepts others in the face of challenging situations and plows ahead with inspiring positive energy. The animation left me spell-bound, especially the sequence where thoughts are shown to be abstracted, and are endowed with a lot of heart. The movie is fairly short, but a running time of 94 minutes is appropriate justice to a slightly heavy subject matter. The humor compensates with trademark Pixar staple of jokes, albeit intended for slightly more mature viewers. Pete Docter gave us the outstanding Up six years ago and ably accompanied by Ronnie del Carmen, has categorically demonstrated that he is a fabulous storyteller and a master entertainer.

Inside Out is every bit a Pixar fan's well-deserved reward for patience. Do yourself a favor and watch this magnificent gem.

94 minutes of pure joy and emotion. A return to masterclass from pixar and not only that, probably their best work outside of Toy Story 1 and 2. This film does deserves every bit of praise it has got and more. I will say without hesitation that if you haven't seen this film, believe me you should.

Lets just start easy by saying that the animation is something other-wordily. We are beyond the point where anyone needs to express the fact that pixar's animation is gorgeous, but the fact is this animation is some of the most intelligent and dense animation I have ever seen. There are easter eggs in every single frame and more than that every visual element in the movie is well rounded and clearly thought out which makes the storytelling so much more gripping. Talking about storytelling, rarely does a film do visual storytelling so brilliantly. Five minutes into the movie I was in and I knew how things were rolling. This s really a lesson on how to think things out visually and how to use visuals to your advantage as much as it is possible, combining them to smart, engaging ideas.

And now to the layers the film has. The deepness of its themes, the intelligence of its story, the subtext behind every action and word, the comedic touches, the insanely funny pop culture references, the poetic approach to joy and sadness, the emotional depth, everything, I'm telling you everything here is gut wrenching. There isn't one scene where you feel time is being wasted, there isn't one word a character speaks that doesn't feel genuine, there isn't one idea that is boring or unoriginal. This film is beyond emotionally engaging, this film gives you a mirror on which to reflect your life and think about it, but no wait it doesn't stop there, it also gives you the opportunity to laugh about it, that no matter what is going on there is also space for a laugh and for lightness. Wow.

After a second viewing I have settled on the problem I originally had and can now honestly say this film really just has nitpick issues, it's truly a great one and definitely the best we've been given in 2015 so far. After my first viewing I was all enthusiastic about everything above, but I also was left a little confused by the mythology the film uses and wasn't quite sure it always fit. Upon a second viewing I guarantee that there is no such problem. The mythology is perfect and works with a solid and thought out logic that takes into account the chaos of life. What doesn't quite work is the fact that the film does have a few really minor shortcuts or conveniences that may stick out and I honestly wanted a little bit more of the control center room scenes and see some more of how it worked there, but then again I am really nitpicking.

Incredible for me to say it, but I really want a sequel to this film, it's incredible. I want to see another two hours of the five emotions battling in out in the life of Riley and her further struggles, especially want to see the teenage years. This idea is truly amazing and special and it is so inspiring to me, I just really want a sequel to this film and that's the first time I've ever said that in my life.

Trust me this film deserves every single bit of your attention and heart, it will take you on a roller-coaster of emotions and entertainment that is absolutely delightful and will also leave you thinking for days.

I hate to see so many 1 star reviews claiming this movie was "too depressing". Everyone who said that missed the point completely. Growing up ain't all sunshine and rainbows, it comes with a lot of hardships and that's what this movie is about. Riley's emotions try to help her through the difficulty of moving to a new place that isn't all its cracked up to be, and in the process Joy accidentally sends Riley into a deep depression. Sounds depressing, but what makes this movie great is how realistic her depression feels as Joy and Sadness try to help Riley out of it. I feel like this movie's message is "Growing up will be tough, but you will get through it and there are people who will always help you through it." and that is a VERY important message for children.

Throughout the movie there are plenty of good jokes, gorgeous animation, and a beautiful score by Michael Giacchino (idk how to spell that....) Again, just my two cents, but I think this a great movie, if very different and a bit more depressing by Pixar standards.

REALLY starting to think people are just coming to trash all of Pixar's most recent movies out of jealousy or something. There's no way so many people think this movie is garbage. If the good movies are really getting this many bad reviews, it's no wonder the quality of animated movies is going down. There's just no reason to try anymore......

I confess that I had to watch this twice before I could properly assess it. It's definitely not a young children's film, as there's precious little to entertain them, but it does have much to consider for older children and (young) adults. As a rumination on what drives us all through life, this is very effective, but I do feel that the story lacks something for making Riley so isolated in her world. Perhaps if she interacted a bit more in the story, this would be a more involving film, but the reflections on lost innocence do add some poignancy and lift this film slightly above average.