Inside Out

I did exactly what I was supposed to when watching this brilliant movie, I felt all the emotions at some point.

Pixar did it again with Inside Out. For a long time I had stubbornly repeated that Toy Story would always be my favourite from Pixar, but I changed my mind shortly after watching this one.

Like Toy Story you were offered a setup every adult can identify. Growing up learning how to control your feelings and learning the importance of every one of them. It is okay to be angry, sad, happy and afraid as long as we are taught how to manage them.

The idea of having this control panel inside a human body has been done before by Osmosis Jones (2001), but let's say with much less success. Inside out takes it to the highest level of perfection.

I loved the way Pixar made this world inside the main character of Riley, it is very creatively done and was in some ways just how I had imagined it. I must admit that I cried a couple of times during the movie, because it has some really touching moments.

You should be feeling all emotions when watching Inside Out. It is a must watch.

For every child, growing up can be exciting, confusing, and difficult. For Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco, Riley is directed by her emotions, Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) in Headquarters Control Center inside Riley's mind to help her overcome everyday life. However, Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to Riley's new life in San Francisco and emotional disorder arises. Although Joy, Riley's main and most fundamental emotion, tries to keep things optimistic, the emotions fight on how best to navigate Riley's new world.

After watching "Inside Out" with my wife, we both agreed that "Inside Out" is the perfect Pixar Animation movie for any family on a night out. It was both imaginative and relatable for both children and adults. I never thought "Inside Out" would be this enjoyable, but I was able to experience every emotion of "Joy", "Disgust", "Anger", "Fear", and "Sadness" for each and every moment of this film. At the end of the night, I was pleasantly unsatisfied because I wanted to watch the movie again and again. Parents, if you're looking for a fun filled movie night with your children, this movie will not only please them, but you as well.

A Definite 9!! Well done Pixar!

Inside Out (2015)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Eleven-year-old Riley has a wonderfully fun childhood thanks to the emotions working inside of her. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) all help keep the young girl moving forward but when her family moves from Minnesota to San Fransisco it throws everyone for a loop and soon Joy and Sadness find themselves lost in her system and trying to find their way back.

INSIDE OUT is certainly another winner from Pixar who are clearly the experts of the family movie. What really amazes me about the studio is that they're actually just making adult movies that kids happen to enjoy because of the pretty characters on the screen. I say this because films like this one, UP and WALL-E really do have adult stories dealing with adult issues yet somehow the studios are able to keep kids entertained while their parents get a lot more of the jokes and the emotions that the story provides. This one here is an incredibly touching story from a parent's point of view simply because of the changes that their kids go through.

There's no doubt that the animation is the star of this picture and we're really treated to some wonderful images. I especially loved the use of colors in the picture and how various colors had a certain emotion attached to it. This is certainly excellent once our adventure begins as there's a "long term memory" section where these wonderful color marble like things are collection. Just the site of this are a true treat for the eyes. All of the "emotion" characters are perfectly brought to life with both Joy and Anger really standing out. The human characters are also quite entertaining and there's no doubt that the Bing Bong character will go down as a favorite decades from now.

As I said, this film is going to work a lot better for older kids and adults as I'm sure the majority of young children aren't fully going to grasp the idea of emotions and how they effect our lives. The story itself is quite charming throughout and I was surprised at how many adult issues they were able to work on throughout the running time. Fans of Pixar are certainly going to love this as it's another winner that manages to work no matter what your age is. Still, I think the older you are the more you'll enjoy it.

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.

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.