Inside Out (2015)
Directed by: Pete Docter & Ronnie Del Carmen
Starring: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Mindy Kaling
Written by Josh
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I’ve grown up with Pixar’s films, right from ‘Toy Story’ in 1995 through to ‘Finding Dory’ this year. In my 26 years, Pixar have taken us on an emotional ride from the perspective of; toys, bugs, monsters, fish, superheroes, cars, a rat, a robot, an elderly man, a brave young princess and a dinosaur. In ‘Inside Out’, Pixar raised the emotional stakes with a film that poses the question; What if our emotions had emotions?
Telling the story of a young girl named Riley, who moves from Minnesota to San Francisco with her family, ‘Inside Out’ introduces us to her emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness – and explores the conflict they have in navigating Riley through a new city, house and school.
The setting for the majority of ‘Inside Out’ is Riley’s imagination, enabling Pixar to get incredibly inventive with the world they created. The detail in the animation doesn’t reach the same heights as something like ‘Finding Nemo’ but it’s the detail in the creation of the various locations within Riley’s imagination that make ‘Inside Out’ one of Pixar’s most inventive films.
As always with Pixar, we are introduced to a wonderful array of characters throughout the film. The emotions and the characters that Joy and Sadness meet in Riley’s imagination, as well as the human characters of the film are all voiced well by a cast that includes Amy Poehler and Bill Hader, and they all play their part in making Inside Out such a fantastic experience for all ages.
The writing is the real cherry on the top for ‘Inside Out’ though. Not only is this one of the funniest Pixar films, it delivers a touching message in such a beautiful manner, leaving even this particular 26 year old, an emotional wreck. I won’t go into details just in case you haven’t seen the film but it’s a moment where the emotions realise that Riley cannot live a normal life without one of them playing a prominent role. It leaves me in bits every single time and it’s a moment that sums Pixar’s ability to connect with its audience up, in a nutshell.
On an overall scale, ‘Inside Out’ is one of Pixar’s finest achievements, relatable to both children and adults alike. I wouldn’t mind seeing what ideas Pixar could conjure up for a sequel, but at the same time I feel ‘Inside Out’ works perfectly as a standalone film in Pixar’s ridiculously accomplished filmography.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Sarah Saw a Movie 
Great stuff. The one thing I can add to this is both my kids were absolutely crying their eyes out at “the” Bing Bong moment (you know the one!). Just goes to show that Pixar certainly can hit the emotional button.
Apart from that trauma in the cinema or is a wonderfully poignant and inventive film that is beautifully coloured, just jumps out of the screen.
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The thing I love most about this is that the kids I work with all recognise the moral of the story and the fact that that has stuck with them is the greatest thing about the film. One of the best in the Pixar line up!
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Good review. I loved Inside Out. It was just a great Pixar movie. It was compelling, funny, poignant, and definitely had that Pixar signature touch.
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