WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Ever worry about those voices inside your head? That nagging feeling you get when your emotions are running amok, the high times, the low times, the indifferent times. And bet you didn’t realize there were five animated characters up there controlling it all! At least, that’s the basis for the newest addition to animation juggernaut Pixar’s pantheon of hit films. Here, we find the five basic emotions, Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling), living and working inside the head of 11-year old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) who’s just suffered having to move from the comforts of home in Minnesota to a new life in San Francisco with her mom and dad (Diane Lane & Kyle MacLachlan).
Adjusting emotionally to the transition becomes even harder when circumstances involving Riley’s core memories and Sadness go awry, causing an almost complete deconstructing of every emotion and life foundation in Riley’s existence to date. Trying to be the savior as she’s been before, Joy embarks with Sadness on a great adventure inside the labyrinth of Riley’s long-term memory to get back to Headquarters and correct the situation. Along the way, the wayward pair face the ongoing reality of Riley’s personality getting slowly ripped away one “island” at a time, and the journey becomes more and more desperate to attain the resolution needed, even as the remaining three emotions battle to keep Riley from losing herself and who she really is as a person.
Next, my Mind:
Honestly, Pixar can do no wrong. The very prolific studio has not has a flop yet, and “Inside Out” will certainly not become the first, but rather carry on a tradition of excellence and box office success most other studios have to be envying at this point. Co-director/writers Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen’s film moves along at a fluid, even pace and provides a story that is both simple and easy to follow, yet engages the viewer with real depth and content, to the point where one truly begins to picture these little characters actually being in our heads too. What else can be said for the casting of Poehler, Smith, Hader, Black, and Kaling except that it was perfect!
The superb combination of dramatic emotional sequences and Pixar’s trademark intelligent and clever humor shines here as well, and Dias’ Riley becomes endeared to your heart even more thanks to these literally colorful characters. Astoundingly lush visuals, another Pixar cornerstone, only serve to make your eyes wonder at the fantastical world created in Riley’s mind. Throw in some equally hilarious nods to concepts ranging from imaginary friends and “train of thought” to “islands” of personality and the real thought processes happening in the heads of men vs. women, this is a kaleidoscope of pure fun and enjoyment as only the Mouse House’s right hand animation company could produce. And the new Pixar short film, “Lava”, preceding this work just solidifies the fact that the endless sea of creativity at Pixar is not ebbing anytime soon.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
