Inside Out (****)
Directed by: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del
Carmen
Starring (Voices): Amy Poehler,
Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Kaitlyn
Dias, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan,
Seen: July 5th 2015
**** Out of ****
Pixar simply keeps delivering great
movies. There was that bit of a slump with Cars 2 (it felt like a big budget
but straight to video animated movie) and Brave (according to critics, I’ve yet
to see it), but I’m a massive fan. I thought about giving specific praise to
some of my favourite Pixar movies over the years, but realised that I would
name all of them except for Cars 2 and Brave (which may still make my list one
day)! The other animation studios have certainly made some stunning movies
themselves; consider the two incredible How to Train Your Dragon Movies; but
Pixar’s (very almost) entire portfolio outshines the portfolio of any other studio
with ease.
Inside Out delivers very close to the
same emotional punch that Toy Story 3 did, and Toy Story 3 had the distinct
advantage of the full setup and emotional growth coming through its two brilliant
predecessors. I loved every minute of Inside Out, as it takes a very small but
impactful story and delves into its emotional core to make it far more than it
seems to be. This simple story of a small family moving and the move’s effect
on the 11 year old only child Riley (Dias), is given a deeply introspective angle
through anthropomorphized core emotions Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Smith), Disgust
(Kaling), Fear (Hader), and Anger (Black); with the majority portion of the
movie playing out inside Riley’s head. The happenings behind certain events in
Riley’s life are enlivened through what the emotions experience in headquarters
and on core memory islands in Riley’s mind, and the inventive approach is
absolutely beautiful.
Inside Out is one of the best movies
in recent years, animated or not, with interesting ideas visualised in ways
that are both inventive and interestingly representational. The movie is
touching as it makes a big and beautiful deal of a family and the bonds they
share, while also being hilarious in parts where the emotions of other
characters are concerned. Inside Out ranks very highly on my Pixar favourites
list, which as a whole ranks very highly on my all-time favourite list. These
guys definitely know how to make a touching and funny and lovely and
entertaining and simply great movie, with Inside Out being yet another one.
Comments