Inside Out

[Broadwaywest]

Posted: 6/17/15 at 9:19am

Just saw the new pixar film Inside Out...wow this has to be the most complex and most emotional tugging of all the Pixar films that have come before it. I think this film ranks up there with some of the studios strongest including Wall-E, The Toy Story Trilogy, and Ratatouille. I don't think visually this film is as lush and amazing looking as Brave or Cars even, but the story more then makes up for it. 

I loved the map of the mind that director Pete Doctor and his team have come up with, how we have 5 basic emotions that control us and various memories create different islands of consciousness. If fact in this film the filmmakers actually depict the deconstruction of abstract imagination and how they believe dreams are processed. What I'm describing may be a little complicated for most kids to understand, and yeah it kind of is. This is probably the most adult film from the Pixar team regarding themes and some of it's jokes. But the film is very bright and bouncy, especially in the 11 year old girls mind and there some fantastic visual gags made for kids. There is no villain, no love interests, this is actually a solid film about friendship between Sadness and Joy, and how you really can not of one with out the other. 

The voice acting is spot on, especially Amy Pohler who takes what could have been an insanely annoying character and gives her shading, and real heart. It really is a shame there is no oscar for voice-over acting. And of course, with every great Pixar film there is that heart wrenching moment, I won't give it away, this film actually has a couple. However, the one that got me almost weeping involved the line "Take her to the moon."

So yeah, I think this is by far one of the best films of the year and would not be surprised if this did not get a nod for best animated feature of the year, but best film as well.

 

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/17/15 at 9:28am

I've heard much rumbling about its 'greatness'.  I was hoping it was overblown hoopla.

 

 

I'm guessing I'm gonna cry.  Lots?

[Taryn]

Posted: 6/18/15 at 6:02pm

I cried like a small child. I remember moving around Riley's age.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/18/15 at 10:16pm

This is really one of the most inspired films I've seen in a very long time- from perfect casting (Amy Poehler as Joy, Lewis Black as Anger), wonderfully evocative and imaginative settings, and such a warm and complex message about embracing all emotions and the need, sometimes, to redefine yourself. 

It's clever, heartfelt, intelligent, and wonderfully odd. 

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 10:47am

Saw it last night and absolutely loved it.  I agree that the voice casting was perfect, not a weak link in there (though that can be said for pretty much every Pixar movie).  It really was beautiful.  I chose the 3D option and Pixar did not fail to deliver there, either.  What I love about them is that they have learned how to perfectly use 3D to enhance and refine the world the characters inhabit, and avoid the gimmicky "it's in 3D so here's some crap flying at your face just because" shots.

I do wonder how well this one will go down with the younger crowds.  It does explore some rather deep themes and ideas.  Not that I think they won't enjoy it, there is plenty to keep them engaged, from the humor to the character designs and voice talent, but it did feel like one of the more mature offerings from Pixar in terms of the message it was sending.

I have a feeling I'll probably end up seeing this multiple times in the theatre, as I did with Up and Toy Story 3.  It's really that good that I'm ready to go again with any friend who suggests it.

And yes, I was brought to tears several times.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 11:15am

I agree that despite the bright colors, whimsy, and round edges of Pixar's depiction of the human mind, the film really seems like a family film for adults. It's really the logical continuation of Pixar's exploration of themes like obsolescence, nostalgia, letting go, and growing up (I want an analysis of Pixar's use of dumps/garbage disposal as settings for climax- it happens here, in Toy Story 3 and in Wall-E).

It's also certainly Pixar's most daring conceptual offering. If the studio's going to keep up the sequel game for cash cows like Cars in order to make things like Inside Out possible, it's hard to begrudge them.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 2:14pm

I'm dying to see this- all the trailers have made me so excited! Question for those who've seen it- I've had a sort of an emotional week due to some personal/relationship issues, so is this the kind of movie that's just going to make me sob? I'm not opposed to sobbing, but I don't really want to make a scene around a bunch of families.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 2:38pm

I did not sob, but I am not a big cryer, generally. I can certainly see people crying during one major moment, though.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 2:46pm

There were two moments that had tears running down my face, and a couple other spots where I got misty.  I didn't hear anyone full on sobbing, but it was a lightly attended viewing last night so not the largest sample size there.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 2:49pm

Good to know- it sounds like it'll be great despite a rough week. Thanks!

[South Florida]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 6:17pm

Is it appropriate for 6 year olds?  Smart ones.  The great animated movies should be more carefully considered as best movies.  Has an animated movie ever been up for Best Picture?

 

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 6:22pm

"Has an animated movie ever been up for Best Picture?"

 

[Kad]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 6:41pm

Or more recently, Up and Toy Story 3.

[Fantod]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 7:14pm

2015 has been a hell of a year for movies so far. With this movie, it brings it up to 3 fantastic movies for the year (normally there is 1 or 2). Everything about it was wonderful and brilliant from start to finish. I couldn't imagine anyone younger than 12 getting much enjoyment out of the movie, though.

Updated On: 6/19/15 at 07:14 PM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 10:11pm

Wow. This was so terrifically delightful. Without a doubt, it's the cleverest Pixar has ever been- I was so consistently surprised by how much mileage they were able to get out of how our minds operate. Obviously, something as abstract as the mind is fertile territory for the imagination, and here the filmmakers take it and run with it perfectly.

The design of the film many not have been as sophisticated as some Pixar movies, but I loved it and thought it worked perfectly. And yes, the voice casting here is excellent. Poehler is such a great presence as Joy, and Bill Hader, Lewis Black, and Mindy Kaling are perfect support as Fear, Anger, and Disgust, respectively. For me, though, the star of the movie voice-acting wise was Phyllis Smith as Sadness- it's rare that a voice actor can convey as much as she does here, but I thought her voice worked beautifully for the character. She isn't the centerpiece like Joy is, but Sadness was the heart of the whole movie for me, and a large part of that cam from Smith's excellent work.

Fittingly, for a movie about emotions, it thought it was a perfect mix from an emotional standpoint. No, it's not as tear-inducing as some movies, like Up, or as funny as say, Finding Nemo, but it wonderfully combines all of these feelings to make a truly satisfying movie all around.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 1:48am

It's easily Pixar's best film since Up. Smart, well-written, and touching. Solid voice work from everyone, though Phyllis Smith is the standout. 

I loved a lot of the visual representations and how clever they were- the Long Term Memories resemble the shape of the brain when seen from above, for example. The way Joy is animated is extremely significant, but I don't want to give a spoiler. However at the end of the film I remarked on how brilliant a choice I thought that was.

It it doesn't pack quite the emotional punch that Up or Toy Story 3 did (which is in my opinion one of the finest films ever made, animated or otherwise), but it's got a couple of very emotional moments. 

Overall, a wonderful return to form for a studio that had gotten a little "lazy" of late.

For those wondering, there are Easter eggs galore. Ratzenburger has a brief cameo near the end, the Pizza Planet truck makes three appearances according to the director (I only spotted it once, though), one of the memory orbs contains Carl and Ellie from Up, there's a rather overt reference to dinosaurs (the subject of their next film), and a cute reference to Finding Nemo in a board game. I'm sure there are many others, but that's what I spotted. 

Updated On: 6/20/15 at 01:48 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 3:55am

Wasn't really a fan, just didn't do it for me. IMO Pixar are losing the magic they once had..But as I said IMO only and the audience I saw it with where clapping and crying..

[Kad]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 10:30am

"For those wondering, there are Easter eggs galore. Ratzenburger has a brief cameo near the end, the Pizza Planet truck makes three appearances according to the director (I only spotted it once, though), one of the memory orbs contains Carl and Ellie from Up, there's a rather overt reference to dinosaurs (the subject of their bs t film), and a cute reference to Finding Nemo in a board game. I'm sure there are many others, but that's what I spotted. "

 Remy from Ratatouille has a cameo as the dead rodent in Riley's new home, too.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/21/15 at 7:35am

It is one of the most brilliantly conceived and executed fantasies since those others mentioned above. Its world is so intricately detailed and fully developed, you await the next set piece (without spoiling too much: the state of dreaming is particularly brilliant, probably my favorite sequence).  

Also worth noting: the film's external story is an atypical (for animated films) view of America in 2015. The San Francisco this family moves to is a very real one, and the presentation of the diversity in the city -- and its visual impact on a child from Minnesota -- is part of the movie's daring, if presented in a very subtle way.  This very white family moves from a seemingly very white suburb of Minneapolis and joins a city vibrant with African-Americans and Asians. We see the new school through Riley's eyes, not with judgment but with perceptions of inherent newness. The teacher is a very recognizable, beleaguered black woman (the script makes a point of dramatizing, to comic effect, the challenges of a solid, hardworking urban teacher), not a Hollywood glamorized Beyonce clone, but an ordinary woman.  And the children, while not unpleasant or cruel, don't race up to our heroine with faux cheer and bonhomie.  They act like, well, children. New kid, okay. These details, seemingly minor, are so astutely observed, they help make the larger point about the nature of change.  That merely new surroundings and circumstances (and demographics) challenge our sensibilities. We are human. We are open-minded and open-hearted, but the new frightens us and brings up, well, feelings.  How wonderful to simply dramatize this without comment.

And on that score, the house they move into reflects the reality of real estate in SF. Anyone who's spent time there (or merely watched a lot of HGTV) knows well how expensive homes are.  The dingy, rehab-free row house this family ends up with is startlingly drab, just what they could likely afford from the sale of their gleaming suburban home in a cheaper market.  Yes, things improve.  But the parents' anxieties are tied to financial woes. These are people who reflect the intricate economic realities of 2015.  

And one last thing: They had me at Lava, the stunning, poetic feature that precedes the feature proper. It's continued to haunt me, so evocative and original.  And lovingly designed and sung.  Don't arrive late, you'll miss a small treasure.  That also wrings a few tears. And dares to use mythology outside our usual myth-making lexicon. It's a beauty. 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/21/15 at 8:10am

Based on all of your reviews, I would like to see this.  From your theatre experiences, were there adults there without kids?  I really would like to see these films, but feel uncomfortable without a child with me.  I know it's in my head, but can't change how I feel.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/21/15 at 8:30am

I saw both, but when in doubt, go to a later afternoon/early evening performance.  I saw "Frozen" then, and it was 60% childless people. 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/21/15 at 8:33am

Thanks, Auggie.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 6/21/15 at 8:33am

Double post

Updated On: 6/21/15 at 08:33 AM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 9:36pm

While interviewing Mindy Kaling on TV, George Stephanopoulos said, "I loved it. It really does make you feel like you’re inside this 11-year-old girl."

After an awkward pause, Kaling responded, "In a profoundly wholesome way."

Nothing in the actual film could be funnier than that exchange.

[wonkit]

Posted: 6/23/15 at 9:45am

I thought this was one of the best and most imaginative movies about growing up that I have ever seen. Clever at all sorts of complex levels but still palatable for children - maybe not very young children, though.

Two comments:

I thought the short LAVA was kind of dumb and obvious. Just me, I guess.

The funniest moments are run after the end of the movie - do not leave too early!