Disney and Pixar take audiences on incredible journeys into extraordinary worlds in the movie Disney Pixar’s Inside Out: from the darkest depths of the ocean to the top of the tepui mountains in South America; from the fictional metropolis of Monstropolis to a futuristic fantasy of outer space.
In Pixars Inside Out, from director Pete Docter (Up, Monsters, Inc.), the audience is taken to a place that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen: the world inside the human mind.
Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.
And the most important character is Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, in a yellow dress, with short blue hair.
Pixar’s Inside Out is destined for movie box office smash status.
INSIDE OUT Review
By Audrey Shine (Wild About Movies resident critic)
I hate to go against the grain on this one – but – I found Inside Out to be only mildly amusing and mostly tedious. The plot is thin. The emotions (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Envy) are the real show and storyline.
Sadness (Phyllis Smith) is phenomenal and memorable; and the rest of cast (Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler; Fear – Bill Hader; Anger – Lewis Black) deliver captivating performances. But the main story, of a family who moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, causing their 12 year daughter much angst, lacks drama and movement. There are many scenes of the Riley’s mind (“the train of thought,” “core memory, ” the “subconscious”) that I think were meant to add some interest to satisfy the adults in the audience, while the children would be drawn to the cute, heroic elephant and hackneyed clown who offer Disney follow- on merchandising opportunities. (Note that if the characters were a little more original and central to the plot, like Queen Elsa in Frozen, I wouldn’t object so much.)
As you would expect from Pixar, the graphics are exquisite and complex. Many scenes simply explode with color and depth. But it seemed to me that that Pixar was showing off a little and that they are still number one in this genre- rather than adding any meaning to the story.
The short at the beginning of the movie, by the way, was delightful and entertaining. Be sure to stay for the credits with the emotions gone wild. I don’t know what young children thought of this movie, but for me, I am looking forward to Toy Story 4.
