Inside Out Review

     In 1995 the world was met with the now classic animated film "Toy Story," and it is often hailed as one of the greatest animated films ever made. The movie was made by an animation studio called Pixar, who up to that point had done nothing but animated shorts. In the years to follow Pixar made a name for itself with movies like "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," and "Monsters Inc." But over the next decade they separated themselves as not just another animation studio, but the animation studio. Creating many acclaimed films and garnering several Oscars, Pixar was the king of animation from 1995 until 2010. But after "Toy Story 3's" release in 2010, it seemed that they weren't able to find the magic again. Movies like "Brave," "Cars 2," and "Monsters University" just weren't as good as much of their past work. Since then Disney Animation and DreamWorks Animation have stepped up their game and have been filling the void of great animation left absent by Pixar for the past half a decade. Movies like "Tangled," "Wreck-it-Ralph," "Frozen," "Big Hero 6," and the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise have been widely acclaimed, leaving Pixar's movies in the dust. To be honest Pixar needs something really special to reclaim their place at the top of the mountain, and "Inside Out" might just be exactly what they need.

     The story of "Inside Out" revolves around a young girl named Riley, and more notably the five primary emotions inside her head. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust spend each day dictating her thoughts and actions. At the same time they collect and chronicle Riley's noteworthy memories, with special "core memories" being the most important that makes up her personality. One day Riley learns that her family will be moving to San Francisco from Minnesota, which sends Riley's emotions into a frenzy. On her first day of school Riley is having a hard time, and while recalling a happy memory Sadness accidentally touches it turning it from happy to sad. Riley begins to have a breakdown, and this produces a core memory. Afraid that a sad core memory will hurt, Joy tries to stop it; but in the process Riley's other core memories are dislodged and transported to another section of her mind. Along with the memories, Joy and Sadness are transported as well. Far away from the headquarters of Riley's mind, Joy and Sadness set off to return Riley's core memories to their rightful place, while leaving the other emotions in charge. They must hurry though, before Riley's personality is completely torn apart.

     When I was young Pixar movies made up a big part of my life, "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life" are some of the earliest movies I can remember seeing. So over the past five years I have felt a certain longing for Pixar to return to the former glory. So in comes "Inside Out," and it is unquestionably one of their best movies. After nearly half a decade of lackluster films, Pixar has made a comeback with what is an instant animated classic. In short, I loved everything about this movie, but let's get into specifics. Like all Pixar movies, "Inside Out" is absolutely beautiful. The world is vibrant and full of interesting features. I also have to commend the plot; it’s unique to say the least. The casting for this movie was also as perfect as it could have been, every actor encompasses their character perfectly; and each one gives a great voice acting performance. It also helps that each of the characters are memorable and lovable. The five emotions will be remembered as some of Pixar's best characters. One thing I couldn't help but notice is how well written this movie is, it really is quite brilliant. "Inside Out" is incredibly funny, and even more than that, it might be Pixar's most emotional movie behind "Up." There were people crying in the theater when I went to see it. But the movie is more than just funny and emotional, it's smart. "Inside Out" is filled with complex themes and abstract thoughts regarding how emotions shape our personalities. It really respects your intelligence, and is one of Pixar's most thought provoking movies. But in that fact, the movie's greatest flaw is shown; it might actually be too smart for its own good. While adults and even teenagers will understand its themes, younger audiences may not understand things like depression, isolation, and loneliness. Kids will certainly enjoy it, but they might not understand it. To be honest, that's just about everything I have to say about this movie; as far as an animated film goes it is just about perfect. Like most Pixar films "Inside Out" is always entertaining and fun for audiences of all ages. But it's more than just entertainment, it is a brilliant movie. It is simply one of the best movies of the year, and one of the best animated movies in half a decade. I think what I liked most about this movie is what it will mean to a young person out there. This will be one of the movies that will help define their childhood, like the original "Toy Story" was for me. It is a movie that they will treasure and remember fondly for years to come. And that's what Pixar does best; making movies that don't just entertain for day, but stay with us for years to come. 

Pros: Perfect casting, great voice acting, well written script, funny and highly emotional, complex themes, memorable and lovable characters, vibrant and beautiful animation, unique and interesting plot, always entertaining, instant animated classic, fun for kids and adults.

Cons: Complex themes and abstract thoughts may go over the heads of young viewers.

5/5 Stars