The best Pixar film in years shows us it’s OK to feel sad…
I am a long time admirer of Pixar and in my opinion the best six Pixar movies stand up with the Star Wars saga or the LOTR movies or anything else you want to name. Since the release of the brilliant Toy Story 3 however, I think Pixar has sometimes struggled to hit the heady heights of their previous work. There is nothing bad about Brave or even Cars 2 but neither of those films can stand up next to Wall E or Up. Inside Out however truly can.
Inside Out is a fairly simple but ingenious concept. Five emotions (Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust) are personified in the mind of 11 year old girl Riley and we are shown the inner mechanism that makes Riley tick.
BING BONG!
Amy Poehler’s endless enthusiasm is perfect for Joy and Phyllis Smith (from the American Office) acts as a good counterweight as Sadness. As always with Pixar productions though it is the story itself that makes Inside Out such a triumph as well as the little details, and the all important fact that Inside Out never panders to their audience.
With Inside Out, Pixar have once again produced a film that isn’t a kids film or an adults film it is just great cinema with references to The Great Escape (1963) and Chinatown (1974) sitting nicely alongside a more contemporary nod to the Twilight Saga.
The only regret is that a truly phenomenal scene in which we see the inner workings of Riley’s parents is only explored marginally and unfortunately there are no plans for a sequel.
Four of the next six Pixar films are sequels so Inside Out might be the last bona fide classic the famous studio produces for a while. Don’t miss it.