Inside Out (B+) Movie Review
Riley is an eleven-year-old girl who just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco and is having a rough time with the transition. This means that the personified emotions inside of her head, Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Anger (Lewis Black) are having a rough time too.
Inside Out is a shoe-in for Best Animated Film at the Oscars. I can't imagine an animated film coming to theaters this year that will have the heart, humor, and intelligence of Pixar's latest film. Also, a Best Original Screenplay nomination would not be a surprise.
Nowadays, original material from Pixar is not common. Recently, they've made Monsters University, and Cars 2 and they have much more sequels, prequels, and spin-offs planned for the future such as Finding Dory, The Incredibles 2, Cars 3, and Toy Story 4. So with so many sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, it's a relief to know that Pixar can still create original, meaningful stories and do them superbly.
Pete Docter, Josh Cooley, and Meg LeFauve's screenplay is incredible. Packed with witty humor not common in most animated kids films, this film is one in which parents and kids can laugh at. Amy Poehler plays Joy, a character not unlike Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation, so if you enjoyed her character in it, you'll probably enjoy her in this film.
Phyllis Smith, who played Phyllis on The Office, is also quite funny. She mopes around, says things like "Crying helps me slow down and obsess over the weight of life's problems." You honestly just want to give her a big hug.
And like all of the best Pixar films, Inside Out is wonderfully moving. There's some emotional scenes involving Riley's imaginary friend Bing Bong, played by Richard Kind, and it's very touching. This is where Pixar separates itself from inferior animation studios. You just don't see any better blend of action and emotion in any other studios!
I did have one problem with the film. I thought that the non-stop jumping from one plot point to the other could get a little exhausting and there isn't a lot of time to catch your breath. Still, each plot point is very involving, entertaining and inventive.
It's hard to complain about Inside Out because it's so much better than the usual animated kids film in theaters. And truthfully, there's very little to complain about. Inside Out does things that animated films don't do, it's as simple as that. It's far more moving, it's humor is far wittier and some of it flies right over kids' heads, and it's more original. Here's hoping that Pixar's next film, The Good Dinosaur, is just as good.
FINAL GRADE: B+
MPAA RATING: PG for mild thematic elements and some action
Inside Out is a shoe-in for Best Animated Film at the Oscars. I can't imagine an animated film coming to theaters this year that will have the heart, humor, and intelligence of Pixar's latest film. Also, a Best Original Screenplay nomination would not be a surprise.
Nowadays, original material from Pixar is not common. Recently, they've made Monsters University, and Cars 2 and they have much more sequels, prequels, and spin-offs planned for the future such as Finding Dory, The Incredibles 2, Cars 3, and Toy Story 4. So with so many sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, it's a relief to know that Pixar can still create original, meaningful stories and do them superbly.
Pete Docter, Josh Cooley, and Meg LeFauve's screenplay is incredible. Packed with witty humor not common in most animated kids films, this film is one in which parents and kids can laugh at. Amy Poehler plays Joy, a character not unlike Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation, so if you enjoyed her character in it, you'll probably enjoy her in this film.
Phyllis Smith, who played Phyllis on The Office, is also quite funny. She mopes around, says things like "Crying helps me slow down and obsess over the weight of life's problems." You honestly just want to give her a big hug.
And like all of the best Pixar films, Inside Out is wonderfully moving. There's some emotional scenes involving Riley's imaginary friend Bing Bong, played by Richard Kind, and it's very touching. This is where Pixar separates itself from inferior animation studios. You just don't see any better blend of action and emotion in any other studios!
I did have one problem with the film. I thought that the non-stop jumping from one plot point to the other could get a little exhausting and there isn't a lot of time to catch your breath. Still, each plot point is very involving, entertaining and inventive.
It's hard to complain about Inside Out because it's so much better than the usual animated kids film in theaters. And truthfully, there's very little to complain about. Inside Out does things that animated films don't do, it's as simple as that. It's far more moving, it's humor is far wittier and some of it flies right over kids' heads, and it's more original. Here's hoping that Pixar's next film, The Good Dinosaur, is just as good.
FINAL GRADE: B+
MPAA RATING: PG for mild thematic elements and some action