Tremendous

Rating: 9/10 (21 June 2015)

Amazingly complex animated film that builds the inside of an 11 year-old girl's mind as a fantastical world of wonder. Five basic emotions, Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust, live inside the mind of Riley and are in control of her attitude and memories. Joy (Amy Poehler) has done a good job of leading the emotions up to this point, but when Riley's parents drag her to San Francisco for her father's job, Sadness (Phyllis Smith) becomes more powerful, much to Joy's chagrin. The metaphors Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen have created in this girl's mind are insanely clever. Very quickly you get a bit ahead of the film, understanding Riley's emotional responses and the inner workings of her mind before we see her, in real life, react. It actually gets so abstract at times I think I wouldn't recommend the film for younger children - it probably is meant more for children closer to Riley's age, and their parents (and adults in general) will probably get more out of it than any child will. There's a bit of a slapstick element, and, honestly, sometimes it feels a bit out of place. As one might expect, the animation is wonderful. The fantastical world is beautiful, but for me it was the characters who really stood out. Joy in particular is one of Pixar's all-time greatest characters, and she's perfectly performed by Poehler. This is definitely one of Pixar's best movies.