Brain fodder for kids

Rating: 7/10 (26 August 2015)

Not the kind of film I usually go to see, but saddled (I mean "blessed") with my partner's children (5 and 7) on a rainy afternoon in Sussex, this seemed an easy option. (They call me 'Grandpa', by the way - out of respect for my age and the fact that I don't quite fit the Stepmom profile.) I think they were less dazzled by it than I was: no shoot- outs, no explosions, no witches and wizards.
Most of the voices were unfamiliar to me (including Riley's and all the Emoticons) although I recognised Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan as Mom and Dad, and Frank Oz in a bit-part. The voices hardly matter: what matter are the visuals and the storyline; both are cleverly conceived and cleverly executed. Maybe some of the areas inside our heads make for slightly indigestible brain-fodder for younger tots, but I was charmed and enchanted. Another superb offering from Pixar that addresses the kid inside all of us.