Smart, insightful, moving, and fun

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2015)

By the time I finally got to see this film, I had already heard lots of praise for it, lots of talking head mulling over whether it has a shot at Best Picture (not just animated), and lots of other things that told me this was supposed to be a great film. Of course, even without this, the film still has the weight of other great Pixar movies down the years, so it already has a high bar to clear even without the additional hype. Watching it for myself though I was surprised by how little I thought of such things, and how totally I just enjoyed the film on its own terms. Ironically, I did this because of how accurate all the positive reviews and buzz were, because Inside Out is a really great film.
Constructed on a reality which all parents of older children will no doubt connect to, the film takes the emotional change of a girl into a young teenager and puts it into a comedic adventure story set inside her head. The world inside her head is not only engaging, but incredibly smart – how accurate it is to the real world of psychology (if those words fit together) I do not know, but it is impressively constructed and also designed to make sense, be accessible, and also create a world for colorful characters to delight on an adventure level while also carrying the emotional punch to deliver a much bigger story (although also a very personal one too). It is as moving as it is funny, and as insightful and as it fun, and it is impressive how it is all put together. The animation is topnotch as ever, and the voice cast are not just famous names but well cast famous names who fit their characters well – with Poehler being a strong lead, while Smith, Black, Kaling, and Hader all doing great work (along with many other supporting characters – not least of which being Dias as Riley herself).
I doubt voters would be able to bring themselves to vote for it to win Best Picture while being 'just a cartoon' but at the same time it is hard to imagine that 2015 will produce a better, smarter, and more effective film.