not as entertaining as some Pixar films, but brilliant all the same

Rating: 10/10 (22 June 2015)

okay, this is why i loved this movie. it is a BRILLIANT integration of jungian and themes from Joseph campbell in the best tradition of fable telling. There are those (i am one) who believe that fables are metaphorical constructs intended to help/teach children how to deal with difficult emotional realities such as abusive parents, social terrors, and the like. This is an EMOTIONALLY intelligent film perfect for many audiences. Quite honestly, it came along at a great point in my life (and i am a 50yo woman). It reminded me that without Sadness, there can be no Joy. But it goes far deeper than that. It interprets jungian ideas about the sub/unconscious, about repression, about personality, about letting go, about growth, about complexes, shadow work, and gets into memory theory, dream research... so much more... if you are a real student of the psyche, you will see what i mean. and it boils it all down into a useful, affective metaphor. Unlike another reviewer, i did not find it triggered PTSD or depression or anything else. It has helped me accept that i have a lot of buried sadness that I've tried very hard to repress, and that that sadness has a real and valuable role to play in my life, and it may help me move forward in that respect. I don't know if that counts as a spoiler, but i tagged this review just in case.