Makes up for a lack of plot with an abundance of creativity

Rating: 7/10 (10 February 2016)

I'll admit to not being the biggest Pixar fan, but that's mostly because American computer animation usually isn't as compelling as other stuff I like. I also don't prefer overly "kiddie" movies anymore, thanks to no longer being a kid. That being said, INSIDE OUT is one of Pixar's better films, even if I didn't love it as much as something like UP. To its credit, INSIDE OUT is actually more geared towards the older crowd, since a lot of the psychology of emotions will probably go over younger children's heads. In this sense, Pixar finds themselves in a bit of a bind. While expertly realized visually, literalizing the emotions just makes their manipulation that much more evident and, in my opinion, less effective. That's not to say it's all bad, because there were a number of moments that I thought were cute and funny. Its greatest fault is slow-burning an emotional payoff on top of such a thin story. In the end, though, I was won over thanks to the excellent visuals, inventive conceptualization, and outstanding voice work. Lewis Black as Anger has to be one of the best, and most spot-on, castings ever. It also wouldn't be a Pixar movie without a tearjerking moment or two. When it's all said and done, INSIDE OUT isn't the best Pixar movie ever, but it's an improvement over their last few.