A Love Letter to Classic Pixar Movies

Rating: 10/10 (1 July 2015)

Inside Out is arguably the best Pixar movie since Toy Story 3; it brings a refreshing look that reminds us just what type of studio Pixar is. I was actually surprised by how mature some parts of this movie were. To make a shallow comparison, Inside Out is like Adventure Time in that it can awaken that childlike wonder and joy that you might lose in your daily life, while still making you mull over incredibly deep concepts. I think this is a movie that both adults and kids can watch, that it doesn't just cater to the whims of children, but rather respects, in a very much Toy Story way, how a child's view of the movie might develop as they grow up.
As we've come to expect from Pixar, this movie is visually stunning. The close-up shots really capture emotion well in an animated film. The story takes you inside the head of a pre-adolescent girl, Riley, and personifies her emotions in a movie that is truly a breath of fresh air. Inside Out reminds me of the Pixar I knew as a kid, the studio that had amazing, original ideas and presented complex issues and a beautiful way. We come into a very difficult stage in Riley's life, and we are reminded just how easily your world can fall apart when you are so young. Inside Out really shows you the stress we all endured at that point in our lives, how youth can seem so fleeting and that at times it may seem like we've forgotten what joy was.
Lastly, this movie made me cry. While not exactly the "tear duct sledgehammer" that Up was, Riley's character is strikingly relatable, which makes the movie hit deep in its own way. I rarely give movies a perfect score anymore. I rate movies on a adjectival system, meaning each number 1 through 10 has an adjective associated with it; a 5 is mediocre, a 6 is okay, a 7 is good, you get the idea. To me, a 10 is a masterpiece, a movie that beautifully does what it set out to do; while a 10 may not be perfect, it will definitely be remembered and looked to as a model. To me, Inside Out fits this description. I would recommend this movie to anyone who still has a little kid inside of them.