Let Your Emotions Run

Rating: 8/10 (25 June 2015)

INSIDE OUT is the best film by Pixar since TOY STORY 3. However, the film never really reaches the amazing quality Pixar is known for. It's perfectly good though, and there are moments of Pixar brilliance: The beginning and ending are especially fantastic. The setup of the world inside Riley's mind is wonderful, original, and clever, while the ending is appropriately emotional, delivering a surprising payoff that will make anyone cry. Well, anyone with emotion.
Unfortunately, the middle is where it drags. The problem is the second act of the film is very repetitive and predictable, with little differentiation between scenes that could sustain interest. Once you see the tracks being laid out, you can tell where everything is heading, which isn't a huge problem, but it definitely made me impatient during certain moments in the film. I know I'm in the minority when I say this, but I'm also not a huge fan of imaginary character (Bing Bong, oh god). I found his character to be very grating, who felt more like a plot device than an actual, fully-realized character.
Despite all that, and this is where I let my walls down, the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. INSIDE OUT is an important film, where the filmmakers found a ingenious way to explain what goes on inside a person's head, how emotions work, and how people deal with those emotions. By the end of it, their observations can be so utterly profound that one can easily forget the flaws that plague the second act. Who knew a story about an 11-year-old girl's emotions can be so moving and universal at the same time? While INSIDE OUT isn't up there with Pixar's masterpieces, it's a step towards the right direction.
P.S. What was up with Lava? Definitely the worst Pixar short I've seen.