An Emotional Stir

Rating: 9/10 (16 August 2015)

"Inside Out" is directed by Pete Docter, starring Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith marking Pixar's 15th feature. Right off the bat, this film is imaginative and creative. The concept is, of course, original and it isn't a surprise since Pixar has some great story boards. However, what makes this film special is that, even with it's creative concept and premise, if you simmer it down, it really is just a simple and heartfelt story. It's about an 11 year old girl who loses her core memories and Joy and Sadness in the process. Now they have to get back before she does anything stupid or lose herself, but as usual it becomes a fun adventure that still plays with our heart strings.
The first half of this film was bent on introducing the concept and the imaginative world of what goes on in our brain. For some people, it felt tedious, and granted, it does feel a little bit like that in some few parts of the first half, but nonetheless it was understandable considering they had to introduce a whole new world which was inside our heads and they did a pretty great job at doing that when the film progressed. Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith were both great in their respective roles as Joy and Sadness. Seeing how these two different emotions begin to mix up and play along together was a great idea, seeing how obvious having these two emotions together will result in great chemistry and entertainment. The way each and every emotion/character was handled differently and that worked for the film. Another great aspect of the film was that it was relatable. Riley's character was simple, yet she was relatable to children nowadays and reminded the more older audience how they were when they were younger.
Moving on, the animation in this film is spectacular. Pixar's previous film "Monster's University" had such a rather realistic rendering of the characters and the surroundings, however Pixar takes it up a notch and the animation style improves furthermore in this film. The surroundings looked much more vibrant and colorful, each character design had a special and unforgettable feature to it. Pixar once again creates a beautiful and transcendent world to ponder on.
As for the story, it's one of the simplest, yet creative stories Pixar has ever done. In it's close 1 hour and 30 minute run time, the film is a straightforward adventure. Joy and Sadness need to get back her Core Memories before Riley ends up destroying her life and her mind as a whole. That's where the story kicks in and some ups and downs are made. When you think about it (pun intended), it's really just a story of an 11 year old girl coping with her problems and because of that simplicity and with great execution from Pixar, we got one of the most heartwarming, touching, moving and poignant film they've ever made. If you simmer it down, this film isn't about some convoluted story about Monsters or Cars or Superheroes, it's a simple story about emotions and family, nothing more and nothing less. That's the beauty of this film.
Even if it were just a simple film with a simple story, it did not fail in touching our hearts like any other Pixar film bringing us to near tears, if not, into full tears. It was already a given that this film would get our emotions running, because it's a film about emotions. But even if it were a film about emotions, I have to say, it surprised me to find out that a simple story like this could get you to clench your heart and nearly cry. Even if for some people that don't cry in this film, it's impossible not to relate and feel your heart be warmed when watching this film. At the end of the day, this was a great comeback for Pixar and it shows that even after 20 years, they still don't fail to create original and intriguing worlds and touch our hearts at the same time.
+Creative concept and premise, +All around fun adventure, +Joy and Sadness, +Spectacular Animation, +Unique characters and surroundings, +A simple, yet touching story at it's core.
Verdict: 9.3/10