At this point, can you ever go wrong with Pixar?

Rating: 8/10 (7 November 2015)

Make one or two or three good movies and people will say "Oh I love their movies" or "Yah I'll give them a shot" but what about if you've made 15 great movies? What about if the majority of those were solid 10/10's? At this point, I wouldn't believe if Pixar couldn't make a great film so I had every expectation of Inside Out being a home-run and it is! Is it my favourite Pixar film? No, not by a long shot but there are parts of this movie that are stone-cold brilliant and some things about it that make it less than outstanding as some of Pixar's previous films. Still, Inside Out is brilliant when it comes to concept. And its also brilliant for the reason Pixar films are and that is the sheer detail that goes into these films. They don't make their animated films with the demographic of children in mind but rather the demographic of everyone. These are films that anyone can watch and like at an equal level. Still, some of there movies tend to be a touch dark and deal with some very intense emotions (pun intended.) They don't shy away from real life lessons and the reality of life (death, marriage, love etc) Inside Out is no exception. There are some heavy duty lessons here and some definitive dark moments so be wary if showing to the real youngsters.
Amy Poehler is magnificent as Joy. Her character isn't quite as strong as a lead should be but Poehler captures the character well and her voice isn't as recognizable as you'd think. She definitely makes the character come to life. Phyllis Smith might be the true star of the movie as the adorable and heart wrenching sadness. She gets the character arc and the heroic moment and her and Poehler play off each other perfectly. Smith is literally ideal for the role. Richard Kind is great as Riley's childhood imaginary friend Bing Bong. I don't really think they use him enough actually and his story is definitely heart wrenching as well and has some real morals behind it. Bill Hader, Lewis Black (who else could be anger!?) and Mindy Kaling all perform their roles very well. Each one is perfectly suited to their character/emotional counterpart. Kaitlyn Dias is great as Riley and Mom and Dad are perfectly done by Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan. One of the best things about this cast is outside of a couple of them like Phyllis Smith and Lewis Black who just naturally fit their roles, you don't recognize some of the bigger stars' voices like Poehler, Hader, Lane and MacLachlan. They sink into their characters and that is a compliment.
Inside Out is a completely unique look at the human psyche. The way they turn the brain into a factory like production with these adorable creatures is brilliant. They cover such an insane amount of topics that have to do with memories and emotions that as an adult, it really actually makes you think and really hits home and I think kids will just enjoy the adventure. Pete Doctor (who is a Pixar genius...Toy Story, Monsters' Inc, Wall-E, Up) and Ronnie Del Carmen who might not have the directorial chops but he has worked art direction on several Pixar projects do a really terrific job bringing this world to life. They seamlessly go from the real world to Riley's brain and they even take the time to show some of the other people around her and how their emotions work. Doctor knows how to play to the audience's deep seeded emotions (Up being one of the greatest films ever made period) and he does it again in a slightly lighter way this time around. Inside Out is a must see and while it isn't an instant classic like Up or Wall-E, it still is such a powerfully made, brilliantly visual film with an incredibly unique story that the family can share. 8.5/10