Inside Out (2015)

Pixar Animation Studios have always delivered excellent quality in terms of their movies. But at the start of the 2010's, their films have not had the same high-quality of storytelling like the studio’s previous efforts. For example, 2012's “Brave” isn't on the same caliber as say 2003's “Finding Nemo”. This all changes with the studio's 2015 film “Inside Out”, a movie that pulls in both comedy and drama at the same time. With this movie, we get a return to the great form of storytelling that Pixar is known for, as well as some great animation to boot. “Inside Out” is a great reminder that Pixar can do good films; the public just isn't aware of that factor.

The plot centers on 11-year old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) who is moving all the way from Minnesota to San Francisco. But what she doesn't know, is that her emotions are coming along for the ride. Quite literally. These include Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Anger (Lewis Black). Together, these five emotions entail and describe Riley's personality on a daily basis, as well as trying to keep themselves in check. But what happens if one of these emotions leaves the control tower?

“Inside Out” is a great movie from Pixar that pretty much, everyone needs to see.

The cast and characters are fully fleshed out, and there are even a few surprises along the way. Especially from the emotions who have unique personalities of their own that fit their registered emotion, and everyone lends their roles to the character provided with great direction from Pete Doctor.

The music by Michael Giacchino provides an upbeat tempo, as well as some dramatics scores to the film, and it fits well within the context of the movie. Plus, the soundtrack is definitely a must listen to to hear some amazing selections from the orchestra.

Everything works within the sound of the movie; it is provided with much clarity and ease, it makes the ears marvel with glee.

But what makes the movie work really well is both the story, and the animation.

The story is something that Pixar has never done before: go inside the mind of a pre-teen girl. Before, Pixar has given us films based of anthropomorphic creatures, toys, robots, and more. But never have the writers gone inside the mind of a young girl before; that is all thanks to co-writer Pete Doctor, who loosely based the story around his own daughter. The film also creates a nice blend as well as a nice balance between both comedy and drama. By putting the comedic scenes where the film needs to be funny, and the dramatic moments where it needs to convey emotion- especially near the end of the movie, the film offers a nice alternative between the two genres.

Finally, the animation is absolutely brilliant. Rather than being based off other ideas, the film creates a world where everything feels original, and the designs compliment this to the fullest. Each emotion fits their personality very well. Joy is full of life and happy. Disgust complains about the little things. Fear gets scared when needed. Anger gets upset when needed. And sadness is, well... sadness. Even the human characters have great depth into them, more specifically, Riley's parents. But aside from all that, the design of each character looks amazing, and everything just stands out in an array of color. Also, got to love the eater egg of the film being in San Francisco.

If there's anything wrong with the movie, it would be minor nitpicks. There are some story elements that sort of just exist, like the scene where different animation techniques are implied. Plus, this is not the first animated film for a young child- something more for older kids, and especially adults.

In conclusion, Pixar has returned from a short slump and delivered a crowning achievement in the realm of animation. “Inside Out” is an emotional roller coaster that more than likely you would like to see more than once.