Following a lukewarm response to their previous three outings, and with a growing number of rival animation studios nipping at their heels, Pixar have returned from a self-imposed hiatus with their first feature film in two years, Inside Out.
So, is it any good?
Okay so I have to admit, I was one of those audience members who believed Pixar had lost some of their magic following the triple whammy of Cars 2, Brave and Monsters University. It wasn’t that any of those films were particularly bad, it was just that the studio that brought us such classics as Toy Story, The Incredibles and Wall-E had set themselves such a high bar that anything other than perfection was always going to be a disappointment. So when news came through that the studio wouldn’t be releasing a new film in 2014, I for one saw it as a positive: a perfect opportunity for the writers to take stock, and reassess what makes Pixar films so special in the first place. And boy is this film something special indeed.
Inside Out is the brainchild of Pete Doctor (whose previous credits include Monsters Inc. and Up) who along with the ever collaborative Pixar story department, has crafted a film that is both educational and entertaining, funny yet sad, challenging and uplifting.
The premise is that every one of us has emotions that physically control our every thought and impulse, via a USS Enterprise-like console inside our heads (Think the little dude that pops out of the guys face in Men In Black, but less creepy).
The unnamed family we meet at the beginning of the movie have recently made the sea change from rural Minnesota to bustling San Francisco, much to their daughter Riley’s dismay. Riley is the central human character of the piece, and although it’s her feelings we see unfold over the course of the film, the real stars of the show are the ones inside her head.
These feelings include Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Anger (Lewis Black). Joy is the unofficial leader of the bunch, and the mission she’s tasked herself with is to ensure Riley is always happy. This involves a series of procedures carried out daily to maintain optimum personality, thought, and memory. But this delicate system is suddenly thrown into chaos when Riley’s core memories become tinged with sadness, and through a dramatic series of events, Joy and Sadness find themselves separated from their fellow feelings, thus sending Riley into an emotional tail spin and our characters on a mission to set things right.
If this all sounds a little complex for a kid’s movie, you’d be right, but that’s exactly why Inside Out is such a triumph. It doesn’t pander to children in the way most forgettable slapstick-filled animated fare does, Pixar has much higher aspirations. They want to teach kids about embracing their emotions, whether they be joyous or sorrowful, or sometimes a mixture of both. And as with the best animated films, the adults are more than aptly served by a whole host of jokes that will go over little ones heads (chief among them being a spot-on reference to the film Chinatown). The voice cast is also impeccable, which should come as no surprise to long time Pixar fans.
Inside Out is a film that children and adults will both enjoy, while learning a thing or two about themselves in the process. It touches on the pains of growing up, themes of displacement, our deepest fears and worst anxieties, but also reminds us that laughter will always be the best medicine.
Welcome back Pixar, lets never fight again.