In the latter half of the 1990s and throughout the 2000s, Pixar Animation Studios could seemingly do no wrong. The creative think tank behind modern classics like Toy Story, Finding Nemo and WALL-E delivered hit after hit for Disney, to the point that the Mouse House ultimately shelled out $7.4 billion to acquire Pixar in 2006. However, a string of less-than-stellar releases (including sequels like Cars 2 and Monsters University) had some fans worried that the CG-animated pioneer had lost the Midas touch. Now, thanks to Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out, that question has been definitively answered.
Co-directed by Pete Docter (Monsters Inc., Up) The film examines the personal journey of an 11-year-old girl named Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), but in the Pixar tradition of looking at common life events from a new perspective, the story focuses on the personified emotions that inhabit her mind. There’s Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Anger (Lewis Black) and – last and least – Sadness (Phyllis Smith), each of whom has a vital role to play in navigating Riley’s emotional reactions to the world around her.
Perhaps even moreso than in previous Pixar films, Inside Out is best experienced with little foreknowledge of the adventure ahead. However, the film realizes an incredibly creative vision of a new world that dramatizes complex human emotion and the inner workings of Riley’s mind in a way that is both visually stellar and intellectually satisfying as well. Take, for example, the literal train of thought that traverses her consciousness as well as the “Islands of Personality” that each represent cornerstones of Riley’s self-identity.
These ideas, coupled with Pixar’s proclivity for emotionally resonant subject matter, allow the film to set forth a raw, bold message that will stir adults just as much as its colorful world-building will excite their kids. Inside Out wisely reminds viewers (and especially parents) that childhood isn’t all about happiness (and nor should it be), striking a definite chord with today’s “put on a happy face” mentality. Certainly, the film’s funny and poignant story will have audiences laughing and welling up in rapid succession.
Inside Out does have it share of small problems, such as a lack of development for some of the supporting cast and a bit of second-act fatigue. However, these hiccups don’t really detract much from the overall thematic thrust and inherent brilliance of the material itself. The script for Inside Out is endlessly inventive and insightful in a way few films are these days, and the voice actors are at the top of their game here, especially Poehler and Smith. In addition, Pixar alum Richard Kind delivers a standout performance as a character found wandering Riley’s mind midway through the film.
At this point, it’s hard to imagine a world where Inside Out doesn’t snag the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature this year. In fact, the film will likely receive a nomination for Best Picture, making it the third Pixar film to be in contention for the big prize. Although Inside Out may not quite be the studio’s masterpiece, the film is certainly among its finest work (and the best since Toy Story 3 back in 2010). More importantly, Inside Out – the first of two films the studio is releasing this year – has officially put to rest any doubts that Pixar is still the king when it comes to delivering meaningful, imaginative family entertainment. Case closed.