Inside Out Review – A Fun Filled Neon Trip Down Memory Lane

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Category: Film

Published on Thursday, 18 June 2015 22:26

Written by Janet Walker

Inside Out, from Walt Disney Pictures and PIXAR, brings to life the team of emotions inside the mind of an adolescent tween as they help her cope with the cross country move as her family begins a new life from her Minnesota roots.

Written and directed by Pete Doctor, Inside Out stars the voice talent of Kaitlyn Dias as Riley, Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan.

Inside Out begins with the birth of Riley, our adorable tween, and Joy, voiced by Amy Pohler, the director of happiness who attempts to keep her crew, Sadness, voiced by Phyllis Smith, Fear, voiced by Bill Hader, Anger voiced by Lewis Black and Disgust voiced by Mindy Kaling, in order.

Joy, as the film moves forward, recalls through the magic memory ball, wonderful times shared with her mom, voiced by Diane Lane, and dad, voiced by Kyle Maclachlan, when it was just the three, well four of them, before the other emotions really had personal one on one time.

An only child, Riley, has normal childhood experiences, all played out and housed in through the memory balls, like Magic 8 balls only in a variety of brilliant colors.

Our first encounter with the rest of the crew is over broccoli, when we met Disgust, Fear, Sadness, and Anger, who takes over the situation with a quick splat broccoli florets fly and much to the chagrin of the other emotional team members, all seems to work miraculously for the good and flying florets initiate an Dad’s imagination which everyone loves.

The inexplicable and over the top, slightly crazed at times Joy doesn’t learn until the rug has been pulled out from her the necessity of a well balanced team, and the others don’t realize how much Joy is needed even if it is just the knowledge that she is near.

Without Joy, all the wonderful moments and memories held dear become lost as the unknown and unexplained darkness creeps in and suddenly, like the swiftness of an earthquake shakes the very core of our foundation and our core memories sink, and fall, like a house over the cliff in a mudslide.

Riley, driven by Anger whom we earn is irrational and acts spontaneously without thought and depends on Joy to rescue and repair the heated damage done by his momentary outburst. Fear, moves in and a around and while, Fear becomes the voice of reason lost in the absence of Joy, to Riley’s credit she is not controlled by fear.

Pete Doctor and company have created fear as part of the human psyche and not one of the individuals are controlled by the singularly incapacitating emotion.

Fear, voiced by Bill Hader, is afraid of himself, which is funny to watch. Disgust, the "Oh No You didn’t, ugh, roll your eyes, oh no you didn’t” emotion, often laced with sarcasm and really the survivors of adolescence call Attitude is voiced by Mindy Kaling.

The three, Fear, Anger and Disgust, are left to the controls as the core memories, which build foundations in Riley’s life, becomes twinge with sadness, voiced by Phyllis Smith, who seems driven innately by change and independence, and escape the vault that keep them safe.

What follows is a trip down memory lane as Joy, ever the savior is determined to stop the deterioration of memories, reaches into the vacuum trying to stop life’s cycle.

Suddenly, she is stuck walking with Sadness, down memory lane, not realizing how important her blue friend truly is to the family.

As the story continues to unfold, Sadness, a lethargic, blue, slow to move, prefer to be buried under the covers, gentle soul, who simply by touch can fill a happy memory with sad overtones is making herself more known, she wants a starring role in Riley’s life.

So our take charge Joy, of course believing in the power of one handles the Sadness situation by giving her the task of reading the manuals, as bookworm, and even Joy would admit is intellectually smarter, although not emotionally smarter, which is why Joy is in charge.

I truly enjoyed Inside Out. It had been some time since I’ve screened the DISNEY films and the nostalgia of my memories dancing with now fresh animated partners and articulated responses I felt the a twinge of sadness over the unexpected loss.

Inside Out, through explanation from Pete Doctor has some origins in his own family and the birth of his daughter who is now a nearly an independent teenager, and the reflections he felt as he lived, his day to day existence with his family.

Animation has so many genres and PIXAR has taken the style they are most skilled with and created a masterful film. It would be easier to simply say Inside Out is Pixar genius and it is.

The eye-popping neon colors are only a part of the imaginary world behind Inside Out. To enter the danger zone of a female adolescent mind is courageous indeed. The skill in creating each scene is stunning.

The quality of PIXAR skill has advanced over the five years that I’ve had the opportunity to screen the titles and the faces, in Inside Out stood out  immediately as I noticed especially of the baby Reilly has become so authentic.

PIXAR has outdone themselves with this instant classic. The vivid colors, eye popping images, beautiful story line, stunning animation.

Inside Out has something for everyone. Stick around for the end credits as PIXAR  has planted a special surprise.

Inside Out is really a fun trip down memory lane. Inside Out opens everywhere June 18, 2015. Check local listings.