Twenty years ago, Pixar released the first ever computer animated feature film Toy Story. In the years since, they have revolutionized not only animated film but cinema itself. They sport a roster of films that can stand with the very best and they’ve done it with a consistency that is a true wonder to behold. I do not think that it is an overstatement to say that Pixar has been the single most influential and important creative force in the movie business in the 21st century. After seeing Inside Out, I see absolutely no reason to believe that it will be letting go of that title anytime soon.
Inside Out takes place largely inside the mind of Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), an eleven year old girl who has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco. Her reactions to this change are dictated by her emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation), Sadness (Phyllis Smith, The Office), Fear (Bill Hader, Superbad), Anger (Lewis Black, Accepted), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project).
Things go relatively smoothly until Joy and Sadness are sucked away from their Headquarters and have to find their way back. At the same time, Riley tries to make it through the day without either of them to help her. This leads to parallel stories as Joy and Sadness journey through an epic and surreal world trying to save their girl and reconcile their two seemingly disparate defining traits. In the meantime, Riley is set adrift in a strange new land with only her more volatile emotions to rely on.
When it comes down to it, this is perhaps Pixar’s simplest movie in terms of thematic scale. There’s no kingdoms to save, like in A Bug’s Life or Brave. No globetrotting adventures, like in Up or Finding Nemo. The world does not need WALL-E and EVE or the Incredibles to save it. All we have is a single, scared child who has come to a difficult point in her life. This may be the stoke of genius that causes Inside Out to become Pixar’s greatest movie to date.
It doesn’t lack in any of the spectacle that the previous films have; the artwork and animation are next-level amazing. the scenes where Joy ice skates along with Riley’s memory and the trip through Abstract Thought are my personal highlights. There is action and adventure in spades, and it is fun and funny as shit.
What elevates it to that place of real masterwork is that everything is done in service of such a simple concept. Anyone, big or small, young or old, can relate to the idea that things that seem insignificant to others can mean the world to us. We can all use a lesson in the healing power of sadness and in the way to which it relates to happiness. This is a movie that, the more I think about, the more I am wowed by it. I can think of absolutely nothing to compare it to. Pixar has outdone itself and I couldn’t be more overjoyed.
Ok, so if you haven’t noticed this movie hit me in the emotions really hard, so I want to finish this up with a few lighter thoughts to lighten the mood to a place of lightness. First off, I saw this movie in 3D because it was the only showtime I could make with my work schedule. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I would recommend seeing it in 3D. The world of Riley’s mind is so deep and fully realized that the extra depth gives it this great sense of scale. It drives home how far Joy and Sadness really are from their HQ and from Riley.
Next, the short film before the feature is called Lava. Its about a volcano who sings about how he wants someone whom he can love. Fuck you Pixar for getting me emotionally attached to a goddamned volcano.
Finally, I just want to applaud the voice cast. Lewis Black is perfect and the movie wouldn’t be the same without him, Dias is fantastic and has a great range, Poehler is at her most delightful while still bringing the needed gravitas, but it’s Smith who absolutely kills it with this incredible Eeyore routine filled with these little pockets of optimism and…something else that pops through and makes her so much more than a one-note character. She elevates Sadness into the hero of the tale and made me love “sad”. God I fucking loved this movie.
