For the past two weeks I’ve had a very eager four-year-old living in my house, excitedly anticipating a trip to the movie theatre to see the newly released animated feature Inside Out.
It’s always a little scary to go to any movie that’s getting a lot of hype and praise. You wonder if it really is that good, and risk being disappointed when the movie is nothing that you expected.
Although Inside Out was maybe a little different than I expected, it was in a good way. The movie follows a pre-teen girl named Riley who, along with her parents, moves from her happy home in Minnesota, to the unfamiliar city of San Francisco.
Early in the movie, we are introduced to the emotions/characters living in Riley’s head – Sadness, Fear, Disgust, Anger, and Riley’s primary emotion – Joy. As a parent, I think this movie was a fun way to help children understand different emotions, and accept that having those feelings is part of who they are.
At different parts in the movie, we even get a glimpse into some of the other characters’ mind – such as Riley’s parents – showing us that although somewhat similar, everyone’s feelings work differently.
Without divulging too much of the storyline, two of Riley’s emotions must travel through her memory to save her from the changes that have happened in her life, and stop her from running away from her new home.
I’ll admit, since having kids, I don’t get out to many adult-oriented movies, so if anything, I do have some experience in this genre of movies. Inside Out is certainly a keeper. I would much rather sit down with my boys and watch Inside Out over a number of the other more recent releases. It’s unique, and has a real message attached to it.
The character voices are also pretty spot-on. Amy Poehler as Joy, and Phyllis Smith as Sadness are both impressive – and their versions of comedy are also something I totally appreciate, and they both translated well in this film.
I think Inside Out, which is produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney, will be around for a while, and it will be loved by many people of all ages. In its opening weekend, Inside Out was near the top of the box office – bringing in a reported $132 million globally – that’s massive.
I’m really not sure how this movie could have been made better, although I doubt it’ll have the same long-term marketability as similar movies, like the Toy Story collection.
I hardly heard a peep out of my eight-year-old throughout the show, and the four-year-old also loved it, although he did sneak up on my lap a couple times so I could hug him during the more emotional parts.
I’m going to give this movie four-and-a-half popcorn buckets out of five.
