Inside Out

Inside Out (2015)

Directed by Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen

Written by Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley, Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen

Starring: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Mindy Kaling, Kaitlyn Dias

Joy (Poehler), Fear (Hader), Anger (Black), Disgust (Kaling) and Sadness (Smith) all live inside of Riley (Dias). After Riley’s family relocates, all of these emotions disagree on how to handle the big changes.

This 2015 film is the latest creation from Pixar, released by the Disney Animation Studios. The film was written by a team that includes Meg LeFauve (The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys), Josh Cooley (Ratatouille), Pete Docter (Monsters Inc.), and Ronaldo Del Carmen (Brave). Docter and Del Carmen also directed this movie. The cast features a long list of talented voices including Amy Poehler (Mean Girls), Bill Hader (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs), Lewis Black (Farce of the Penguins), Phyllis Smith (Bad Teacher), Richard Kind (Argo), Mindy Kaling (License to Wed), and Kaitlyn Dias (The Shifting).

Pixar and Disney Animation have combined efforts for some really great films. Like many of those movies, this one has an excellent story. The idea could have easily become confused or overly complicated, but the writers kept things simple and fun. This doesn’t mean that the story doesn’t have some fun twists and turns. The writing fills in the story with fun surprises and exciting moments that go in a number of wild and fun directions. The comedy in the film also plays nicely on a number of levels, allowing adults and children to enjoy this one together. Overall, this is a movie that does all the right things with the story to live up to the excellent track record that Pixar and Disney have built together.

The voice acting in this one is superb. The cast features some great comedic talent with actors like Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith leading the way. Bill Hader, Lewis Black, and Mindy Kaling also do great work filling out the voices inside Riley’s head. Riley is voiced by one of the few unknowns in this film. Kaitlyn Dias does nice work on this movie, keeping up with the stars all around her. In addition to all of the voices named, Richard Kind also does a great job with his part in this one. Overall, this movie found all of the right actors for the film. The voices might be recognizable, but the actor’s identities are quickly forgotten as the characters come to life.

This movie does a great job with the visuals. The characters all have unique appearances that really complement the story. Instead of fashioning the characters to fit the voices, they seemed to build them as stereotypes of the emotion they’re portraying. This really adds something fun to the film, and it adds some opportunities for comedy. The colorful presentation is unique and always interesting. The 3D aspects of the film are good, but they aren’t necessary for the audience to enjoy this one. The music and the other aspects of the film are also nicely done. Overall, this one does all the right things to make sure it looks and sounds great.

This is a great family film that does a lot of unique things in an age when most movies are simply clones or sequels. The themes might be old, but the story finds ways to cover new ground. If you’re a fan of the Disney/Pixar films, this is another one you need to see. I would also suggest this to fans of any of the stars who voice the amazing characters in this film. I give this one 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Rating: PG

Running Time: 94 Minutes