Review by John Delia
Just when you thought you knew what was going on in your child’s brain, up pops Inside Out a funny little film from Disney/PIXAR. The animation is PIXAR flawless, the direction pin point and the voice acting, well, “pitch perfectâ€. Now on Blu-ray and DVD in a combo pack, it’s fun for the whole family. It may be a little harsh for the young tikes so be there when they want to give you a comfort hug.
Eleven year old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) finds herself in San Francisco with new digs and starting a new life when her father takes a new position in the big city. It’s the typical story of leaving your friends behind, the years of building blocks that you accomplished in familiar surroundings, and altering your dreams of a future based on your elementary years. Now thrown into a cold world of a youngster trying to make her way among unfamiliar surroundings, it would give anyone her age a great deal of angst.
It’s truly emotional for pre-teen Riley and her emotions take center stage as she starts to experience her new life. There are five emotions featured in Inside Out created by the team at PIXAR. They are Joy (voice Amy Poehler), Fear (voice Bill Hader), Anger (voice Lewis Black), Disgust (voice Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (voice Phyllis Smith) in this head pounding story that has our main character slipping out of control. She’s conflicted and depressed, but Joy will have nothing of it. She wants Riley to adjust, but Sadness can’t help herself from getting in the way.
The film plays out with the two main emotions at odds in a battle for control to the very moving ending. Co-Director and writer Pete Docter who wrote the original scripts for Toy Story 1, 2 (and the announced Toy Story 4 ) takes the reins for Inside Out creating an adventure within the confines of Riley’s head. He depicts her world run from a control room in her brain. There the five emotions are regulating her reactions to her situations that include getting brain freeze, joining a new hockey team, dealing with her parent’s questions and making new friends.
Docter uses each of the emotions to show how Riley acts to her new surrounding then turns over center stage to Joy and Sadness. Here is where the adventure really begins as the two emotions try to figure a way to bring Riley back to her carefree self. Sadness can’t help tainting Riley’s memories turning this blue emotion into a blunderer and making her memory of happy times into depressing ones. It’s unavoidable with Sadness who’s always do blue, so Joy has an uphill battle to save Riley from having a miserable life.
The film is all in fun, but also a confirmation of what most people know about their child from their own experiences. Most parents find they are helpless at times, especially with an eleven year old that is on the threshold of adult hood. When youngsters are thrown into unfamiliar situations they can’t understand at this age then angst sets in. Dealing with it parents have no choice, but to take on the “brutal†realization that they’re “just kids†after all.
The animation deviates from the usual PIXAR brand somewhat with different computer processed drawing techniques. The emotion characters take on an old school feel with sharper lines unlike those of Toy Story or The Incredibles. Although Riley and her real world are created with the familiar CGI we are accustomed to from PIXAR, the “inside head†gets most of the screen time using the aforementioned animation technique.
BONUS FEATURES: In usual PIXAR/Disney fashion there are many bonus extras, some for each of the family members including Dad.
BLU-RAY Combo Pack includes:
“Riley’s First Date?†(In-Home Exclusive Animated Short Film) - Riley, now 12, is hanging out at home with her parents in San Francisco when potential trouble comes knocking: a boy shows up at the door. Can Mom and Dad’s emotions handle “Riley’s First Date?â€
“LAVA†(Theatrical Short Film) - Inspired by the isolated beauty of tropical islands and the explosive allure of ocean volcanoes, LAVA is a musical love story that takes place over millions of years. (Also Available on the DVD)
“Story of the Story†- Director Pete Docter talks about the evolution of Inside Out, from the ideas and memories that inspired the story through the hurdles, explorations and experiences that helped shape it into the film it is today.
“Paths to Pixar: The Women of Inside Outâ€Â - Inside Outfilmmakers, from voice actors to animators to production crew, talk about their paths, their goals, the challenges they’ve faced and the lessons they’ve learned along the way
“Mixed Emotionsâ€Â - Inside Out’s filmmakers talk about how they decided which emotions to focus on in the story and how they went about creating each one’s distinct personality and visual identity
“Mapping the Mind†- Inside Out’s artists take you through the years-long process of designing and creating a world everyone knows, but no one has ever seen – the human mind.
“Our Dads, the Filmmakers†- Elie Docter (daughter of director, Pete Docter) and Grace Giacchino (daughter of composer, Michael Giacchino) bring you behind the scenes for an inside look at the making of the film.
“Into the Unknown: The Sound of Inside Outâ€Â - What is the sound of a memory forming? Sound designer Ren Klyce describes the challenges – and the unique solutions – involved in creating the aural world of Inside Out.
“The Misunderstood Art of Animation Film Editing†-Learn more about the crucial role of an animation film editor, who helps take    the story from its earliest, most exploratory versions, to the final, polished film you see onscreen.
“Deleted Scenes†There are 4 deleted scenes from various parts of the film.
“Commentary†- Commentary includes participation from directors Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen, and producer Jonas Rivera. (Also available on the DVD)
“Mind Candy†– A montage of toolkit and interstitials produced for Inside Out.
“Inside Out Trailers†- A collection of domestic and international trailers made for Inside Out.
Inside Out has been rated PG by the MPAA for mild thematic elements and some action. The target audience is families, but plays best between the ages of 5 to 12.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Inside Out is a nice addition to the PIXAR family of films. (B)
Specifications and additional video information:
Voice Cast: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Phyllis Smith, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Kaitlyn Dias
Directed and screenplay by: Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen
Genre: Comedy, Animation
MPAA Rating: PG for mild thematic elements and some action
Running Time: 1 hr. 34 min
Original Release Date: June 19, 2015
Video Release Date: November 3, 2015
Language: English (other languages on disc)
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray/DVD combo pack
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (Descriptive Audio English, Spanish, French)
Video: Blu-ray1080p HD
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Number of Discs: 2 Discs Combo Pack, Plus Digital Download and Disney Movies Anywhere
Distributed by: Buena Vista Home Entertainment