REVIEW: Inside Out
Playback Rating: Seven out of Ten - A flawed, but satisfying movie.
If there's one thing for certain, it's that Inside Out is a crowd pleaser. But don't expect much more than bare satisfaction.
As a Pixar film, we expect the following:
1. A compelling film that attracts both children and adults.
2. A careful balance of humour and emotion.
3. An unexplainable sense of childlike awe and amazement.
What makes Pixar such a powerhouse is the team's ability to strive for these traits in each and every one of its films. With the success they have had, it can be difficult to recapture the magic.
Inside Out isn't magical, but it is still a solid animated film.
Most studios can get away with a lacking plot (Jurassic World), or a series of mindless action pieces (Transformers 1-4), but Pixar has a lot of successes to its name.
If the Toy Story and Monsters Inc series are any indication, Pixar is far from losing its charms.
However, Inside Out lacks any real sense of amazement.
The Amy Poelher led cast modestly tackle human emotions. They pull off this concept with both creativity and intelligence, succeeding where many animation studios would try and fail.
The humour can be painfully funny at times, and I can pinpoint at least two scenes which are worthy of your tears. Then again, the woman next to me felt that over half the film was tear worthy.
Nevertheless, a poorly constructed complication sets the direction of this movie, and it is one that easily could have been written better. It is far easier to blame a central character for a problem, than to explore a more unique, perhaps less cliche conflict to overcome.
Character development in our lead emotions Joy and Sadness is serviceable, but I cannot help but wish the movie accomplished more than it did in the end.
The conclusion we come to is as ingenious as it is simple. At the end of the movie, the audience is forced to wonder whether it was really worth the build up.
If the conclusion were placed earlier, this could have actually led to a far more intriguing series of events beyond what unfolded.
Ultimately, Inside Out is a wonderfully funny, though simplistic attempt to tackle the intricacies of human emotion.
Inside Out makes for a good family outing, but don't expect this movie to go into your Pixar hall of fame.
Playback Rating: Seven out of Ten - A flawed, but satisfying movie.
