Review - Inside Out

Inside Out is a triumph of vivid imagination.

Inside Out is an absolute joy ride.

You may call Pixar's new creation as Inception for kids, but don't let others fool you. Director-Writer Pete Docter's Inside Out is a terrific ride for adults; not only it simulates brain, but your tear-glands too. Past few years, Pixar has somewhat lost its innovative thread of films, but with Inside Out, they're back on track. This film brings back the good old experience of Pixar gems like Toy Story, Up and Finding Nemo - in short, a real treat for animation lovers. 
  

The script - what an outstanding script - is a right away classic. The premise goes like this - we all know our brain is controlled by our emotions - joy, anger, disgust, fear and sadness. In this film, our emotions are controlled by little human-creatures who reside our brain. Each of them have corresponding personality like the emotion they convey. We have Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling), controlling brain of eleven-year old girl called Riley. Things go pretty well until one day, Riley's family decides to move from Minnesota to San Francisco, which causes a havoc in the Headquarters of the brain. Things go awry when both Joy and Sadness are thrown out of Headquarters and are stranded on the big stretches of Riley's brain-land.

Her brain-land is full of utterly marvelous stuff, which includes various personality islands, a dream-land, subconscious cellar, memory hall and what not. Watching Inside Out is like a visit to your first theme park ride. It is wildly creative, with its own consistent logic and details. I have never been so utterly amazed by sheer display of imagination, perhaps since Inception. 

The film explores the idea of human emotions like never before. Even though on paper, the idea of little folks living inside your head and controlling you may sound a bit ridiculous, but the way Pete Docter has executed this, is an absolute master-stroke. He never makes the movie overtly jolly, but goes for a more bittersweet approach. It is not to say that the film is without laughs or comic situations, but it remains balanced, like a classic animation should be.

Inside Out is the best animation movie of not only 2015, but perhaps the best since Up. With another great score by Michael Giacchino and great voice performances by every member of the cast, the film is a wondrous joy ride, filled with wonders of imagination and creative ideas. By the end, it may leave you teary-eyed, so keep your handkerchiefs close.

4/5