Movie Review: Inside Out

Gone are the days when animated films are made just for kids. Inside Out, the newest hit from Pixar, is another testament to that. The last time I stepped inside a cinema was half a year ago to watch Crazy Beautiful You. But because of all the buzz and the raves for Inside Out, I dragged my husband and carried my 6-month pregnant self to catch this latest craze. And I am just so glad that we did!

Inside Out is a story about Riley and her embodied emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust. These five emotions live inside a “command center” and are in-charge of Riley’s well-being. They have helped establish Riley’s personality and core emotions.

Riley is her parent’s ball of sunshine, but that didn’t last when she was forced to leave her hometown, Minnesota, and moved to San Francisco with her parents. Adjusting to her new environment, leaving her friends back home and feeling disappointed with their new house, Riley’s emotions went berserk. This became worse when Sadness touched her core memories, and a control room malfunction left her along with Joy kicked out of the place leaving Anger, Fear and Disgust to take over. Can you imagine Anger, Fear and Disgust disguising as Joy? It was hilarious!
The characters are very lovable especially the personified emotions and all the other characters in Riley’s mind. And Bing Bong! I love Bing Bong!!! These characters are oozing with cuteness that no amount of words can describe how adorable they all are. I could hear the kids inside the cinema squealing and laughing non-stop. I like Disgust very much because of her rational thinking. She is my favorite character next to Bing Bong, which makes her my favorite among the five emotions. I can somehow relate to her because she is brutally honest and very opinionated. She doesn’t settle for anything less because she always wants the best for Riley. And yeah, she overthinks! Very me!!! Plus, I love her sense of fashion! Haha! I was totally pissed off with Sadness in the beginning of the film. All I could think of was, “How difficult is it to follow a simple direction? You’re ruining Riley’s life! Just follow what Joy says!!!” But my annoyance of her has magically turned into admiration when I realized that among all the emotions, Sadness happens to be the smartest one. And she’s also the most emphatic one.

Inside Out made me laugh out hard. It is also thought-provoking. But what hit me the most was how much I was affected with the message of the movie. I saw the movie in 3D, and I went out of the cinema with a set of foggy 3D glasses! So yeah, it made me cry! I already lost count of how many times I sobbed while trying to conceal my handkerchief’s ninja moves! Bing Bong made me cry. Although I already knew what was going to happen, I still cried big time on his last scene. I cried when Joy finally figured out how to help Riley. I cried the hardest when Riley’s parents just welcomed her back with no questions asked.

Pixar’s flawless animation surely made the kids all giddy and excited. Inside Out is definitely an eye candy. But there is more than meets the eye…

Yes, Inside Out is made for kids. But after watching the movie, I have come to the conclusion that it is tailored fit for adults, too, specifically the parents! The kids will probably see the cuteness and the happy ending. But the adult moviegoers will certainly appreciate the ingenuity of the plot, the roller coaster ride of emotions and how its abstract message will leave your thoughts hanging for hours! (Well, probably days!) The eyes of the kids will see all the fun and colorful stuff of the movie, but the very young ones may not be able to grasp the poignant message that the movie wants to convey. It talks about the very important role of parents in building their kid’s personality and in helping them understand the logic behind their emotions. It speaks about the parents’ role in making sure that they are building good memories with their kids together as these memories will be crucial when things get tough when they get older.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet, check it out. If you’re a parent, pay attention to the real message of the movie. Believe me, you’ll gain a different perspective after watching it. More often than not, parents shield their kids from all the “negative” emotions in their attempt to raise happy children. But as Inside Out teaches us, it is okay to be terrified, to be mad and to be disgusted. And more importantly, it tells us that it’s perfectly normal to be sad, because addressing your SADNESS opens doors to feeling JOY once again. Addressing SADNESS makes you create new and stronger memories. Inside Out may not be the best movie to scientifically explain a person’s mind and emotions, but who cares?! (I read an article pointing out that the movie totally twisted Science, and I was like, “Duh! Chill out! It’s an animated film!!! Go get some popcorn! Or better yet, go get a life!” Haha!) It’s a good watch that will definitely provide moviegoers a perfect blend of fun and nostalgia, and you’ll surely go home thinking, “Yeah, that made sense.”