[Review] Inside Out (8.5/10)

Disney and Pixar's Inside Out has finally reached this part of the world and I've finally caught it, after having to wait patiently while the rest of the world has fallen in love with it.

And because of all the hype going around even up until today, it kind made me raise the bar way too high for the movie.

I loved the opening, when we get to be introduced to the characters as well as the emotions, and to discover what are core memories and how they play a big part in shaping our future and decision making.

I loved all the characters, especially when we went into the mind of the parents of little Riley.

And when things started to crumble, it felt real and we got to see how the emotion affected Riley on her outside world. Such a complex and yet beautifully portrayed concept that only Pixar can come up with and find the perfect way to deliver the story.

The middle part, especially the abstract world, I could have done without as I didn't think it added too much to the main plot. But perhaps it was necessary to build up one of the side characters. Unfortunately that was the part where I lost interest and found that it took up what could have been a tighter movie.

The voice actors as usual sounded like a perfect fit. While watching the movie I didn't even remember it was Amy Poehler, Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling because the characters themselves had such a big personality that jumped out of the screen at you. It didn't matter who was voicing them as this was one of the times when the characters created were bigger than the actors. And that's a great thing.

Nevertheless, once the third act got underway, everything was back on track. The message was a powerful one; one of the most abstract and yet meaningful messages from Pixar yet.

But the other message that stood out to me, and I'm not sure if it was obvious to the audience, was the immense pressure put forward by the mother to young Riley, about how she has to put on a smiling face to support the father, even though it was something done with such casualness to it. That, to me, was the beginning of the breaking point. A child should never have to take up the responsibility of a parent.

A very poignant story filled with adventure and drama, and so touching in the end. It was incredibly beautiful.