Pixar's Inside & Out review thread...

[Brave Volunteer]

Saw it today with the wife and my 4 year old son. I'm sorry but I'm not seeing this big Pixar renaissance that so many critics have been claiming with this movie. The movie isn't bad, but honestly it's not that great either. A few thoughts...

1.) For one thing, from an animation standpoint this film felt very "safe" in terms of Pixar's usual standards. Pixar used to be known for pushing boundaries and always setting the bar high in computer animation but absolutely nothing about this film wowed or impressed me from an animation standpoint. It looked like it could have been done from any one of the countless animation studios in existence. Were it not for the Pixar logo at the beginning of the movie, I would have never known or even suspected that this was a Pixar movie.

2.) Pixar films usually do a fantastic job of balancing their stories and characters with humor with emotional weight. However this movie to me was severely lacking on the humor side of things. There were a few minor funny moments but for the most part the movie just felt depressing. I think most of the attempts at humor were rather weak and there wasn't enough of it overall IMO. I don't recall a single time during the movie where me, my wife, or my son laughed out loud.

3.) I found Amy Poehler's character "Joy" to be irritatingly annoying. While I get that she represents the emotion of joy and some of that is to be expected, I thought she should have dialed it down a notch or two because I found myself rooting against her honestly. Secretly I kept hoping Sadness would punch her in the face.


I don't know, I guess I would rate this movie a 3/5 but I simply don't understand why critics have been so universally thrilled with this movie. It doesn't come anywhere close to the better Pixar films and honestly, I just thought the whole move was lacking. Frankly, I enjoyed Frozen more. I hope The Good Dinosaur is better.

Side note: Worst...Pixar...cartoon short before the movie EVER!

 

[butchna]

Saw it today with the wife and my 4 year old son. I'm sorry but I'm not seeing this big Pixar renaissance that so many critics have been claiming with this movie. The movie isn't bad, but honestly it's not that great either. A few thoughts...

1.) For one thing, from an animation standpoint this film felt very "safe" in terms of Pixar's usual standards. Pixar used to be known for pushing boundaries and always setting the bar high in computer animation but absolutely nothing about this film wowed or impressed me from an animation standpoint. It looked like it could have been done from any one of the countless animation studios in existence. Were it not for the Pixar logo at the beginning of the movie, I would have never known or even suspected that this was a Pixar movie.

2.) Pixar films usually do a fantastic job of balancing their stories and characters with humor with emotional weight. However this movie to me was severely lacking on the humor side of things. There were a few minor funny moments but for the most part the movie just felt depressing. I think most of the attempts at humor were rather weak and there wasn't enough of it overall IMO. I don't recall a single time during the movie where me, my wife, or my son laughed out loud.

3.) I found Amy Poehler's character "Joy" to be irritatingly annoying. While I get that she represents the emotion of joy and some of that is to be expected, I thought she should have dialed it down a notch or two because I found myself rooting against her honestly. Secretly I kept hoping Sadness would punch her in the face.


I don't know, I guess I would rate this movie a 3/5 but I simply don't understand why critics have been so universally thrilled with this movie. It doesn't come anywhere close to the better Pixar films and honestly, I just thought the whole move was lacking. Frankly, I enjoyed Frozen more. I hope The Good Dinosaur is better.

Side note: Worst...Pixar...cartoon short before the movie EVER!

You hate volcano love? . Have to agree...worth vegging a Redbox or even wait to Netflix..how long has it been since Up?

 

[TrueOrange]

This thing (wait, isn't it just called "Inside Out"?) has had the biggest opening weekend for any Pixar film not named Toy Story 3.

It brought in $91.1 mil opening weekend in the U.S., while still having to compete against the box-office giant that is Jurassic World (after making $208.8 mil the first weekend, it still pulled in another $102 mil).

 

[BigOrange15]

It was a great movie. It was back to form for Pixar after the being in the sequel business for a while and then then putting out Brave. I don't know that I like it quite as much as some of their other offerings but I can definitely see why it is called a return to form and why its reviewed so highly. Im sure the majority of adults that reviewed it have kids and really feel this movie as far as the crazy emotions and swings of a 12 year old child.

 

[Ryjam282]

I agree with BigOrange here. This was a GREAT movie. I'm thinking this one will be my new fav from Pixar. The original Monsters Inc was until this one. Well thought out and very imaginative and the story really hit home for me as I have a 12 year old daughter myself and it was cool/sad to see the emotions come and go over the years. Good stuff all around, I'll definitely see this one again.

 

[UTCVol]

It's the best since Wall-E for sure.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

It's the best since Wall-E for sure.

It wasn't even as good Up! or Toy Story 3 IMO.

 

[UTCVol]

It wasn't even as good Up! or Toy Story 3 IMO.

Oh, forgot about Toy Story 3. I'd put Inside Out slightly below that. That's the way to finish off a beloved series - until they announced TS4, which I'm sure will be good but isn't really needed.

Up brought the feelings for sure (that opening montage was heartbreaking), but even with the raw emotion hanging over the story the actual plot once they met the explorer seemed somewhat hamfisted. It was emotional resonance juxtaposed with raw goofiness for younger audiences- totally understandable why Pixar did it this way, though.

My top 5 are The Incredibles, WALL-E, Toy Story, Ratatouille, and Toy Story 3. Inside Out and A Bug's Life as honorable mentions.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Oh, forgot about Toy Story 3. I'd put Inside Out slightly below that. That's the way to finish off a beloved series - until they announced TS4, which I'm sure will be good but isn't really needed.

Up brought the feelings for sure (that opening montage was heartbreaking), but even with the raw emotion hanging over the story the actual plot once they met the explorer seemed somewhat hamfisted. It was emotional resonance juxtaposed with raw goofiness for younger audiences- totally understandable why Pixar did it this way, though.

My top 5 are The Incredibles, WALL-E, Toy Story, Ratatouille, and Toy Story 3. Inside Out and A Bug's Life as honorable mentions.

IMO Wall.E is Pixar's Magnum Opus and I don't think they've really topped it since. There are moments in Wall.E where I honestly forgot that I was watching an animated film. I just think everything in that movie came together perfectly; the animation, the characters, the story, the message, the humor, the emotion, etc. To me it's a perfect film.

I understand what you mean about finishing off Toy Story with part 3 but honestly, I have really enjoyed all the short films involving the toys and their adventures with Bonnie. So a 4th movie wouldn't bother me in the slightest as long as the story is good.

 

[BigOrange15]

IMO Wall.E is Pixar's Magnum Opus and I don't think they've really topped it since. There are moments in Wall.E where I honestly forgot that I was watching an animated film. I just think everything in that movie came together perfectly; the animation, the characters, the story, the message, the humor, the emotion, etc. To me it's a perfect film.

I understand what you mean about finishing off Toy Story with part 3 but honestly, I have really enjoyed all the short films involving the toys and their adventures with Bonnie. So a 4th movie wouldn't bother me in the slightest as long as the story is good.

Ha, Wall-E is probably my least favorite Pixar film. Besides the sequels anyway.

 

[BenGrimm]

Incredibles is by far my favorite but I'm a comic geek so there is some bias in there (it's the best Fantastic Four movie to date).

Next is Toy Story trilogy. All three are equally great.

A Bugs Life is underrated. As is Mobsters Inc.

Least favorite us Cars but it's actually the one I've seen the mist thanks to having a 4 year old son who is obsessed with cars, trains, and planes.

The only two I haven't seen are Ratatouille and Brave.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

Incredibles is by far my favorite but I'm a comic geek so there is some bias in there (it's the best Fantastic Four movie to date).

Next is Toy Story trilogy. All three are equally great.

A Bugs Life is underrated. As is Mobsters Inc.

Least favorite us Cars but it's actually the one I've seen the mist thanks to having a 4 year old son who is obsessed with cars, trains, and planes.
The only two I haven't seen are Ratatouille and Brave.

I like Cars but I can sympathize with you on the rest. I too have a 4 year old son. He received Cars as a gift when he was 1 year old and it's like that movie completely imprinted on him from the very beginning and to this day it's still his favorite! His first word was practically "car." He used go around saying it constantly "car, car, car ,car ,car." The movie has practically been on constant loop on our TV for 3 years!

 

[BenGrimm]

I like Cars but I can sympathize with you on the rest. I too have a 4 year old son. He received Cars as a gift when he was 1 year old and it's like that movie completely imprinted on him from the very beginning and to this day it's still his favorite! His first word was practically "car." He used go around saying it constantly "car, car, car ,car ,car." The movie has practically been on constant loop on our TV for 3 years!

That's pretty much how it happened to us too. He was already into cars but my mom brought him the movie and from then on it a constant fixture.

He'll gets off it for a while but works his way back. After months of Planes: Fire and Rescue he is back into Cars 2 which I like even less because it's more about Mater.

 

[Brave Volunteer]

That's pretty much how it happened to us too. He was already into cars but my mom brought him the movie and from then on it a constant fixture.

He'll gets off it for a while but works his way back. After months of Planes: Fire and Rescue he is back into Cars 2 which I like even less because it's more about Mater.

Cars 2 is a complete abomination compared to Cars. I cannot believe the brain trust at Pixar thought it was a good idea to take these vehicle-based characters and arm them with machine guns and rocket launchers. For a kid's movie it's extremely violent and it doesn't have anywhere near the heart that the first movie does.

 

[YankeeVol]

Incredibles is by far my favorite but I'm a comic geek so there is some bias in there (it's the best Fantastic Four movie to date).

Next is Toy Story trilogy. All three are equally great.

A Bugs Life is underrated. As is Mobsters Inc.

Least favorite us Cars but it's actually the one I've seen the most thanks to having a 4 year old son who is obsessed with cars, trains, and planes.

The only two I haven't seen are Ratatouille and Brave.

Frozen, Brave and Monsters U.....3 year old daughter. I can pretty much spit the lines out for every character in Brave verbatim.

 

[DrRosenRosen]

I think a Mobsters Inc movie would be cool. Give them all ridiculous gangster accents but make them a bunch of idiots trying to pull off heists.

 

[BenGrimm]

Cars 2 is a complete abomination compared to Cars. I cannot believe the brain trust at Pixar thought it was a good idea to take these vehicle-based characters and arm them with machine guns and rocket launchers. For a kid's movie it's extremely violent and it doesn't have anywhere near the heart that the first movie does.

I totally agree. My son really likes Francesco though. His role in the movie isn't bad but the whole spy story and Mater really being the lead character ruins it.

Frozen, Brave and Monsters U.....3 year old daughter. I can pretty much spit the lines out for every character in Brave verbatim.

We watched Frozen one time when my niece was visiting. Mir didn't stick with the boys thank goodness.

Now Big Hero 6 got plenty of play during the months of March through May.