INSIDE OUT

GRADE: A+
Starrring the Voices of Amy Pohler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Heder, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black
Directed by Pete Docter and Ronaldo De Carmen
Rated PG
Reviewed by Paul & Patrick Gibbs

Six months into 2015, we find ourselves with a runaway pick as best film of the years so far, and we're thrilled to declare Pixar back to its creative zenith. Which is not to say we think they ever fully lost their touch, or even came close to that. They've never made a bad film, and even some of their lesser recent films such as Monster's University have been very good. But there was a time when you could count on every Pixar film to be so good that it was almost embarrassing how inferior most of the films allegedly made for adults were. Inside Out returns them to that level of achievement.

Inside Out takes place inside the mind of Riley, a little girl whose family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco. Her mind is dominated by her emotions, anthropomorphized characters lead by Joy (Amy Pohler), a plucky and determined force for happiness. Joy gently but firmly presides over headquarters, where she is joined by Fear (Bill Heder), Digust (Mindy Kaling), and the hilarious Anger. But Joy's biggest challenge is dealing with the mopey Sadness (Phyllis Smith of The Office, perhaps the most inspired piece of casting in a film where the casting is so good that Kyle Machlachlan successfulyl plays an average Dad without even a hint of criminal insanity). If this strikes some viewers of our generation or older as awfully similar to the premise of the short-lived 1990s sitcom Herman's Head, think about this: what if Herman's Head had actually been good? Where that show squandered an inventive premise, Pixar takes that premise and makes it equally inspired in terms of comedy, adventure and poignant drama.

The plot really takes off when Riley is thrust into the conflicting emotions of adolescence, personified by Joy and Sadness being accidentally removed from Headquarters and forced to find their way back, and a confused Fear, Disgust and Anger having to figure out how to run Riley's head without the dominant emotions. Joy and Sadness equally dominate the story both literally and figuratively. As much as "You'll laugh, you'll cry" is a tired cliche, it's unmistakably true here. Some of the film's highlights include the character of Bing Bong (voiced by Richard Kind), Riley's imaginary friend from her pr-school days. Bing Bong gives us some of the most touching moments in Pixar history.

Inside Out is so imaginative, so joyful, so full of nearly every emotion, that it takes what has been an overall very enjoyable summer movie season to new heights, and it's a sure bet that no other blockbuster of this season is going to beat it as the most overall satisfying effort. Not only is it what we hoped Herman's Head would be, it's what we hoped Being John Malkovich would be. This is truly a film for everybody, and if you find yourself saying "I'm a grown man, I don't want to see a movie about the feelings of a little girl", well, you probably have serious insecurity issues and a need to prove your masculinity, and a movie set inside your head would be both hilarious and terrifying. For everyone else, Inside Out is every bit the equal of the two previous triumphs from co-director Pete Docter  (Monsters, Inc and Up), and we're ready to declare it 2015 Best Animated Film Oscar winner right now, even with another Pixar film still coming. This is as good as animated movies (or summer movies in general) get.