INSIDE OUT

Inside Out is a great Pixar movie. Probably not as good as Toy Story, but definitely as good as some of the others that came after Toy Story. It is about a girl named Riley (voiced by Kaitlyn Dias) who is forced to move halfway across the country because of her father's new job. Her emotions, Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Anger (Lewis Black) control her actions, and her experiences become memories, stored as colored orbs, which are sent into long-term memory each night. The aspects of the five most important "core memories" within her personality incorporate the form of five floating islands. Joy acts as the leader, and she and the rest of the emotions try to limit Sadness's influence. On her first day of school, a sad core memory is created which Joy tries to dispose of and inadvertently sucks Joy, Sadness, and the core memories out of Headquarters leaving Anger, Fear, and Disgust to take control of Riley. Hence, on the outside, she becomes a moody teenager. Most of the movie takes place inside Riley's head as Joy and Sadness try to get the core memories back to Headquarters.The story is one of those that can appeal to kids and adults alike. It will probably have the biggest emotional impact for adults who have children and experience their changing emotions as they grow up, but even if you are an adult without kids, it will definitely have something that reminds you of your childhood and teenage/young adult years. The acting is phenomenal with Poehler great as the lead, and all of the supporting characters doing a wonderful job in their roles. Lewis Black can melt down with the best of them, and having Anger fly off the handle provided some of the funniest moments, along with disgust hating everything. And, Richard Kind as Bing Bong steals pretty much every scene he is in.For those who get the blu-ray, the A/V quality is great, and there are a lot of extras. Those include a commentary track on the movie, and several making-of and behind-the-scenes featurettes that range in length from just under five minutes to just under twenty minutes. Then there are three different trailers. So, a lot of good material if you like watching the extras.Overall, the movie is very good. It goes from being a fun, funny kid's movie to a tear-jerker, sometimes within a single scene. It has a good message and is something people of all ages can enjoy for a long time. It is one of those timeless movies that will be just as good twenty or thirty years from now as it was when it was released. Definitely worth the pick-up.

UPDATE: Ok, this movie has completely grown on me, and I'm now so glad we bought it. It's gone from 3 stars to 5. For more sensitive kids, those with sensory issues, or those still figuring out how to regulate their emotions, this is a great movie that illustrates the differences between being happy, sad, or scared in a really concrete way the kids can articulate. It deals very well with empathy and how it's ok to be sad sometimes. My more spirited kid *loves* this movie, and it is totally a great, low key option to put on before bed or a nap. Bing Bong in particular is a big hit, and the overall story really does pull them in. After now having seen this movie dozens of times, I've come to really appreciate this very sweet story.**********************I thought it was a very touching story, but I really wish I would've just rented this first vs. buying it. The pace was too slow for my 3yo's and the conflict in the story really appeals more to older kids and even parents, vs. preschoolers. I think it would have helped connect more with younger kids if the plot had addressed earlier on how the different feelings always worked had worked by themselves before Joy and Sadness's incident, instead of getting to the end of the movie to illustrate that sometimes something makes you both happy and sad. They should've focused more on that earlier vs. watching Joy freak out repeatedly. There are definitely bright, funny moments (the abstract thought part was neat), but overall it's too slow and in some ways mature a movie to put on to keep the little ones occupied so I can get things done around the house. We decided that this would be a good "wind down before bed" type of movie vs. anything the kids will watch repeatedly.

This combo pack of DVD Blu-Ray and digital was a nice set. I have watched each, and they are of good quality and I had no issues with compatibility or anything else.The movie is a litlte bit unusual, and I have noticed that the more recent Discney movies have beena little intense for my 4 year-old. This particular film deals with the emerging identity of a young (pre-teen?) girl that has moved to a new city and new school. The story is told predomionantly through the eyes of the various personified parts of her identity. It was a little hard to explain the pain of losing friends and the kind of sadness conveyed in the film to my little girl, but despite her lack of understanding the whole of what was going on (she tends to focus on the "sad" expressed in the movie without appreciating it as a necessary precondition for the happiness and resolution of the plot later), she does enjoy this movie.I am sure that there will be comments about how this film promotes some sort of "liberal, politically correct agenda." I don't think that is true at all. I think this movie tries to identify with some of the painful emotions everyone feels as they try to figure out their place in the world. I think that this movie does a pretty good job of expressing the helplessness, loneliness and difficulty that kids can feel when they are subjected to lerge changes (like moving to a new city) and I was happy to see taht the movie is resolved largely througha reinforcement of the bonds of her family and her gaining of a litlte bit of perspective that helps her adjust to her new situation and to understand the world around her al ittle better.Really, this movie has parts that are a bit of a bummer, but I think it introduces some important concepts for kids in a fun and interesting way. I might even say it does so in an artistic fashion that is imaginative and beautiful.

Love the movie in and out its great for children but even an adult can learn from this movie.

Great movie.