It's been an interesting year for blockbuster movies... Heck, movies in general. The summer just started, and already we've been revisiting familiar worlds and characters. Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Pitch Perfect 2, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Jurassic World. The latter which has already broken records as the fastest film to make...
And as I'm writing this, we'll soon be seeing the release of Ted 2, Terminator: Genisis, Minions, Mission Impossible: Rogue, Spectre (James Bond), Peanuts, and of course...
Now, we often hear people complain about a lack of originality in Hollywood.We've even admittedly had these complaints ourselves. It just feels like every ear, Hollywood is becoming more of a franchise factory, too scared to take risks on original ideas, and rely on established fanbases and guaranteed successes.
Not to say all sequels are a bad thing. I love revisiting my favorite characters as much as anyone. In fact, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is my most anticipated movie of 2015 (maybe ever). There's something about revisiting favorite characters that feels like catching up with old friends.
But what about the feeling of making those same friends for the first time? What about the first time we watched Star Wars and met Luke, Han, and Leia? The feeling of discovering something new?
That's a feeling that sequels, no matter how great they can be, can not easily capture.
And yet studios insist on making sequels of successful films for as long as audiences keep buying tickets. Because it's cheaper, safer, and easier.
One studio that refuses to play it safe is Pixar Animation Studios. While most studios rely on the momentum of their franchises, Pixar has always relied on the momentum of their consistent filmography. They are the geniuses behind such gems like the Toy Story Trilogy, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatoullie, Wall-E, Up, and now Inside Out.
Last week, Pixar released their latest masterpiece, Inside Out. A story of an 11 year old girl named Riley and her emotions Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Fear (Bill Hader), trying to adapt to their new home in San Fransisco.
I saw it with my family for my sister's birthday in Las Vegas last week, and again yesterday with my Mom, sister, and a friend of mine.
Those of you who follow my blog notice I don't post movie reviews that often, for many reasons. One, I try to spend as much time off my computer as I can, and enjoy my Summer vacation. Two, it's because as I mentioned, many of the fikms this year are sequels, so I'd feel like I'd have to go into a brief history about their franchises. And for a James Bond film like Spectre for example, that might take too long. Three, because I try to just enjoy movies like an audience and not a critic.
But here's the thing. It's been a week since it came out, and I still can't stop thinking about Inside Out! I usually just enjoy the movie (or not), leave the theater, and move on. But Inside Out is different. It stuck with me.
This is not surprising considering it's Pixar. They have connected with audiences before with brilliant concepts like toys coming to life, monsters being scared of kids more than kids are of them, a nervous father fish swimming an entire ocean to find his son, a rat who cooks, a superhero family, a robot picking up trash and falling in love, a grumpy old man who makes his house fly to fulfill his late wife's wish, and now the emotions in our heads.
In many ways, Inside Out is the quintessential Pixar movie. Because Pixar is practically famous for playing with our emotions, and this film is all about that. It answers the question we've been asking each other since the dawn of time... What the heck is going on inside our heads?
How do we form our own personalities? Why do some songs get sick in our heads? Why is it hard to stop replaying memories in our heads sometimes? Why do we get scared? Why do feel disgust? Why do we get angry? Why do we feel sad sometimes, even when we have no reason to be? Why is it so hard to be happy? Why can't we just be happy all the time?
According to Inside Out, our personality comes from our core memories, the most important moments in our lives. Like when we made our first friend. When we first scored a goal for our sport team. Our first day of school. Our emotions are in charge of the Control Center, harness our memories in Long Term, and help us to make decisions. Joy helps us to find the bright side in every situation. Fear keeps us from getting hurt or making regrettable decisions. Disgust prevents us from getting poisoned, and helps us take care of our hygene. Anger helps us to speak up when we feel things are unfair.
But what does Sadness do? Why do we need it? That is the biggest question the film asks.
Like every Pixar film, the animation in Inside Out is flawless. From the character designs to the set designs, to the movements. The imagination and creativity the animators put in designing the inside of the human head is unlimited. Everything looks so colorful and so unique. The outside world is a little generic compared to the inside of Riley's head. But I think that was intentional, and it really works. You could watch this movie on mute, and it would still look amazing!
The cast could not have been more perfect. They could not have found a better fit for Joy than Amy Poehler.
Amy Poehler is pretty much the embodiment of joy. Having played Leslie Knope for years in the brilliant, hilarious show Parks and Recreation (which aired its last episode earlier this year), Poehler is no stranger to playing cheerful, upbeat characters. Poehler reminds me of my favorite kind of teachers in my K-12 Grade life. The ones who saw the fun in every activity, who always had a smile on their face, and who cheered her students on. I feel like Amy Poehler would have made an excellent teacher, but just happens to work in show biz. And she excels at it!
Having starred in a successful TV show, developed her own website https://amysmartgirls.com/tag/amy-poehler/, and crushed it as co-host the Golden Globes with her best friend, Tina Fey, not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES IN A ROW, it's safe to say that Amy Poehler is one of the brightest stars in Hollywood right now.
Joy is the most important emotion in Riley's head. And since she's moving from Missouiri to start a new life in San Fransico, it appears Riley needs Joy more than ever. Now you might be thinking since Joy is supposed to be the embodiment of happiness, that she is this perfect, flawless character that the audience can't relate to. Quite the opposite actually. Joy actually does have some flaws of her own. Like she doesn't understand that there are times we need to be sad, and that we cannot control everything around us. She reminds us of all the times we've tried to pretend everything is ok, even when it's not.
Poehler told Access Hollywood that she based her performance as Joy on Tom Hanks' portrayal as Woody in the Toy Story movies. Joy, just like Woody, is a leader, who takes responsibility to their owner (Andy and Riley), tries to see the positive in everything, occasionally has a problem with letting others take the wheel, and never gives up, no matter how challenging things get.
And if Joy is Inside Out's Woody, then Anger is its Mr. Potato Head.
Just like how Amy Pohler is perfect for Jou, Lewis Black is perfect for Anger. Those who have listened to Lewis Black's stand up know he has a signature wit, where he tackles topics like politics, socialism, etc. and has hilarious rants. He delivers many of the films funniest lines, and brings the same sarcasm and sass that made us fall in love with Don Rickles' Mr. Potato Head.
SNL Alumn Bill Hader is hilarious and lovable as Fear. He is so much like Rex in Toy Story and Piglet in Winnie the Pooh, where he is easily disturbed, and focuses on the worst possible senario. The storyboard artists and animators clearly had a lot of fun working on him. And I wouldn't be surprised if they watched Daffy Duck cartoons for inspiration.
Mindy Kaling is also great as the sarcastic Disgust. She is very fashion savvy, is really sensitive about how she and Riley appear on the surface, and is disgusted with people and things in general. And I have a feeling she'll be very popular at Hot Topic.
And then there's Sadness voiced by Phyliss Smith.
Sadness is just like Eyore, where she spends the movie moping and doping, always seeing the negative in everything. She is the complete opposite of Joy. Even though she's depressed, she still has a lot of clever lines, and has a much bigger role in the movie than it would appear.
Both Joy and Sadness spend a good chunk of the movie together, and they both share great onscreen chemistry. Phyllis Smith's downbeat Sadness is a perfect foil for Amy Poehler's upbeat Joy.
Another character I have to mention is Bing Bon, voiced by Richard Kind.
Pixar has done a great job of keeping him a secret from the marketing, and I can see why. I won't spoil his role for you. But I will say that for anime who has had an imaginary friend in their childhood (most likely all of us), Bing Bong will strike a chord and leave a lasting impression. And Richard Kind plays him with a lot of humor and heart.
The score by Michael Giacchino might be my favorite score of the year so far. It's cheerful, whimsical, and even sad. Just like Giacchino's score in Up. Even as I'm writing this review, I have the score in my head, and it makes me smile.
The story is full of surprises and twists. I can't recall a moment Inwas bored or checking my watch. I was on board from the very moment it started!
A lot of credit goes to the performances from the cast, and the screenplay by Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley, and Pete Doctor.
Pete Doctor is a pro at tugging at our heartstrings, with such films like Monsters, Inc. and Up. You'd have to have no soul to not even choke up at the beginning of Up! Or even, yes, the end of this movie. I won't spoil anything, but it contains Pixar's biggest tear jerking moment since the end of Toy Story 3.
This movie couldn't have come out at a better time for me. After what have been two of the hardest, most challenging years of my life. Graduating from High School, adjusting to College, making new friends, losing some, and on top of it, losing my Grandpa last September.
Like Riley in this movie, my emotions we're running wild these past two years. With Joy and Sadness missing from my headquarters on some days.
This film taught me, and teaches the audience in general, why it's ok to feel sad, and even important.
Walt Disney himself said "For every laugh, there must also be a tear."
We need sadness to help us cope with out problems, and make us see the good things in our lives. Out of sadness comes joy.
My Dad teaches psychology for a living, and he ate this film up! I could see him, and every other psychologist in the future, showing this to their students in class.
This film helped me to understand my emotions, and how I can control them. It made me understand why I feel them, what I should use them for, and how I can make myself a better person.
Those have always been my favorite kind of movies. The kind that not only cheer you up, but also give you a whole new perspective on life. Pixar films have done that in the past, and this film is no exception.
And as for the short before it, Lava. Well, Hawaii has alway been my favorite vacation spot (along with Walt Disney World in Florida). It's a lovely little short about the love between two volcanos whose passion for each other burns like lava. Although warning, the song in it is so catchy, it will be stuck in your head for a few days. But unlike the Triple Dem Gum commercial jingle in Inside Out, you won't mind having this song in your head.
Like every Pixar film before it, IO shook the industry and set a new record at the box office for the biggest opening weekend for an original film at $91 Million. Even though it was the first Pixar film to not open at #1, losing to Jurassic World, this is still a huge win not just for Pixar, but for Hollywood in general.
It shows that there is still an appetite for original, creative ideas. That audiences still like to explore new worlds and new concepts.
True, some studios will get the message that audiences will want more Inside Out sequels. But the message I hope they get is this: That it's ok to take risks and step outside your comfort zone. Maybe just like how Riley had step out her comfort zone, maybe Hollywood should step out of its comfort zone as well.
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