A Movie Review: Inside Out

Inside Out. Riley, an 11 year old, lives in Minnesota. She loves it there. She's a star on her ice hockey team. She has a best friend. Inside herself, her five emotions are doing just fine -- joy, sadness, fear, disgust and anger. Then her family relocates to San Francisco. Her father is pursuing a start-up opportunity. The move is a shock to Riley. One primary initial shock is that her new house isn't all that nice. Also, the family's belongings accidentally end up in the wrong state. Another shock is having to attend a new school. Her emotions become out of balance. The five emotions try to figure out how to readjust to the new surroundings. Will they re-balance or will Riley end up making a very rash decision?

I felt like this was one of the weaker Pixar movies. I'm not saying it wasn't enjoyable. I just don't think it hit it out of the park. I did find the interpretation/purpose of sadness interesting. In fact, I enjoyed all the interpretations of the five emotions. It actually made you think about how one lives life. Also, I liked the message of needing to let certain memories fade away. And yet, it sort of felt like watching Candy Land on screen. All the hop on this train, escape this pit, it just sort of bored me after awhile -- not that a kid wouldn't enjoy all that.

Also, hey, isn't that father about to become a potentially Silicon Valley billionaire? Sure, he was having problems with one of his investors, but one also has to assume the family didn't move out to San Francisco based on a bad business idea and considering this is a Disney movie . . . So we essentially have a movie focusing in on the daughter of the one percent. Sorry, after the movie ended, I sort of felt like I was watching a lovely tale about a kid who in less than 5  years would be nothing more than a spoiled brat.