Yesterday was Father’s Day. I awoke to a nice breakfast with the wife and kids and to a couple of great gifts:
- An awesome “I LOVE DAD” coffee mug
- A custom picture on wood of my kids.
Obviously, my Sunday morning started great. My kids had another surprise for me: I was scheduled to take them to see Pixar’s latest movie, “Inside Out.” Surprise!
I was actually looking forward to watching it with my kids. I’ve taken my kids to every Pixar movie and most animated films since they were able to sit through a whole movie and we have always had a good time. I read a lot of hype regarding “Inside Out” and, being disappointed by “Monsters U” and “Cars 2,” I was hoping Pixar had found their way back to where they were with “UP.” Mostly, I felt that they did not.
First, I will try and not write any spoilers here. I’ll refer to some of the characters but won’t provide specifics, in case the 3 people that read this watch the movie.
After the movie was over, I asked my kids if they liked it. They said they did. There’s a lot going on in the movie so it will keep the little ones entertained. I also enjoyed it but, something was missing. Then again, the more I thought about it, it wasn’t really that something was missing. It felt more like “Inside Out” would have been better served if it had been a shorter film… much shorter! The middle really dragged on for me and I found myself nodding off a bit. The ending delivered the K.O. punch I’m sure Pixar was looking for, but it took too long to get there. I was just glad it was finally over.
So while I did enjoy the movie, it felt too long. The concept is lofty and great: dissecting an 11 year old’s mind and seeing how different emotions interact. However, I felt that Pixar gave in to the complexity, bigheartedness and overall immensity of that said concept and in turn got caught up in the web of trying to illustrate consciousness. It felt convoluted, a little too abstract and at the same time, simplistic. It was everything trying to be something. I did not feel the connection to Joy and Sadness and this made Riley a mere vehicle for the characters inside her head. It was only towards the end that everything gelled together and delivered that satisfying “ah” moment. For me, it came 40 minutes too late!
That’s just one dude’s quick review. I hope I didn’t give anything away, but if you already saw the movie, what’d you think of it?
