What if Feelings had Feelings?

Pixar Animation Studios are renown for their high-quality, tear inducing, heart jerking, comedy films. Very few studios, live action or animated, can create films with the emotional resonance that Pixar can create; no one can make us feel like Pixar makes us feel. But this year, Pixar explored our feelings further by personifying them. This is Inside Out.

Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) is a typical 11 year old girl. She plays hockey, doesn't like broccoli, and is a complete goofball. These are some of the foundations of her personality formed by her core memories. Inside her head, the formation of these memories, and the way Riley acts, are controlled by five emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). Joy tends to run things and all of Riley's core memories glow yellow with joy, or at least until Riley's family suddenly move across the country to San Fransisco and Riley's first sad core memory is formed. Wanting to keep the core memories happy, Joy tries to stop the memory before it becomes part of Riley's personality but instead dislodges all of the core memories and they are sucked into long term memory along with Joy and Sadness. Together, the unlikely duo must make their way back to the control room with the core memories before Riley causes irreparable damage to her relationships and is left emotionally empty, devoid of personality.

From left to right: Bing Bong, Sadness, and Joy

As always, Pixar's animation is still leading the way in 3D, computer generated animation. Inside Out continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the medium. One sequence, when Joy, Sadness, and Riley's old imaginary friend Bing Bong (Richard Kind) are passing through the abstract thought area, they are reduced to a cubist incarnation of themselves before being flattened to two dimensions. Pixar's imagination is shown in full force here, creating a whole world inside of Riley's mind that is full of innovative landscapes that, despite their scope, never drift into absurdity. Even the most ridiculous of characters, Bing Bong, an elephant-chicken-dolphin hybrid made of cotton candy with a rocket  powered by song, is treated seriously and plays a pivotal role in the narrative. It would be so easy for a secondary character like Bing Bong to be played for laughs, but Pixar treat all of their creations with care, attention, and development to make sure that their story is as three-dimensional as their animation.

From left to right: Sadness, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Joy

After over five years in the making, Inside Out is Pixar's labour of love and it shows. The films has been precisely crafted with equal parts fun, heart, and brain. The production team consulted with psychologists and other experts to ensure their fantasy world fit within the way the mind really works whilst the animators brought this vision to life in a vibrant fashion. The writing, too, is perhaps some of Pixar's finest yet. Not only is it completely hilarious, riddled with smart humour, but it is an extremely moving tale of growing up, dealing with sadness, and coping with change. The level of passion displayed in the production of Inside Out combined with the vocal talent of Poehler, Smith, Kaling, Kind, Hader, and Black, creates a completely remarkable, genuinely entertaining, and utterly moving piece of cinema. It is no surprise that it is now being discussed in terms of educating children about mental health.

Pixar have hit the ball out of the park with Inside Out. After three efforts in a row not quite hitting the Pixar standard that audiences have become accustom to (Cars 2, Brave, Monsters University), Inside Out proves that Pixar have not lost what makes them so special and that they are still the most innovative animation company out there.

Best Bit? Aside from the trip through abstract thought, which is a particular highlight, the time spent in dream production, styled as a classic holiday studio, is exceptionally funny.

The Wee Bonnie Princess

PIXAR are an animation company. They make, what a lot of people would call, kids movies. They are the masterminds behind the Toy Story series, Up, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc , and a host of other well known and loved movies. They have covered a lot of genres and touched a lot of hearts. They focus more on their stories than any other film production company. And now they are providing their interpretation of fairy tales and, more importantly, adding another movie to Disney's stream of princess films. This is Brave.

Merida (Kelly Macdonald) is a Scottish princess and daughter to King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). They live in a castle in Scotland in the Medieval times with Merida's three younger brothers who are triplets. What her parents haven't told her, however, is that the three neighbouring clan leaders are going to present their first born sons to compete for Merida's hand in marriage, an idea which she strongly opposes. Her mother convinces her that it is her fate and her destiny to marry one of these men. Merdia, in a fit of anger and despair runs off with her horse, Angus, and heads into the woods. A trail of blue willo-the-wisps (glowing balls of blue lights that lead one to their destiny) appear and take Merida to a small cottage where an old lady (Julie Walters), a wood cutter, promises she can assist with changing the princess' fate. But there is a dark side to this promise and things get out of hands for Merida very quickly. She'll have to remain brave to get through the obstacles that now present themselves.

The triplets will shoot into your heart

It is needless to say that this is the finest animation that cinema has ever experienced to date. The attention to detail is something that only PIXAR could ever be capable of achieving. Every single one or Merida's ginger curls has a life of it's own, every single leaf dances individually, and the landscapes are so beautifully modelled, it is almost impossible to tell that it is animation. The soundtrack is also a delightful accompaniment to the film, creating a superb atmosphere that perfectly reflects that action on screen. If you didn't like Celtic or Scottish Folk music before, you will now. It has something for everyone. There is enough jokes so that everyone will laugh despite age difference. A cheeky bum slap for the adults, the triplets antics for the young ones. Oh, it is also possible that it will make you cry. It is PIXAR. What did you expect? They are brutal story tellers.

A film about hot ginger with curly hair and a ripped dress...
Who is also a badass.

In true Pixar fashion, the story's subject matter is based on a contemporary issue, shifted into a fantasy world. Here, the issue of families and the struggle that they present but ultimately how important it is. The characters are so easy to relate to and so realistically written that you will easily notice the comparisons to people you know in your life. However, what makes Brave stand out among the other Disney Princess movies is it's focus, not on love, but on independence. Mulan ignited the idea of a strong Disney princess - fighting for her families pride in a man's world - even if she did fall in love along the way with a strong man. Feminists can rejoice as Merida promotes female strength, independence, and beauty. She shows that you do not have to be a masculine looking lady to be strong, you can also be a hot ginger. She's not doing anything for love, in fact he wants to avoid marriage. Sure, she accepts love and that she may fall in love, but that is simply a beautifully animated hair on the head of this film.

Whether you're simple captivated by the outstanding animation, or deeply love a magical story, you will enjoy Brave. The story does find simple ways to avoid complicated issues and characters come to ridiculous conclusions far too quickly, but overall, the brilliance out weighs it's flaws. It may not go down in PIXAR's history as one of their best films, but it is definitely near the top of the list of Disney Princess films. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a kid's movie. It is made for all ages and it is completely lovable. It is funny, touching, and has some brilliantly entertaining fight scenes. A must see.

Best Bit? Anything involving the little brothers. The cinema would burst into laughter with almost all their antics.

La Luna 

The latest PIXAR short is possible the prettiest to date. A pair of men argue while rowing out to sea, a boy sat between them. They anchor and then the moon rises. And in that moment, the cinema's air quantity dropped a large amount as every single person seated gasped. The animation was incredible, the story was simple and poetic. Not a single word was said in the entirety of the short but everything was understood. Simply brilliant film making.

11 Years In Waiting.

Yes. I have been waiting over a decade for this movie. I remember seeing the second film in the cinemas in 1999 very clearly but now, the third film is here. I am, of course, talking about Toy Story 3. I saw it yesterday with the wonderful Kate Pass in stunning 3D. And yes, stunning is the best word to describe this film.

A happy audience waited for Woody's next speech

If you don't know the general plot by now you're weird. But I'll recap it anyway. Buzz, Woody and the remaining toys that Andy has kept over the years are accidently donated to Sunnyside Daycare when Andy leaves for college. But what seems like paridise soon turns ugly.

This is the first animated film I've reviewed I think... Those of us that were around when the first two movies were released will appriciate the film far more than the little kiddie winkles... In fact I think adults in genral will enjoy this more. Why? The jokes are very funny but it's unlikely that the little ones will get all of them. But the animation... Just... Wow. Not only is it just amazing but it also focuses on human aspects of the toys, the emotions. Never did I think I would border on tears from some toys holding hands. PIXAR made it happen.

Woody Jumped onstage to meet his favourite acting group;

They were rather startled.

It's the little things that PIXAR do that make their movies so damn good. All the way through the movie were hints to other things from the world of PIXAR: drawings of Nemo, Boo playing with a toy version of 'kitty' and even Luxo Ball is the credit scenes. But, for me, it was the human characters that made this movie such a success. It was mostly emotions we could relate to: the stress of leaving home, the fear of losing your childhood memories... Even the way they characters interacted. Bonnie, a little girl character, acted like any real toddler would. The characters are real.

If you see this film, splash out and see it in 3D, it's worth every penny. Wait... What do I mean if? When you watch this movie. It's unmissable. A perfect rounding off to the triology.

Best bit? I really don't know... So many bits to choose! Just the whole film. Really.