Inside Out Review - Pixar Back on Form

In the middle of 2014, I remember thinking to myself that I didn't really care about Pixar anymore. Back then I just thought it was because I'd grown out of it. I was 12, I was older now, I could legally buy a Marvel film on DVD, I could get library books out without my parents knowing, I didn't need to watch these silly children's films. In hindsight, however, I see it differently. The problem wasn't me, it was Pixar. Just look at the last films they'd made; Monsters University (2013), Brave (2012) and Cars 2 (2011). None of these were awful films by any means, but they weren't really up to Pixar's usual standards.

Then along came Inside Out and I realised that I was being ridiculous. I hadn't grown out of Pixar, there's no such thing. Whilst Minions appealed mainly to younger audiences by being just plain silly, with silly jokes, silly stories and silly characters, Inside Out, just like Pixar's best work, appealed to everyone by being smart, with smart jokes, smart stories and smart characters, but most importantly, gorgeous animation to tie it all together.

I know I said in my Minions review that most animation companies can animate beautifully nowadays, but none can do it like Pixar. Everything they do is just sublime on a technical and creative level and Inside Out is no exception. Every single corner of the screen is bursting with vibrant, energetic animation, all of which is filled with the most wonderfully inventive and clever design I've seen in any film in a long time.

It also helps that the story and the writing is just as creative, with the film exploring surprisingly real and important issues within a story that's engaging at the same time. Also, although the film may not be a constant laugh riot, the jokes that are made are all very well written, although a lot of the humour comes from insightful observations about the way our brains naturally work, that are implemented brilliantly into the film's visual design (notable examples include the 'perfect boyfriend creator' and 'dreamland productions') as opposed to straight up jokes.

Inside Out showcases a welcome return to form for Pixar. After a few average Pixar outings, it's wonderful to see them make a film that may not have you laughing from start to finish, but will constantly impress you with it's amazing animation, visual design and writing in a way that Pixar hasn't achieved since the original Toy Story.

Inside Out - Overall Score: 9/10

Comments

Is Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?! Any Good?

Dude, Where's My Funny?! Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?! - Film Review by Nathan Brooks Nativity's lack of critical success completely baffles me. I thought Nativity was a great movie. It was funny, it had more depth to it than most comedies and was overall just a fun movie. Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger's lack of critical success, I understand a lot better. I still remember it being fairly entertaining, but I was about 11 then, and I didn't have a brilliant judgement of what makes a good movie. Of what I can remember, however, it was nowhere near as good as Nativity in terms of story and character and basically everything important needed to make a good film. I also remember that they spent most of the movie in a bus. Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey is proof that the film makers have given up on trying to please the critics. This is an awful film. Nativity 2 was not a brilliant movie, but it at least kept me entertained for however long it...

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Review

Jurassic Park never needed to be a franchise. As a thriller, Jurassic Park inherently works better the more compact it is, so stretching it into multiple sequels seems rather counterproductive. Of course, I wouldn't mind if these sequels were good. Unfortunately, they are not. The Lost World , the first follow-up, does nothing new for virtually the entire film - only hinting at a distinctive identity in the final act. Jurassic Park 3 was even worse. The characters are so unengaging and the action so toothless you end it feeling like you've stared at an empty void for ninety minutes. Colin Trevorrow's 2015 sequel/reboot Jurassic World slightly reinvigorated the franchise with flashy new visuals, but it also suffered from bland characters and a muddled script. However, against all the odds, I still foolishly had my hopes up for that film’s follow-up Fallen Kingdom . I did have my reasons, to be fair. J.A. Bayona was taking over directorial duties and he's an exce...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review - A Dazzling Celebration of All Things Star Wars

The Force Awakens was supposed to be bad. It's the seventh film in a franchise, following on from three films that were not well received and is (technically) a Disney sequel. I have now gone to see it four times. Technical Brilliance As far as fundamental filmmaking is concerned, The Force Awakens surpasses any of the previous Star Wars films. It's by far the best written Star Wars film, not that the bar was set particularly high. Still, it's a surprisingly witty film. Aside from the odd line of obligatory exposition, dialogue is very snappy, fast paced and unexpectedly funny. I've probably laughed more in this film than I have in many so-called comedies. While it's not exactly Aaron Sorkin level, J.J. Abrams’ fantastic directing and the actors brilliant delivery, as well as the tight, fast paced editing do help to elevate it. Speaking of the editing, The Force Awakens is also much better paced than any of the other Star Wars films. It's constantly ...

Search This Blog