Opengangs' Reviews

A wonderfully crafted and powerfully moving bildungsroman, Inside Out is set inside the mind of a young girl, Riley, where her emotions control what she likes and dislikes. However, ever since they moved out of Minnesota and into San Francisco, things have changed.

We begin with the birth of Riley, and we are immediately encounter Riley's first emotion — Joy. She is in charge of the headquarters, and her mission is to keep Riley merry. Joy is then succeeded by Sadness, who's in charge of crying. Not long after that, the headquarters is packed with Anger, Fear, and Disgust, and together, they work as a team to keep Riley playful and carefree.

As Riley grows older, she then begins to develop "personality islands". Each island comprises of the many different perceptions in life — her sense of humour, her love for hockey, her love for family, friendship, and honesty.

It's not as easy as you'd like, though. Joy is thrilled for Riley's first day at her new school, but is quickly overrun after Sadness interferes with a memory, shown through a marble, and is hurled into the outer worlds of Riley's mind, along with Sadness. And without Joy, Riley can't be happy, and decides to run back to Minnesota where she can be happy again.

We follow Joy and Sadness on their adventure back to the headquarters, and their attempt to save Riley from abandoning San Francisco. Along the way, we are introduced to Riley's neglected imaginary friend, Bing Bong. Together, the trio faces impediments, and a train of heartbreak.

And even if some scenes are ridiculously quirky, there's still a lot we can adore in Inside Out, including the creative colour contrasts, jocular dream productions, and the outstanding cast members. For many fans alike, Inside Out is really just a great tearjerker, relating to the difficulties of growing up and moving away.