Disclaimer: We received movie passes to facilitate this review, but all opinions are my own.
Going to the theater is a BIG DEAL for the family. It's quite expensive to take the whole family to the local cinema, especially with popcorn and snacks. We'd never seen a 3D movie, so this was even more exciting.
Movie Basics:
This story is about Riley, an 11 year old, and her emotions in her head. There is a main headquarters and 5 main emotions that run it: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger. The story is told from the perspective of the emotions in the headquarters--they watch what is happening in her life and help her react to it, with Joy being the leader.
Thoughts:
We really enjoyed this movie. My daughters (6 year old twins and 3) sat through the entire movie and laughed along with the different characters. Nothing was overly scary and they only covered their eyes once or twice. The 3D aspect was really cool, but I don't find it necessary for the extra money. No matter which way you see it, you'll get a great movie.
I will warn you that there is a slight ominous tone to the movie. They mostly went over my kids' heads, but really hit home with me. A lot of the movie deals with different memories from childhood and the emotions tied to them. There is a point in the movie where the old memories are being stored in a "long-term" space and some were being erased--I started wondering how many memories I'd long forgotten about!
They also touched on innocence and really made you remember how fleeting it is. Many of Riley's memories were from when she was younger and you meet her Imaginary Friend. In the beginning, everything has a touch of Joy and happiness, but as things change in the movie you'll see different emotions creating her feelings. Disney touches on the idea of how you want everything to be through rose-colored glasses, but life is about ups and downs. (Cue: Facts of Life theme song)
I like that Inside Out opens the door for conversations about emotions as a family.
About the PG Rating:
I think this is the perfect rating and I don't think there was anything overly scary in this movie. It isn't quite as light and fluffy as I expected, though. My 3 year old loved the movie and was laughing quite a bit. I know many other Disney movies rated PG that she finds way to scary to watch (Brave, especially). There are jokes for parents, as usual, which are really funny. We all enjoyed the movie and it will be one that we purchase on DVD later.
Have you seen Inside Out? What were your thoughts?
