So, I’ve always personally loved Pixar films. Who doesn’t love good animation?

Pixar, so far has not made a bad film, and they’re not about to start.

I’ll admit when I first saw the initial trailer for Inside Out, I liked it, however, I thought it was just a dash bit too corny.

Don’t crucify me just yet. From beginning to end of the film, I was blown awaaayy.

Not only is the film about the inner workings of our brain, but the animated protagonist is a girl!

Thank you Pixar!

Riley Anderson (Kaitlyn Dias), a girl who loves goofing off with her family and playing hockey is a joy to watch throughout the film.

And that’s not even the best part! **Spoiler Alert**

The film starts from her first memory.

Riley is a baby at home with her parents.

We see the inner workings of Riley’s life and some of her life events played out through her memories and the personified emotions inside her head which seem to decide her outcome for every interaction based on her emotion that takes over.

The emotions are the stars of the film. But Riley is still the true protagonist for me. It is her life, but the emotions control it, which is majority of what we see: her emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness and how their decisions affect her life when she moves from her home in Minnesota to San Francisco, California. Unfortunately for her, San Fran has broccoli pizza and not any back yard or lake! (You’ll get it when you see it, and yes you will probably see it :P)

Joy (Amy Poehler) is personified as a yellow, happy-as-can-be character with some lovely cerulean hair. Fear (Bill Hader) is an interesting lavender hue, and stops Riley in her tracks when danger arrives. Disgust (Mindy Kaling), is a green toned girl who, amongst other things, stops her from eating the dreaded broccoli. Anger, is as red and angry as can be. He is played by the king of anger: Lewis Black. If you don’t like Pixar, or animated films for whatever reason, go for Lewis Black. Lastly, Sadness (Phyllis Smith), the one no one seems to want, but we all learn that we need sometimes — is blue and while she is mostly given dialogue destined for the butt of a joke, she changes Riley’s life in an unexpected way. You may argue that there are more emotions than these in people’s lives, but I can argue that they all stem from the ones presented. All of Riley’s memories are shown arriving into her brain in a marble-like ball through long tubes and are color coated by each emotion.

As the film progresses, Sadness keeps transforming Riley’s most important memories (called “core memories”) into sad blue ones. Joy has been throughout Riley’s life consistently (Joy has been there in her head and within her life and relationships). Riley has loving parents, a good amount of friends and plays on a hockey team that involves both. Who wouldn’t be filled with joy? Joy wants to stay in Riley’s life, but things change.

Joy becomes lost and Riley is overcome with fear, anger and disgust when a big move happens. Literally Riley’s whole personality is destroyed. The characters Joy and Sadness become lost inside Riley’s head because of a freak accident. The tubes that send Riley’s memories for the day into the area of her brain with her long-term memory end up taking Joy and Sadness up and as a result they must find their way back to their main headquarters.

This freak accident coincides with the big move that Riley’s family makes, which seemingly could not happen at a worse time. Riley is unsure of herself and her new classmates on her first day and is overcome with sadness when Sadness touches her core memories and makes Riley realize she will not do these things again in San Francisco. Sadness transforms Riley’s memories (the one’s shown, which Riley cries over) of ice skating the first time on the lake with her dad, playing hockey with her friends, etc. Instead of remaining joyful memories, they become sad ones, and Riley is filled with grief. Joy takes the wheel, and in a panic to stop Sadness from wrecking Riley’s core memories goes up into the tube along with Sadness.

The journey back into headquarters is a long and colorful one. Even more colorful than the emotions controlling Riley’s reactions.

Wish to see a refreshing and funny film, that is deep and filled with some learning but also fun?

Make your life easy and go see Inside Out!

Your life can’t get any worse by seeing the movie, you might have already gone through puberty unlike Riley 😛

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**The Gaff Blog does not own the image used for this post**