Inside Out

“Inside Out” is the newest family-friendly Pixar outing, but considering how much Pixar has been stuck in obscurity lately, with such recent titles being “Brave,” “Monsters University,” and, most notably, “Cars 2,” they haven’t been the most warmly welcomed of studios lately. Does “Inside Out” manage to bring Pixar back to its former glory?

Absolutely.

The story follows Riley, a hockey-loving 11-year-old girl, whose emotions shake after having to suddenly move to San Francisco. The emotions, whose names are simple: Joy, Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness, have to cope with the move. However, after a sudden panic, Joy and Sadness are swept out of the “Headquarters,” and are pushed to the far reaches of Riley’s mind, leaving only Anger, Fear, and Disgust in charge.

Moving to San Francisco is actually a metaphor for growing up, according to Pete Docter, the director. Docter’s inspiration for the film lies in his daughter, Elie. As Elie was growing up, Pete kept thinking about what was going on inside her head. This is what actually spawns one of the greatest things about the film: the relatability. “Inside Out” introduces a unique fantasy world, all while retaining an amazing sense of relatability, allowing for the viewer to be completely connected to what is going on. This allows for an amazingly immersive story, relatable characters, and an overall enjoyable experience.

Of course, with Pixar, you would expect the animation to be great. The animation is fluid to the point where it's beautiful, and the bright ‘effect’ radiating off of the emotions is staggeringly gorgeous as well.

Finding a flaw in “Inside Out” would be a chore. While the animation is nothing short of amazing, the real beauty lies in its relatability. It allows for an immersive (and even gripping) story, great characters, and unique, well, everything.

"Inside Out" deserves a score of 9/10.