One of the best movies of the year has come home on DVD, Blu-Ray, On Demand and Disney Movies Anywhere. Inside Out from Disney-Pixar, tells the story of a young girl named Riley, who at the age of eleven moves from the only home she knows — Minnesota — to the bustling city streets of San Francisco.
But this is no ordinary story. We get to make this journey and life transition with Riley through what we see her do and say, but also through the “voices,” aka emotions, in her head. The Inside Out cast has Joy leading the way (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Anger (Lewis Black).
As we stated in our theatrical Inside Out review, this is another dose of Pixar perfection and may just be the best movie they’ve ever produced. It has heart and the emotion it exudes is as pure as any movie has captured in some time. Yes, there will be tears, but there will also be loads of Joy, Anger, Fear, Sadness and Disgust (see what we did there?!).
Disney Home Video is always a step above the competition when it comes to extras and the release of Inside Out is no different. And just as the film itself is an instant classic, so too are many of the featurettes. What else is fantastic about this set is one does not have to simply be a fan of the making-of process to enjoy these bonus features. They’re compelling, entertaining and will keep the youngest of home video watchers enthralled.
Director Pete Docter, rightfully, heads up our absolute favorite, Story of the Story. The helmer describes how he came up with the tale (he has a daughter of his own… hint, hint) and one can instantly see why this film is so resonant. It comes from a real emotional place and this movie is as much as tribute to a daughter by her father as it is a fantastic piece of cinematic entertainment. Docter is a storytelling wizard (he also wrote and directed Up, and others) and watching him describe his Inside Out creative methods has put his name on our list of must-see movies, based solely on who is directing.
As Inside Out is about a little girl and its lead is Joy (voiced by a woman), the spectacular and important bonus feature next to be highlighted had to be Paths to Pixar: The Women of Inside Out. Filmmakers, voice actors, as well as animated and production crews all tell their story of how they came to not only become involved in this particular film, but how they journeyed to the entertainment business in general. It is an inspiring look at determination and the power of making the most of one’s opportunities.
The next two bonus features The Movie Mensch recommends watching back-to-back as they are almost connected by their subject and tone, Mixed Emotions and Mapping the Mind. The first chronicles how Docter and his team chose the emotions that represent Riley. Why were certain emotions left out, like say jealousy? The creative team explains why those five were perfect in terms of the emotion themselves, how they could become characters and how those characters would help drive and enhance the story.
Meanwhile, Mapping the Mind takes us inside the human mind, a place that few animated or live action movies have gone before. It’s a glorious and beautiful world to see, but how did it get that way? This is one of many Pixar “how’d they do it?” bonus features that will be on repeat viewing for this fan.
Disney and Pixar have been known to include the short film that appears before the movie with their home video releases, and with Inside Out, not only do we get the lovely Lava, but also a brand new short flick that has never before been seen.
Lava is a pure heartwarming delight and tells the story of love, through the eyes of Pacific Ocean volcanos. No more to say than that, it simply must be seen.
Riley’s First Date is a delightful addition to the Inside Out package, especially for us who wonder what’s next for our movie’s subject. It further shows the brilliance of Docter, Pixar, Disney and everyone involved in creating another piece of marvelous movie magic.
Movie Itself: A+
Bonus Features: A