REVIEW: ‘Inside Out’ is a kids’ movie without villains, princesses or cool cars — and that’s a good thing

According to Washington Post:

I do not envy Pixar’s Vice President of Corporate Marketing Synergy Monetization or whatever the merchandising position is called there. Because when he or she was presented with “Inside Out,” he or she was absolutely screwed.

See, there’s no princess in the movie, so that means no gowns, no tiaras, no tiny bottles of glitter nail polish to sell to the girls. The movie doesn’t even have a villain, so no toy weapons for the boys, and no cool motorcycles or cars either. Target is selling some shirts and a couple of “play figures.” The Disney Store offers, among other things, some dolls, a highlighter set and mugs. If your kid is a fan of “Cars,” you can buy a fleet of Lightning McQueens; if your kid loves “Inside Out,” you can buy … magnets.

So those in charge of driving every child into an “Inside Out”-branded frenzy (seriously, I saw “Frozen” sunscreen the other day at the grocery store) have a tough climb. “Inside Out” is almost impossible to market, because Pixar once again has pushed the boundaries of what animation — what filmmaking — can do. “Inside Out” is arguably Pixar’s best film yet; that means it’s arguably the best-animated feature in movie history.

And the only reason I say “arguably” is because my friend says “WALL•E” is still at the top, and he knows his stuff.

The look of “Inside Out” is sweepingly imaginative (though the 3-D is pointless. Skip it.). The acting, particularly from Amy Poehler as Joy and Phyllis Smith as Sadness, is powerful. The script takes huge risks in terms of storytelling and every one pays off; at times “Inside Out” reaches the mind-bending complexity of films like “Adaptation” or “Being John Malkovich.” Um, but for kids.

The story Pixar has to sell in trailers and on T-shirts is “five creatures live in an 11-year-old girl’s mind.” The story they are actually telling is about growing up, about the age in life when the world gets so much more complex and just living in it gets so much harder. It’s about letting go of childish things while keeping at least some childlike qualities. “Inside Out” is very funny, very sad, very smart and very, very real.

And it might not be a hit. Not just because it’s a tough sell, but also because too often we measure the impact of kids’ films (or films marketed to kids) not only in how many tickets are bought, but also how many lunchboxes. That would be a grave mistake. “Inside Out’s” worth shouldn’t be measured in made-in-China plastic crap; it shouldn’t depend on box office takings or even awards. The film is a triumph because it operates at the pinnacle of the art of moviemaking. Though it’s inhabited only by computer-generated images, “Inside Out” is a beautiful film about being human.