Inside Out (2015) ****½ /5: Although i have some issues with the presentation this film really got me thinking. Well done Pixar

It’s pretty clear that Inside Out is one of the year’s best films. Although I have some minor issues this film really got me thinking. So all I can say is Well Done Pixar. I have not watched a Pixar film since Up (2009). I wasn’t interested in the films that came after.  Up is still my favourite Pixar film. I consider Up a genuine classic film.  Inside Out, however, is as strong, if not stronger, than most of the other work Pixar has done. One reason it’s up there with Up is the genuine emotional resonance. There are moments of genuine joy and sadness.  I laughed unexpectedly and I was surprised that I was moved in some key moments. At first I thought Inside Out was going to be another animated film with eccentric characters and that I would be going through the motions. While I was watching it, however, the film took some brave decisions that made an  eccentric character and one that is seemingly marginalized very important. These revelations just added to my joyous surprise.

This film Is primarily about the emotions, Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger that govern the reactions of a 11 year old girl, Riley,  as she goes through the emotional turmoil that comes with moving from her hometown in Minnesota to San Francisco.

Positives

The primary positive is that this film is a return to form for Pixar. After Up they took a bit of a nosedive. That wasn’t surprising because Up is a great film. It’s hard to follow up immediately from such a great film as Up. They seem to have now followed Up with Inside Out. The key to following Up for Inside Out are the genuine emotional moments.  The genuine sad moments are easily blended with moments of genuine humour. No I could not keep a straight face in some moments. Very funny film in parts although slapstick is overdone in parts in order to cater primarily to children. It is a children’s film after all.  Up was strong for the very same reasons when you consider the genuine moments of sadness and humour in that film.

I liked the concept of the film which involves entering the mind of this young girl from an emotional point of view. Eventually the film explores the different aspects of her mind.  This allows for some very interesting discoveries particularly Bing Bong. Bing Bong was a real treat of a character and what happens to him in this film really moved me.  At first he appeared as  just another eccentric character but he ends up becoming one of the most important. He wasn’t just tagging along. It makes you realize why it’s difficult to get rid of those elements that make up the core of your being. You might dismiss them but they still remain important. Then there is the character of Sadness that is marginalized for much of this film by the other emotions, especially Joy, because of her sad nature but it is eventually realized that she is one of the most important. Can’t be happy all the time unless you consume hardcore drugs on the regular.  I like how the new is created from the old. Obviously that comes when everyone realizes that they have to work together to build bridges.

The film is well animated. I liked the moments of bright colours that contrast with those with a dreary look such as those moments in the dump or when some aspects of Riley’s personality crumbles. In terms of animation and its variety Inside Out is a better film than Up. In terms of variety that moment when they go into the abstract room is hilarious and reminds you how animation can be inventive without being distracting or superficial.

This film will get you thinking about your own emotions.

Negatives

The primary negative I had with this film was the absence of a dominant intellectual sort of character.  A mr. fix it or someone that keeps the emotions in check.  Imagine seeing a Brain sort of character in the mix in his own station of course yet passes through to interact with the various emotions to check on how Riley is feeling. Without such a character Riley does not seem to be able to challenge or question what’s going on with herself.  Riley does not seem to think as it is all emotions. A character like Mr. Fix it or the processor would have been a good fit. There are many functional pieces in the film especially those people that make sure everything moves smoothly in Riley’s mind through elements such as the train of thought or her imagination or the disposal of useless memory. The issue is there need to be a character responsible for directing that and as Riley’s emotional state falls apart he or she would be at a loss. It can’t be just the emotions because Riley is not just an emotional individual but a thinking one and it would have been good to see her channel some of her thought processes as she tries to make sense of what she’s feeling. Without a dominant intellectual character it seems like she’s just a puppet on a string for these various emotions. Trust me an intellectual character was needed to keep Joy in check.  Joy acts like she’s on drugs sometimes during the film and she’s supposed to be the leader.

Shouldn't all the emotions be female. Why are there male characters featured as Riley's emotions? The mother was represented by an all female emotional core so why not Riley?

Jurassic World (2015) ***½/5: Good film but too many ghosts from the past

US$1.2 billion later and I am finally doing a review of Jurassic World. So I’ll just keep it short. This film is a genuine crowd pleaser and all credit must go to Stephen Spielberg who began the series with Jurassic Park (1993). The foundations laid by that film are ever present in this up to date version. Jurassic World is a very good film when you compare it to the sequels. It is not as good because there are not enough original moments. What we have here are ghosts from the past or timely reminders of where it all began. Jurassic World does find a way to create it’s own niche and makes the series stay relevant after 2 decades. The success of Jurassic World is in contrast to the previous 2 sequels to Jurassic Park that more or less dwelt on decay and decline.

The film stars Chris Pratt as Owen Morgan and Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire Darling who have to grapple with a new form of dinosaur on the  loose in Jurassic World which is a very popular theme park for obvious  reasons.

Positives

The primary positive for me is that this film is a genuine crowd pleaser. I wached it in a packed house and the crowd cheered several times and there were many gasps, and moments of anxiety. From that perspective the film has done its job. Obviously you can see beyond the CGI but it does seem seamless. The best action moments involved the dinosaurs themselves and it was the cause for some really big moments on screen. When the T-Rex was unleashed it was a great moment. The T-Rex being the main antagonist in the original Jurassic Park is brought back in all his glory.  The crowd responded accordingly. The popularity of the T-Rex still outshines the new form of dinosaur created by the scientists at Jurassic world. The genetically altered creature is well explained and makes for some interesting turns in the film's thin plot. The mystery of this new form of dinosaur carries this film a long way.

I also liked how this film brought back ghosts of the past or, if you prefer, reminders from the past. The most important lesson  that should have been learned from Jurassic Park is how tricky it is to manipulate nature to suit the needs of humans. In this case the visitors are treated to interacting with the great reptiles that have been extinct for some millions of years while the owner and managers of the park watch the profit rate. Claire, the manager of the park, clearly crunches numbers only as for her it’s just a business. Owen seems to be more in tune with dinosaurs as thinking and feeling animals instead of seeing profit margins. The  genetically altered dinosaur was created to add another wow factor in order to increase the profit rate. It makes sense why they would want to do it from that perspective and Owen’s perspective makes sense when you consider that it is dangerous to do so. It’s the typical street smarts perspective of Owen vs. the primarily theoretical and principled Claire. How they come together is interesting to some degree.

I also liked how this film tried to emerge out of the shadow of Jurassic Park and its two spin offs.  The main difference between Jurassic  World and the original Jurassic Park is that in the latter the park never got off the ground.  The original Jurassic Park never went beyond the pilot stage whereas  in Jurassic World the theme park is fully functioning and is attractive to investors and  consumers.  The two spin offs of Jurassic Park were not as successful because they dealt primarily with the left overs from the events of Jurassic Park. In those two sequels it was always about going back to the ruins of the defunct park. The dinosaurs took over the defunct park  and were running wild so it was primarily about how those that returned tried to salvage something from the park.  The sequels couldn’t add much when the primary issue was about the  decay and decline of the original Jurassic park. Jurassic World  is like a rebranding exercise. There are still reminders of Jurassic Park but it is clear that it is long gone. Jurassic world as a theme park is more successful because there are not much recorded fatal incidents involving the consumers.  There are some references to members of staff who did die on the job, however, which is no surprise. Jurassic World does stand on its own although some elements from Jurassic Park do resurface. The credit should go to the significant impact of the original Jurassic Park directed by the legendary Spielberg.

There was some attempt at character development particularly the relationship between the two brothers whose family is about to break up as a result of an impending divorce.

As a dinosaur lover it’s good to see that these ancient giants are still fascinating to contemporary audiences. A reminder of the earth’s great natural history.

Things do fall apart.

Negatives

The primary negative of this film is that it appears as a mere rebranding exercise for the original Jurassic Park. This becomes obvious with so many ghosts from the past. The story line and the characters have many similarities with the original Jurassic Park.  Looking forward to the film where the dinosaurs actually go beyond Costa Rican shores. Looking forward to a Jurassic World film where the dinosaurs actually permeate the jungles throughout the world. So far all these films about  Jurassic Park and now Jurassic World are limited in scope. Limited to theme parks. The only difference here is that Jurassic World  is a fully functioning park with annual and quarterly turnovers like Six Flags. The update in tracking technology has certainly helped.

This rebranding exercise makes it into a film that’s just like a theme park ride. You are thrilled once you’re in the ride but you can’t take it with you. There are clearly a lot of moments that are designed to thrill although if you watch enough movies you know all the tricks with films such as this. No they will not kill the star characters. That is pretty obvious. They will be threatened but we all know that nothing major will happen to them.

It’s still a good film I didn’t regret watching it at least.