Inside Out (Collector's Edition) (Blu-ray) (2015)

This review is sponsored by

BUY IT

General		Extras
Category	Family	Short Film-Lava Short Film-Riley's First Date? Featurette-Paths to Pixar: The Women of Inside Out Featurette-Mixed Emotions Audio Commentary-with Director Pete Docter and Co-Director Ronnie Del Carmen Featurette-Story of the Story Featurette-Our Dads, the Filmmakers Featurette-Into the Unknown: The Sound of Inside Out Featurette-Mapping the Mind Featurette-The Misunderstood Art of Animation Film Editing Deleted Scenes Additional Footage-Mind Candy Trailer
Rating
Year Of Production	2015
Running Time	94:37
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Dual Disc Set	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Language Select Then Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Pete Docter Ronnie Del Carmen
Studio Distributor	Pixar Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.	Starring	Amy Poehler Phyllis Smith Richard Kind Bill Hader Lewis Black Mindy Kaling Kaitlyn Dias Diane Lane Kyle MacLachlan
Case	Standard Blu-ray
RPI	$29.95	Music	Michael Giacchino

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 English DTS HD High Resolution Audio 5.1 Arabic Dolby Digital 5.1 Czech Dolby Digital 5.1 Greek Dolby Digital 5.1 Polish Dolby Digital 5.1 Russian Dolby Digital 5.1 English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired Arabic Czech Greek Polish Russian	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	Yes

     Inside Out feels like the first genuine Pixar movie since 2010. The animation studio maintained an unparalleled streak of success for over a decade before bottoming out with Cars 2, followed by the pedestrian Brave and the fun but unsophisticated Monster’s University. Leave it to Pixar veteran Pete Docter (the mastermind behind Monsters, Inc. and Up) to remind us why we loved the studio so much in the first place. Inside Out is a staggeringly original piece of work, sophisticated and delightfully creative, with Docter and co-director Ronnie Del Carmen dreaming up a unique fantasy world set inside the human mind, dealing with the tumultuous topic of teenage angst and emotion. Inside Out is a challenging movie, but, like all the best Pixar productions, it’s also endearing, with lovely visual design and a welcome sense of humour ensuring that it’s always a pleasure to watch.

     Inside the brain of twelve-year-old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), a team of emotions guide her through her daily life, tasked with handling her memories and thoughts. At the helm is Joy (Amy Poehler), who anxiously endeavours to maintain control, while Riley’s other emotions - Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Bill Hader) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) - occasionally muck up the works. When Riley’s parents (Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan) move the family from Minnesota to San Francisco, things are simply not the same, and Riley’s mind begins to go haywire. When an accident at headquarters occurs, Joy and Sadness are ripped away from their command posts, lost somewhere in the labyrinthine of Long Term Memory. As the pair determinedly work to find a way back to HQ, Anger, Fear and Disgust are left to steer the ship, but things are steadily spiralling out of control, affecting Riley’s fragile prepubescent mind.

     As anyone who has been through puberty can confirm, the teenage mind is overwhelmingly complex, with moodiness, odd thoughts and intense sadness seemingly coming out of nowhere, presenting a challenge to the creative team behind Inside Out. Soften the edges, and the movie loses its potency, but play the material too solemn, and kids will be alienated. Miraculously, Docter and Del Carmen accomplish a staggering tonal balance, and the result is an animated picture with broad appeal. Kids will be joyed by the sumptuous visuals and sublime humour, while adults can watch Inside Out by themselves and be utterly enthralled. What’s particularly remarkable about this Pixar production is that, although it simplifies the subject matter, it’s not too dumbed-down to be appreciated on more than one level. Indeed, with the movie boiling down to an immensely imaginative metaphor for human psychology, the accomplishments of Inside Out are numerous, and the nuances and layers will likely go over the heads of children.

     Docter and Del Carmen refuse to hold back in some of the weightier scenes, with a heart-to-heart talk between Riley and her mother that rings true, while its painfully relatable to see Riley introduce herself to her new class at school, with her memories of her old life suddenly tinged with sadness. Even though Inside Out does opt for a somewhat generic grand finale, the creators do not let the material get away from them, infusing the climax with utmost grace. The ultimate thesis on the mind of a prepubescent girl is both thoughtful and understanding, and it’s sold with the sort of trademark Pixar elegance we have not seen since Toy Story 3. Added to this, the emotion and power of the story is underscored beautifully by Michael Giacchino’s original soundtrack.

     It’s almost customary to point out, but the animation is superlative, maintaining a certain degree of cartoonishness whilst filling the frame with vividly designed characters and colourful backdrops, including the inspired layout of Riley’s mind. Comedy is effortlessly derived from the material, with Inside Out dishing up subtle sight gags, some broader jokes for the kids, and even some adult comedy to even out the ledger. One standout sequence involves a brief glimpse into the minds of Riley’s parents, with their respective teams of emotions playing into caricatures to hilarious effect. Other noteworthy hilarity occurs towards the end, when Riley interacts with a young boy whose internal emotions declare an emergency because a girl is speaking to him. Be sure to stick around after the credits begin to roll, as we get a glimpse into the minds of several other people and even some animals, leading to some of the picture’s heartiest belly-laughs. Inside Out is further bolstered by a spot-on voice cast, with the ensemble submitting great work right across the board.

     The 2015 summer season only begat one other hugely successful animated adventure: Minions. Comparing the two, the difference is staggering - whereas Minions is a surface-level experience solely concerned with goofy comedy, Inside Out mixes unforced intricacy and thoughtful psychological commentary with some of the biggest belly-laughs of the year. And best of all, it doesn’t feel like homework. There’s so much compassion here, and it’s easy to relate to, which makes the movie absolutely lovely on top of being an entertaining sit. Inside Out truly is the shot in the arm that Pixar needed to establish that they are still in the game, though we will have to wait and see if this quality is maintained.

Video

     Did anyone expect a new release animated flick to look anything less than flawless on Blu-ray, especially from a big production company like the House of Mouse? Presented in 1.75:1 (OAR is 1.85:1), this 1080p high definition presentation looks genuinely stunning from top to bottom, with the sumptuous, achingly rendered animation perfectly translating to home video.

     The clarity of this HD image is genuinely stunning. Edges are razor-sharp and well-defined, while texture on clothing is tangible and detailed, and the artistry of the environments (from the colourful fantasylands to the more mundane streets or house interiors) is easy to admire. Every little particle, hair and memory ball in Long Term Memory is discernible, given a life of its own. Moreover, no encoding anomalies pop up at all - you will not detect any banding, aliasing or crush, with the image looking smooth and stable from start to end.

     This is an often vivid, bright movie, and the colours frequently pop on this Blu-ray, remaining true to the movie’s cinematic presentation. Inside Out is a genuine spectacle on Blu-ray, another effortless demo disc from the folks over at Disney, and it’s hard to imagine the transfer being any better than it is.

     I am not sure why Disney chose to present this Blu-ray in 1.75:1 as opposed to its theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, but then again, more visual information is added and none is lost, so I cannot complain about this, and most people will not even notice.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Disney endows Inside Out with a generous selection of soundtrack options. There are two English tracks to choose from: a DTS-HD MA 7.1 track, and a DTS-HD HR 5.1 track, the latter of which the audio defaulted to for me. Being a professional, big-budget studio animated film, it’s proficiently devised, fully-realised and immersive, bolstered by stunning clarity.

     Michael Giacchino’s original music comes through beautifully, subtly underscoring each set-piece and tender moment, while dialogue is well-prioritised, usually coming through the front channels with maximum impact. The rich sound design (which is covered in the extras) is full of little otherworldly sounds and other small touches which enhance the experience, and there is excellent yet still subtle separation.

     I cannot fault the audio in any department. The guys at Pixar have really outdone themselves, and the movie’s transition to Blu-ray brings no faults. If you have an expensive surround sound system, Inside Out will assuage you.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     Inside Out arrives with a two-disc collector’s edition full of extras.

Disc 1:

Short Film - Lava (HD; 7:12)

     The short that was attached to Inside Out during its theatrical run, this is a charming musical love story about two volcanos. This description may sound odd, but it’s very worthwhile. Generously, it’s presented in 1080p with an array of soundtrack options, including a DTS-HD MA 7.1 track and a DTS-HD HR 5.1 track.

Short Film - Riley’s First Date? (HD; 4:40)

     This short is set in the Inside Out universe, involving a boy arriving to presumably take Riley out on a date. I was cheered by every frame of this highly amusing, boundlessly creative short, and I am delighted that it’s available on this Blu-ray. It’s definitely worth watching right after the main feature. As with Lava, the short is presented in 1080p with a generous supply of soundtrack options.

Paths to Pixar: The Women of Inside Out (HD; 11:22)

     A bit of a left-field inclusion, this featurette involves many of the female cast and crew discussing their work on the film, stories from their lives, and other topics.

Mixed Emotions (HD; 7:17)

     A brief but nevertheless fascinating discussion of what went into designing the emotions in the movie.

Audio Commentary with Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen

     The two directors get together for an audio commentary, occasionally joined by guests who chime in with additional anecdotes to bolster the experience. Director of photographer Patrick Lin has a few things to say, and Docter even gives Bill Hader a call. This is a great track, full of information about the painstaking process of creating an animated movie like this, which is a much different ballpark to a more tradition live-action movie. A recommended listen.

Disc 2:

Behind the Scenes (HD)

     The bulk of the extras are here.

• Story of the Story (10:30) - All great Pixar movies start with a great story. This insightful extra delves into the development of the film, more specifically the writing process. Docter and others walk us through the painful process of devising the narrative, with several planned plotlines being scrapped before they settled on what resulted in the final movie.
• Mapping the Mind (8:24) - One would assume that designing Riley’s mind would have been a daunting task, and this featurette confirms it, delving into the maddening creative process. Various production staff chime in, and it’s hard not to admire their efforts and dedication.
• Our Dads, the Filmmakers (7:25) - Another unexpected but nevertheless welcome inclusion, this extra revolves around Elie Docter and Gracie Giacchino, who record their respective fathers doing work on the movie.
• Into the Unknown: The Sound of Inside Out (7:09) - This featurette focuses on the difficult task of devising sound for the movie. A number of production staff talk about the thought process behind the sound design, from finding sounds to tinkering with them to achieve the desired effect. Great stuff.
• The Misunderstood Art of Animation Film Editing (4:43) - Now this is fascinating. Editor Kevin Nolting discusses the process of editing an animated movie; he’s there right from the first draft of the script all the way through to the end. I would have liked this to be longer, but it’s full of great, insightful anecdotes.
• Mind Candy (14:26) - This particular extra is nothing but a fourteen-minute compilation of random character stuff. Frankly, it gets old pretty quickly.

Deleted Scenes (HD; 16:53)

     A selection of excised scenes is available, with introductions from Pete Docter. Each scene is presented in early storyboard form, and they can be watched either individually or via a “Play All” function. Included is a general introduction from Docter, as well as the deleted scenes “Riley Grows Up,” “Joy’s Decline,” “Misdirection,” and “Construction.” A worthwhile inclusion, but one can see why these were trimmed.

Trailers (HD)

• Remember (1:38)
• Experience (2:19)
• Japan Trailer (2:30)

     In terms of supplemental content, our local disc is identical to other regions. Having said that, however, there is one important caveat: The region-free Ultimate Collector’s Edition released in America contains the movie disc, the special features disc, and a 3D disc. For our local edition, as with other recent movies like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Jurassic Word (not to mention Pixar movies like Brave and Monster’s University), you cannot get both the 3D disc and the special features disc in the same set.

     Thus, if you are 3D-compatible and like extras, you have a tough choice between the collector’s edition with the extremely worthwhile special features disc, or the 3D edition without the extra disc. Or just buy both (like yours truly) and custom-make your own set, spending more money than you needed to spend.

     How annoying.

     Inside Out works on practically every level, an old-school Pixar movie with heart and laughs that has limitless appeal. As a 24-year-old male, I found it enchanting and was left on the verge of tears at times. Disney's Blu-ray is extremely good, with a flawless presentation and a generous supply of informative, worthwhile special features. One of the must-buy movies of 2015, Inside Out earns my highest recommendation.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall