Inside Out
This summer one of Pixar’s most creative efforts and most critically acclaimed films dominated theaters. According to the Rotten Tomatoes Aggregator, 98% of critics enjoyed this film; this is a notable increase from Pixar’s last stint, Monsters University, which only received a 78% approval rate from critics. The film was, in part, engendered by director Pete Docter’s interest in the notion of exploring the inside of one’s mind through fully fleshed out characters. He sought to create “strong, opinionated, caricatured personalities” through characters that were human emotions. The Pixar Animation Team reached out to Dr. Paul Ekman, a psychologist and expert in human emotions, to understand how many emotions there really are. Previously, Pixar had received myriad different answers ranging from three to twenty-seven. Ekman, on the other hand, concluded that there were six: joy, fear, disgust, anger, sadness, and surprise. Docter decided that surprise and fear were quite similar; he decided not to use surprise for the film and the other five emotions which Ekman identified became the characters featured in the film. Inside Out proved to be an entertaining family film burgeoning with artistic ingenuity, imagination, and stunning animation which proves why Pixar is a frontrunner in the industry. The film features an eleven-year-old girl named Riley who is struggling to adjust to her family’s resettlement in San Francisco from Minnesota. The story is mostly told in Riley’s head; however, we are introduced to her emotions called Joy, Fear, Anger, Sadness, and Disgust. After a small accident concerning one of Riley’s memories, Joy and Sadness are launched on a harrowing journey through Riley’s mind; they meet Riley’s old imaginary friend, board the Train of Thought, and even visit the dream sector of Riley’s mind which is cleverly set up like a film studio. The plot is humorous, poignant, and even offers surprisingly insightful ideas concerning the true nature of human emotions. Although, this is a film that will be adored by youngsters, in many ways it will be more fully appreciated by adults for its unexpected meditations on the human condition. Jurassic World
Despite the critical failures of the last two films in the franchise, the fourth film in the series, Jurassic World, received generally favorable reviews from critics; according to the Rotten Tomatoes Aggregator, it received 71% approval from critics. However, albeit offering a ration of thrills and suspense, the plot felt trodden and recycled. The film features a new park, called Jurassic World, finally opening its doors to the public. It is soon revealed that the scientists involved have used genetic manipulation to bring to life a whole new dinosaur: irate, gargantuan, hungry, and extremely intelligent. The dinosaur, called the Indominus, escapes from its enclosure, terrorizing the entire park. The film stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Vincent D’Onofrio. Overall, the film offered nearly nothing unique in substance; man attempts to tamper with what he cannot control and bad things happen. The story was fairly well-told in the 1993 original Jurassic Park. However, the film does offer plenty of action and a large sum of viewers will be perfectly entertained by the end. I do not deny this entertainment factor, but I felt stingingly underwhelmed by the picture upon leaving the cinema. Works Cited "It's All In Your Head: Director Pete Docter Gets Emotional In 'Inside Out'" NPR. NPR, 10 June 2015. Web. 23 Sept. 2015. <http://www.npr.org/2015/06/10/413273007/its-all-in-your-head- director-pete-docter-gets-emotional-in-inside-out>.
