From what I can tell, it took Pixar almost six years to make Inside Out and, to me, every minute shows up in the final result. I really do not know exactly what input Disney has into movies like Inside Out and Up, because they are very different from the usual fantasy, sing-song stuff we get from real Disney movies. I look at Inside Out and Up as Pixar movies because they are extremely clever, very well-written, and really not for kids.

Pixar has made taking the kids to see a cartoon really difficult because I cannot imagine many kids under the age of nine or 10 who would even begin to understand Inside Out. But Pixar is also smart enough to put in enough goofy characters, slapstick comedy, and colorful images to make this movie visually appealing to children. But the reality is that this movie is made for adults and that is obvious right from the start.

I don’t even know where to begin with Inside Out because there is so much to it. If you are there for laugh out loud humor, then stick around for the last 10 minutes of the movie because that is when the really funny stuff happens. I strongly recommend that you wait for the cat scene because it is worth it. But the other 83 minutes are very thought-provoking and incredibly clever, which make this movie another classic for Pixar that will never generate Frozen-like numbers. I really don’t think Pixar cares.

The story here is very real to everyone who ever grew up and was unsure of themselves. I would imagine that covers most of the population. The emotions of a child are introduced as pure entities that are going to develop and evolve over time. When the child is very young, it is joy that takes over and tries to run the show. But as the child grows up, other emotions start to play a stronger part in the child’s development.

We see the developed emotions of adults at work and those depictions are frighteningly accurate. The thing that struck me about Inside Out was its amazing attention to detail. It seems like everything that had to be considered to make this movie work was considered. When it was over, I did not feel like anything was left out and I even felt like I got more than I expected.

When I say that this is not really a movie you want to pile the kids into the minivan and go see, I do not mean that it is a bad movie. Far from it. Children ages 11 and older may even have a significant “ah-ha” moment when seeing this movie and young teens will love this movie. Once again, the little ones will love the slapstick and goofy characters, but almost none of that plays an important role in the film.

One of the elements of Inside Out that does take some getting used to is the fact that nothing about the primary plot is even remotely original. It is a story that has been done a thousand times before and, honestly, others have done it better. But it is the “behind the scenes” element of this movie that makes it unique and, as I constantly told my wife on the way home from the drive-in, clever.

We have all lived this story either in person or by watching someone else go through it. We have all had these emotions that we just did not understand and now they make a little more sense. This actually may be a very important film to take your 11 year old to see because they will feel like it is them up there on the screen. The movie is that well-written and that well-produced.

Inside Out is another Pixar classic that will have the same impact as Up and probably yield the same results. By that I mean that adults will flock to see this movie and bring the kids as an excuse to go see a cartoon. Adults will buy the toys from Inside Out for themselves and the movie will be highly regarded by critics around the world.

If you are looking for a night at the drive-in that has something for everyone, then go see Inside Out. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

Rating: 3 out of 5

+George N Root III is a drive-in fanatic who is starting to realize that Pixar is a lot smarter than they let on. Follow him on Twitter @georgenroot3 or email him at georgenroot3@gmail.com. Follow the conversation for this movies and others on the At the Drive-In Facebook page.

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