Inside Out 3D

Do you ever look at someone and wonder what’s going on inside their head? Inside Out takes a journey into the mind to find the answer. Based in Headquarters, the control center of 11-year-old Riley’s (Dias) mind, five emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy (Poehler). She strives to make sure Riley stays happy as she operates alongside fellow emotions Fear (Hader), Anger (Black), Disgust (Kaling), and Sadness (Smith). This is a brilliant story of the mapping of the mind. (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary from Directors Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen, and Producer Jonas Rivera; the short movie Riley’s First Date? (HD 04:40); the featurettes Story Of The Story (HD 10:30), Paths To Pixar: The Women Of Inside Out (HD 11:22), Mixed Emotions (HD 07:17), Mapping The Mind (HD 08:24), Our Dads, The Filmmakers (HD 07:25), Into The Unknown: The Sound Of Inside Out (HD 07:09), Mind Candy (HD 14:26), and The Misunderstood Art Of Animation Film Editing (HD 04:43); four deleted scenes (HD 16:53); trailers; upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 1.78:1 1080p MVC 3D picture is exceptionally well produced and animated. The sense of depth and perspective is superb throughout. The characters are set within the frame such that the imagery exhibits an impressive expansive feel that at times seems to appear endless. The back-and-forth cuts between Riley’s real world and her “mind” is most effective, displaying distinctive animation techniques for each environment and the characters within. The emotional characters, as well as the human characters, exhibit excellent scale and volume. From the memory balls to the numerous little knobs and buttons on the “mind’s” control panel, everything is effectively dimensional. Other notable instances of excellent depth are in Riley’s world, whether at home or at school. Everything appears perfectly natural, even as Riley’s head just penetrates the screen and the few instances of out-of-screen effects. Resolution is exceptionally rendered as well, with fine detail evident throughout in textures and character composition. Color fidelity is superb, with a brilliant rainbow of hues within Riley’s mind and depicted in the emotions’ characters, as well as in Riley’s actual world. Contrast is excellent, with darker scenes revealing shadow detail and depth. Blacks are solid. The imagery is pristine throughout. This is an exceptional 3D presentation that is absolute reference quality. While the 2D version is reference quality as well, the 3D version stands out and will absolutely impress and delight viewers. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel soundtrack delivers an impressive nuanced holosonic® experience with effective moments of dynamic energy. The music score is wonderful, with airy piano signatures and spacious orchestral sounds that span the frontal soundstage wide and deep and extend aggressively to the surrounds. The added two surrounds enhance the feel of an all-enveloping soundfield. Dynamically, the number and variety of sounds are perfectly balanced, whether nuanced or energized. The more aggressive segments are bolstered with deep sub-25 Hz bass that always sounds natural. Fidelity is superb. Dialogue is most impressive, with an uncanny sense of spatial integration for an animated project. The dialogue is also effectively directionalized. Few soundtracks deliver the effective sensitivity and clarity that this soundtrack does, with every sound element perfectly balanced and presented as a natural whole. This is a true reference-quality soundtrack that deserves praise. (Gary Reber)