Pun Salad

We usually go to see Pixar features in the theatre; for some reason we missed this one. But Netflix managed to send it to us as soon as they were able. And it is (as I type) #86 on IMDB's list of the top movies of all time. Better than Up (#114). Better than Toy Story (#96). Better than Monsters, Inc. (#212). Better than Finding Nemo (#162). Better than The Incredibles and Ratatouille (neither in the top 250).

(But IMDB raters rate Wall·E at #61 and Toy Story 3 at #78.)

Anyway: I liked it, but not that much.

'Tis the story of Riley, a young girl uprooted by her parents from her happy Minnesota home, and moved to San Francisco. The gimmick is that most of the movie takes place inside Riley's head, and her mental processes are given avatars of various sorts. Five emotions mostly run the show: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness. Riley's difficulties in adjusting to her new surroundings are echoed as a complex plot in Brain-Wonderland, as her usual predominant Joy gets lost, far away from the main control center.

It is a neat idea, but I was put off a bit by the arbitrary anything-goes nature of Riley's mental world. I know this is an odd thing to gripe about; obviously most people love it. And it does set up some great, absurd, gags.

So, yeah, never mind. Obviously, I don't know why I didn't find this movie as captivating as other Pixar features.