Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust have been running a successful operation by all accounts. However, when Anxiety shows up, they aren’t sure how to feel.

2015’s Inside Out was a heartwarming watch that warmed the hearts of both children and adults alike and also proved to be a smashing success. Not only did it give audiences that beloved sense of Pixar magic, but it also allowed us to get closer to our own emotions, and there was a loving sense of affection that you couldn’t help but feel. Almost a decade on, audiences now get the chance to return to Reilly’s mind, and filmmaker Kelsey Mann takes up the directing reigns this time around for a tale that all of us can identify with. You see, Reilly is about to undergo puberty, and well, things get messy, as we all know about. Mann has long been a senior member of Pixar’s creative team, and she brings a wealth of creative knowledge to the picture as she and the creative wizards of Pixar unleash their talents and create a picture that is incredibly funny but also full of heart and the lessons that come with growing up.

The gangs all back for Inside Out 2, with Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear, all growing with Reilly and seeking to make her life the best it can possibly be. But then suddenly, puberty hits, and everything goes haywire, and we’re introduced to a whole host of new emotions that are ready to turn Reilly’s mind upside down. Suddenly, it says hello to Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos). Maya Hawke is totally manic as Anxiety, and her desperate desire for control leads to all kinds of havoc. Ayo Edebiri’s Envy is a troublemaker of the purest degree, and her performance only adds to the hilarity; Adèle Exarchopoulos’ Ennui is a pure expression of teenage mood swings, and her ‘bored’ performance leads to some very funny moments, while Paul Walter Hauser’s Embarrassment will give you all the feels with that sense of teenage angst that we’ve all felt at one time or another.

Director Kelsey Mann takes audiences on a real journey this time, and she places a lot of emphasis on how Riley’s own actions fuel her emotions and how these choices she makes affect her emotions in the process. There are plenty of funny, humourous moments, but more importantly, we see how the journey into teenage life can be a difficult, awkward and uncertain time in our lives (something all the adults in the audience can relate to), and this is exactly what makes Inside Out 2 so special. There’s a heavy sense of emotion, and the journey could almost be a parallel to understanding and making peace with your own mental health. There are moments in this picture that make you feel better about yourself and your relationship with your own emotions.

Inside Out 2 is a film filled with genuine heart and love, and this permeates every part of the production. From the cast’s zany performance to its beautiful animation and creative expression to its message of compassion and acceptance of the emotional growth that comes with life, Inside Out 2 is a heartfelt film in the truest sense of the word, and audiences will be moved by this very special picture.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

The post ‘Inside Out 2’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

In a city where fire, water, land, and air residents live together, a fiery young woman named Ember (Leah Lewis) and a go-with-the-flow guy named Wade (Mamoudou Athie) discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common.

Drawing on the idea of the four elements for inspiration, filmmaker Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur) brings to life an exciting, colourful and bustling new world for cinema fans with Elemental. Drawing on his own life as the son of Korean immigrants who arrived in America in the mid-1970s, Sohn builds out a heartfelt narrative that examines the immigrant experience and how one can pursue their own dreams. As a Pixar filmmaker, Sohn is known for bringing plenty of emotion and heart to his stories, and this is exactly where he takes us in this story of ‘literal’ opposites attracting.

Constructed around a sincere and special love story, Elemental follows the tough, quick-witted fire element Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis), a young woman born to immigrant parents in Element City, who, through happenstance and sheer chance meets the sappy yet good-spirited water element Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), and whose chaotic friendship eventually blooms into a blossoming, yet secret romance, that Ember desperately has to keep hidden from her parents, and her father’s strict moral way of doing things. Elemental stars Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie have great back-and-forth chemistry together, and slowly but surely, sparks fly in this heartfelt tale.

With each new production, the artistic wizards at Disney-Pixar are able to push the boundaries of narrative storytelling to even greater heights, and the artistry on display in Elemental is gorgeous to look upon. Fire, water, earth and wind all come to life in brilliant cartoonish rendering as the world of Element City comes to life on screen. There’s a softness and almost childlike artistic wonder to the images that make their way on screen, and audiences will be swept up in this story of elements seeking harmony with one another. Younger audiences will be especially wowed by the art and storytelling of the picture and will be pulled right in.

For audiences who are looking for a fun escape into the cinema that the whole family will enjoy, Elemental makes for a very special watch. With its theme of love, family and connection, this is a film everyone can get behind, and there’s plenty of meaning to be found in Elemental.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

The post ‘Elemental’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Watch the full teaser trailer below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

On the Italian Riviera, an unlikely but strong friendship grows between a human being and a sea monster disguised as a human.

First time director Enrico Casarosa makes his debut here with Luca and he promises a beautiful story of the most unexpected friendship between two very different characters in Luca.

Taking audiences to the pastel filled landscape of the Italian Riveria, Luca is an absolute treat for the eyes, and it’s beautifully storybook inspired animation is sure to enchant and entice audiences with some stunning visuals and wonderful design. Casarosa also plays up the physical comedy here in Luca, and this new adventure with Disney-Pixar is sure to bring out the laughs in the audience here.

Packed together with sun, fun and energy, Luca looks like another clear winner from Disney-Pixar, and audiences will fall in love with this one when it arrives in cinemas in June.

Images: Walt Disney Pictures

The post Enjoy all the fun in the sun in ‘Luca’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Woody (Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his owner, whether that is Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (Tony Hale), declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost girlfriend Bo Peep (Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they are worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that it is the least of their worries.

Director Josh Cooley takes us on a bold new direction with Toy Story 4 and it’s road trip time as Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang find themselves on a cross country journey that leads to plenty of drama and life-affirming moments. Foremost amongst them is Woody’s new responsibility to safeguard Bonnie’s new favourite toy, Forky, a plastic spork who has come to life through the magic of play time and who gives Woody a real run for his money. Voicing Forky is comedian Tony Hale and his performance is nothing short of genius with his incredibly dry sense of humour that really brings out the laughs here, especially when combined with Tom Hanks classic performance as Woody, who for the most part just can’t fathom that the world is moving on around him, and he’s yet to adapt.

Right at the heart of Toy Story 4 is Hanks’ Woody who has lived his life trying to make the joys of children come to life, but here in a brand new location, he’s offered the first chance at his own kind of happiness. That occurs with a chance encounter with one-time love interest Bo Peep, played by Annie Potts, who is definitely not the toy that Woody remembered and together these two go on an action-packed adventure to reunite Forky with Bonnie. Cooley brings out the chemistry between Woody and Bo here and the sparks really fly up on screen, as do plenty of daring stunts and there are moments in Toy Story 4 that will definitely leave your eyes wide open. This time around there’s also considerable character development for Hanks’ Woody and it’s fun to see him evolve and mature as a character throughout the film’s narrative.

But if there’s one character who absolutely steals the show here then it most definitely Keanu Reeves as Canada’s greatest ever motorcycle champion Duke Caboom! From the minute he rolls onto the screen, Reeves is just a hoot as Caboom, a one-time daredevil stunt toy who failed in his trick, and who now suffers from an over-the-top ego and a frightening case of toy-like PTSD. All of this leads to plenty of outlandish moments on the case of Caboom and Reeves revels in the part. The veteran actor was a great find for the film, and it’s fun to watch him poke fun at both his Canadian heritage, along with his passion for motorcycles, and his involvement in Toy Story 4 leads to plenty of big jump moments and a whole lot of laughs.

If you’re looking for laughs with Toy Story 4, well, you’ve come to the right place because this movie is packed out with them. Key to the laughs alongside Reeves, is the presence of Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key as Bunny and Ducky, a pair of sideshow plush toys who have a run in with Buzz Lightyear and who continually spout off one hilarious anecdote after another. These two will seriously have you laughing your head off, and they definitely add a whole lot to this bold new animated film. But if there’s one laugh that really got me going then it has to go to the ever dependable Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) whose by-the-book approach to managing Forky left me howling with laughter.

But along with the bigger than life spectacle and outlandish laughter, Toy Story 4 also has a strong message about what it means to grow and evolve as an individual and for Woody this holds a lot of sway in the film. While his responsibility has always been to save guard the lives of the children he cares for, such as Andy and Bonnie, Woody has to come to terms with the fact that life changes and that sometimes even toys have to grow up. It’s an extremely heartfelt narrative on the part of Cooley and it really brings everything together.

Audiences, both young and old, will have a fantastic time out with Toy Story 4 and with its’ combination of laughs and love demands to be seen on the big screen.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

The post ‘Toy Story 4’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.