Monday Morning Quarterback Part I
By BOP Staff
June 23, 2015
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Matthew Huntley: I think it was Inside Out's universally recognizable premise, both for adults and kids, that made it such an easy sell at the box-office. Who among us hasn't wondered, from time to time, or perhaps daily, just what the heck goes on inside our heads? It's practically human nature, and Disney/Pixar took the liberty of providing one possible answer, which they also shaped into a bright, rich, energetic story that's also intelligent and emotional. Viewers were clearly excited about this one and it's obvious, based on the reviews, the filmmakers did it right.
A $90 million opening is a stellar result, yes, but to me, it's also not a very surprising one. I think a lot of people have been waiting eagerly for Inside Out, and the fact that it made such a big impact is great, but it was also something I expected. What can we say, but Disney/Pixar just has a way of making movies that appeal to a lot of people, and I mean a lot of people, without cutting creative corners. They've done it yet again, and their track record is sort of remarkable.
Felix Quinonez: I think at least a little of Inside Out's amazing opening weekend can be attributed to the fact that we didn't get a Pixar movie last year. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and perhaps we started taking Pixar for granted. I think that this helped raise the level of excitement a bit. But I believe the real reason why Inside Out broke out the way it did is because of the amazing reviews. The last couple of Pixar releases (Monsters University, Brave) got good but not great reviews and Cars 2 was actually labeled "rotten" at Rotten Tomatoes. (I believe that's their only movie to receive that dishonor.) In fact, you have to go all the way back to Toy Story 3 (2010) for Pixar's last movie that was met with the universal acclaim they built their reputation on.
So when it became clear that Inside Out was Pixar back at the top of its game it got audiences dying to reunite the studio responsible for some of the best movies in the last two decades.
Ben Gruchow: It's the first Pixar film in two years, it's the first Pixar original in three years, and it's the best Pixar film in six years. This is kind of old news, and all three of those facts were known last Thursday; I think the degree to which it's the best Pixar film is what moved the needle the extra $20 to $25 million. Monsters, Inc. and Up (the director's last two projects) were movies that I appreciated more for their formal accomplishments than for how they affected me emotionally, and I was surprised by how thoroughly Inside Out got to me. It's the first movie this year for which I know a second viewing is happening.
The other factor in this movie's breakout has to do with the market being primed for it. If you look at Brave, Up, or WALL-E (the last three non-sequel Pixar movies), each of them was released in relatively close proximity to another family-oriented film; Brave had Madagascar 3, Up had Night at the Museum, and WALL-E had Kung Fu Panda. This year, the closest we've had was Home (three months old) and Cinderella (three and a half months old). Just like with Jurassic World last weekend, the failure of Tomorrowland paved the way for this film opening the way it did.
Jason Barney: I think part of the reason for this success - I am not saying all of it, but part - is the utter lack of animated features at the box office lately. I understand that Age of Ultron and Jurassic World lean younger; we are talking about super heroes and dinosaurs and it is the summer movie season. However, the last animated children's film released was Home, and it was 13 weeks ago. That is an incredibly long time for the family demographic to be ignored in the market place.
The other obvious reason for such a large opening is the word-of-mouth. When a film starts out of the gate with a 98% fresh rating, it is going to suck in a lot of people who were sitting on the fence. With cellphones and text messaging, it does not take long for the quality of a film to spread to people who are thinking about going to the movies. If a friend sees something of this high quality, you can be assured they are telling other parents with kids about the must see option that just opened.
Finally, Pixar has its own brand now. People want to see the very cool ideas this company comes up with.
Kim Hollis: I'd agree that reviews have probably propelled it to a higher-than-normal debut. Pixar films have a comfortable opening weekend range ($65-70 millon) that Inside Out easily exceeded. I do think people were ready for something new and unique, and the fact that people were universally singing its praises is enough to push a lot of undecideds over the edge.
Edwin Davies: I think everyone else has covered many of the main reasons for the film's success, but I'll throw out one more: it's a film about a young girl, in which the narrative is primarily carried by two female characters. Pixar films have a pretty universal appeal, but they primarily make films about male characters with female characters pushed to the sidelines or put into supporting roles. Brave was an attempt to change that, but the relatively lackluster quality of the film prevented it from being a smash. Inside Out is much more relatable to young girls, who would have been out in force to see a film that offered something for them (and which, thankfully, offered something for their parents) which probably helped it break out more than previous Non-sequels from Pixar have in the past.
David Mumpower: I agree with Ben that the absence of Pixar releases has made many hearts grow fonder. After a pair of lackluster products, the studio sagely pushed the release of The Good Dinosaur rather than run the risk of submitting another disappointing movie. The result is that they guaranteed that their next film would redeem the brand after Cars 2 and Monsters University, a sequel and a prequel that were fine but not special, especially by Pixar standards. Brave fell between those, and it's a divisive topic on its own. With Inside Out, even the least fanatical watchers agree that it's solid and admirable. The zealots are head over heels in love with it, and many of them have been since the first trailer revealed the concept. That's what pushed the demand to historic levels for an original concept, the part of this start that's getting lost a bit. Opening Toy Story 3 huge is one thing. What Pixar has accomplished with Inside Out is much more impressive in my estimation.
Kim Hollis: What are your three favorite Pixar films? Do you have a least favorite? If you've seen Inside Out, where would it stand?
Matthew Huntley: I know it's a cliche to say so, but man, the first question is a hard one! Anyway, here's my top three: 1) Ratatouille; 2) Toy Story 2; 3) The Incredibles. Question 2 is a lot easier: Cars/Cars 2.
I saw Inside Out, and although it's very praiseworthy on a lot of levels, and I enjoyed watching it, it wasn't the most entertaining Pixar film in my opinion, probably because I could sense where it was mostly going and it was just a matter of time before it got there. That being said, it's still a great film and I have a feeling a lot of people will rank it fairly high on their personal Pixar quality meters.
Felix Quinonez: I can't answer the first question. The second one is easy for me: Cars/Cars 2. And I haven't seen Inside Out yet.
Ben Gruchow: I'd probably rank my three favorites as follows: 1) WALL-E; 2) Inside Out; and 3) Up. I haven't actually seen either Cars movie, but I'd have to say that my least favorite is A Bug's Life.
Inside Out kind of screws with my top three, actually; I found it more engaging and consistent than the second half of WALL-E, but not as jaw-droppingly gorgeous or gutsy as that movie's first 40-odd minutes.
Jason Barney: I really enjoyed Toy Story 3, so that one goes on top. WALL-E was great, so that is my number two. Rounding out the top three would be a tie between Cars and Up.
My least favorite would probably be Brave, but that is a pretty light criticism, as I enjoyed it.
Edwin Davies: Up would probably be my number one, followed closely by WALL-E then one or all of the Toy Stories (Toys Story?). Though really there isn't much separating the top ten. My least favorite is Cars 2, and there is a pretty big gap between that one and Cars, my second-least favorite.
I have yet to see Inside Out, because two of my best friends selfishly decided to have a lovely and brilliant wedding in England on the same weekend the film opened, but the first thing I do after getting off the plane of Wednesday will be to run to a theatre to see it, because I have yet to miss a Pixar film in a cinema and I'm not going to start now.
David Mumpower: First of all, you people are out of your minds in criticizing Cars. It's flat out a better film that their biggest box office hits to date, Finding Nemo and Toy Story 3. I'll grant that Cars 2 is disappointing, but even as the second worst Pixar movie to date, it's still plenty entertaining. Sometimes, I think we expect too much of the Pixar brand, and it makes us harsher when products don't match our lofty level of anticipation. Their worst film thus far is A Bug's Life, which is a blueprint example of the sophomore slump. After Toy Story, they simply didn't have a fully formed thought for a second film, which makes DreamWorks' decision to rip it off with Antz all the more confusing.
As far as favorites, this is a company that has made a lot of masterpieces. I believe that with all my heart. So, when I exclude films like WALL-E and Ratatouille from the list, it almost pains me. Still, I know the Pixar movies I've watched the most, and that's The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc., and Up. Out of those three, The Incredibles is my favorite although Up is probably the best overall film in terms of quality. Parts of it are still a bit difficult for me to watch, and I hold that against it, perhaps unfairly.
Inside Out would sadly fall toward the bottom of my list. It's a film that I admire more than I love, which makes me history's greatest monster according to the majority of the internet right now. I'm glad everyone else loves it, but I would have enjoyed it more if the advertising hadn't hinted that everyone would have their own set of emotions rather than focusing almost exclusively on the developmental process of a young girl. I love that Pixar has filled a niche here (and by niche, I mean the majority of the population) by telling a story that is the female equivalent of Where the Wild Things Are. I just found it a bit more interesting as an intellectual exercise than an entertaining movie. Basically, when Pixar appeals to more people than ever with their biggest blockbusters, those titles have a tendency to leave me a bit cold for some reason. It's happened three times now, whether that's coincidental or not.
Kim Hollis: Up and Monsters, Inc. go in my top two slots. From there, it's a lot trickier, because I genuinely love the majority of Pixar's filmography. I haven't decided where to slot Inside Out yet, mainly because I feel like it will gain something on repeat showings. But there's a chance that my three favorite films are all from Pete Docter, which is probably saying something about his creative mind matching my imaginative fancy. For now, though, I think I'll choose Ratatouille for that third spot. I love its message and I love that it was brave enough to tell the story of a rat.
As for least favorite, it's probably Cars 2, but I actually quite enjoyed it. Plus, it has Bruce Campbell in it.