Of all the characters in the film, one of the most memorable turned out to be not one of the five core emotions – but a memory. It was Bing Bong who’d long gone unthought-of and was at risk of being forgotten forever. The “SPOILER” alert for those who have yet to see the film is that he is forgotten by Riley in moment of touching self-sacrifice – continuing to live-on offscreen.
While TOMY’s INSIDE OUT toys have been the subject of discussion regarding the actual emotions that they represent, they’ve also joined some of their pop-culture peers as items that enhance the movie-viewing experience. Since acquiring the Blu-ray Combo Pack, we’ve watched the film several times here at home, and there has not been a single viewing that has not been accompanied by characters from the film in action-figure form. The Rock Daughters™ even have “The Console” that the emotions use to control their human subject from within the mind!
Outside the core film and toys, something else that we were really excited to own is the vast assortment of bonus features that come with INSIDE OUT – particularly the all-new short film, RILEY’S FIRST DATE, and the fantastic theatrical short, LAVA. While the Hawaiian love story in LAVA featured an infectious song that kids were singing after only one viewing, RILEY’S FIRST DATE takes a further look at those core emotions – jumping into the minds of Riley’s parents and her young “boyfriend” – the same lad she meets at the hockey rink in the original film. The best part for me is that it could be foreshadowing my own future – as one day there will be someone showing up on my porch seeking the affection of my girls, and in RILEY’S FIRST DATE, Dad and suitor bond over something very near and dear to my heart… the music of AC/DC!
Head out to your local Walmart (or Walmart.com) to get a copy of INSIDE OUT and some TOMY toys to go with it. They’re all featured picks in my 2015 Holiday Wish Guide!