Uniting Pixar's greatest strengths as a fully realized modern epic, Inside Out bursts with humor, heart and genuine insight. Writer-director Pete Doctor combines the abstract technology of his Monsters, Inc. (2001) with the pathos of last feature Up (2009) to establish a person's emotional core as a control center producing a range of memories. This Headquarters is maintained by five essential emotions: Joy - and then four bad ones - Anger, Envy, Fear and Sadness. When Joy and Sadness get lost within the mind of their charge, 11-year-old girl, Riley, so begins a return trip via her Personality Islands, long-term memory and Train of Thought.

While not as visually ornate as some other Pixar titles, the movie pops with colorful, retro-influenced designs and surreal textures. The characters running Riley's brain are another highlight, from Forgetters doing memory maintenance with a vacuum tube to Bing Bong, Riley's unpredictable imaginary friend who basically steals the show. Anchoring the proceedings, though are the stellar 5-part emotion ensemble led by a standout Amy Poehler as Joy. Bill Hader as Fear and Lewis Black as Anger are hilarious, while even the previously annoying Mindy Kaling and Phyllis Smith, as Envy and Sadness, respectively, bring complexity to their animated characters.

With uncommon depth and a multi-faceted plot founded in human nature, Inside Out boldly stands as Pixar's greatest achievement, a wholly original property driven by female leads that asks viewers to reflect on their own personalities. It is a must-see for all ages, though not without at least two tear-jerking moments that raise the bar for drama this year at the movies. Indeed, it's the best release of 2015 so far, and among the best of the decade, as we continue through its second half.

Final Grade: A | 96/100 | ★★★★