After a few years where it looked like Pixar might be stumbling during the pandemic, the company roared back to life in a big way this year with “Inside Out 2,” the highest-grossing movie of 2024 and the highest-grossing animated film of all time (yes, they will now be making sequels until the end of time). Leaving aside the fact that ‘IO2’ wasn’t actually great (sorry, the Anxiety character becomes severely overwrought), the conventional wisdom was “we’re so back” as far as Pixar’s might was concerned. But unfortunately, “Dream Productions,” the new Disney+/Pixar mini-series spin-off of “Inside Out,” is rather uninspired and lackluster.
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Now, it’s not terrible, per se, but it’s relatively unimaginative, especially considering the imaginative concept. An interquel set between the events of “Inside Out” (2015) and “Inside Out 2” (2024), “Dream Productions” centers on the Dream Production team that lives inside Riley’s mind and crafts her dreams (they’re briefly seen in both films). And it really could be an unlimited inventive dreamscape place or narrative. Instead, it’s just a familiar workplace comedy inspired by “The Office” and “Abbot Elementary” right down to the same mockumentary-style style form, shaky camera moves and deadpan fourth-wall breaks.
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Moreover, it also becomes an inside-jokey satire about the movie-moviemaking and the film industry, which feels a lot like every other oh-so-trying-to-be-clever riff on meta-moviemmoviemaking making a movie (or a series and it’s not unlike “Deadpool & Wolverine” in this way, but less filthy and obnoxiously self-aware).
So the story follows dream director Paula Persimmon (Paula Pell), who is essentially the beloved auteur of Riley’s dreams that everyone loves. Paula is a hit director with the Midas Touch, and everyone loves her work.
Critically, however, she’s a bit distracted, many resting on her laurels and isn’t dialed in enough to realize that Riley is becoming a tween. When she creates a dream about an upcoming school dance that features Rainbow Unicorn, her first AD, Janelle (Ally Maki), tries to warn her that it’s too played out and immature for where Riley is at in her stage of development.
Not listening, and a little obstinate and arrogant, she goes forward with the dream, regardless, it bombs, and the head of Dream Productions, Jean Dewberry (Maya Rudolph) promotes Janelle to be a new director, and Paula is left looking a star career that looks like it’s in shambles.
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Xeni (Richard Ayoade), Paula’s new assistant, tried to warn her about the ingenuousness of her dream that would tank with Riley, so having fired him and on the ropes, she rehires him in hopes of getting her career back on track. Xeni, however, is nepo-family member of sorts and Jean’s nephew, so he’s extra tricky, snooty, and constantly threatening to rat on Paula if she gets out of line.
While at odds, together, they must collaborate to form a new dream that will track with Riley and appease her bosses. Of course, Jean is displeased and is threatening to fire Paula, raising the stakes even higher.
So, while semi-amusing and all kids will probably enjoy, it’s basically a Kids Bop version of “Abbott Elementary” and something you’ve seen countless times before.
This is the problem with Hollywood of late. You haven’t seen animation and a Pixar movie told through the lens of “The Office,” so they believe this mode is a fresh take.
In reality, it’s pretty rote, familiar and diminishing returns of a style that’s been overdone to death and only thrives through the most quick-witted of writers (see “Abbot Elementary,” which is the same damn thing over again, but funny as hell thanks to the cast and writers).
Written and created by Mike Jones, however, he can’t land the same level of hyper-clever quips, so it’s essentially a lite version of the modality for kids and Pixar die-hards.
Yes, all the “Inside Out” cast members are there to some degree. Amy Poehler as Joy, Liza Lapira as Disgust, Tony Hale as Fear, Lewis Black as Anger, and Phyllis Smith as Sadness (thankfully Anxiety is let into the room), but their parts essentially just obligatory cameos and they don’t do that much.
Besides a featureless teleplay, one of the culprits here is Ayoade’s Xeni character, who is highly annoying. Now, Ayoade excels as these kinds of fussy and precious characters, but he generally makes it really funny, and when he’s at his best, he’s an absolute scene-stealer. Yet, similarly to how “Dream Productions” feels very conventional rather than fantastical, the Ayoade typecast is stereotypically recognizable.
“Inside Out 2” may have put Pixar back on top for now, but “Dream Productions” is two steps backward; not a nightmare, but not a memorable reverie either. [C]
“Dream Productions” is available now on Disney+.