I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Lava tells the story of a lonely volcano, yep really. Anyway this volcano spends his days singing and that's the general premise of this. Generally I adore these beautiful little shorts and Piper (2016) really set the bar. Don't get me wrong Lava is good, it has your usual Pixar charm and hits you right in the feels but it just didn't have "It" whatever "It" may be.If I saw two one man bands competing for the attention of a little girl to get a shiny gold coin (One Man Band: 2005) I'd laugh and cheer, if I saw a magician trying to keep his unruly rabbit in check (Presto:2008) I'd be in hysterics, if I saw a baby bird brave the new world I'd d'awww (Piper:2016) but I can confidently say if I saw a singing volcano I'd run screaming in soggy trousers (It'd be sweat I swear).Sweet, heartfelt, but a lonely singing volcano really?

Well if 'Inside Out' wasn't a good enough film to begin with the short that accompanies it is just as good.Well done to Pixar, who consistently produce these lovely little films before the main feature, and also make them to such a high standard.This one has all the qualities that Pixar strive for within their feature films. Heart, warmth, and crucially strong storytelling. In an age where the biggest explosion or most graphic sex/violence wins, it is refreshing to see a quality piece of film.I think this can be found on the 'Inside Out' DVD if you're interested. It's well worth your while.

"Lava" is a 7-minute short film that was screened already about a year ago at festivals, but its real release was together with Pixar's new "Inside Out". And I must say Pixar delivered again in terms of this short movie. It's probably, even with this runtime, one of the most Hawaiian films ever, especially in animation. They are so so good in breathing emotion and life into inanimate objects and here they fully succeed again, this time with volcanoes. The two do not manage to get together as one of the is always under the sea or has its back turned to the other, but of course in the end they are united. It was predictable yes, but that does not take away a bit of the magic. Together with this wonderful love story once again, comes a beautiful song that fits the atmosphere perfectly and the two singers do a really fine job. And it's not just the volcanoes falling in love. If you take a closer look, you will also see dolphins, turtles and seagulls in love. About 1 minute before the end, I thought the only thing that could still improve this already brilliant film would be the two singers performing a duet that fits the happy ending and this is exactly what happened. Excellent animation too, but that's a given with Pixar. Perfect rating. A true gem of a movie.

Lava is a beautiful allegory for how a lonely old man can be rejuvenated by the companionship of a very attractive and much younger woman.Uke, the male volcano, spends his life singing about how lonely he is and wishes for the universe to send someone for him to "lava" (a pun for "love"). When he is old, gray, and nearly extinct, the universe rewards him with Lele, who unlike Uke is oddly shaped for a volcano (she looks more like a young, thin human woman). They sing about growing old together, in spite of the established fact that Uke is significantly older than Lele.On the other hand, it is followed by a film (Inside Out) about a young girl with agency and a relatively sophisticated understanding of her life. Interestingly, the other film goes so far as to propose that the young girl is not totally controlled by her emotions, and that perhaps this is the case for other people, too.