Dream Productions: Review

Pixar Animation Studios returns to the world of Joy, Anger, Fear and Sadness for this bridging series that's set between Inside Out and the phenomenally popular Inside Out 2.

With Riley about to become a teen (and we all know how that turned out), Dream Productions turns its lens squarely on what's going on in her mind, rather than the emotions. 

But more specifically, what happens when she's asleep.

When long-time dream director Paula Persimoon (Paula Pell) is told that Riley's core dreams of Rainbow Unicorn and glitter bombs just isn't cutting the mustard anymore as she ages, she faces a choice -adapt to the new ways of the world or simply keep on doing what she's always done... Meanwhile, Riley's juggling the dilemma of going to her school dance - and everything horrific that it entails.

Dream Productions is a meta commentary on Hollywood - and the cynical may also suggest a commentary on Disney itself who've focused solely on their own past, determined to repeat prior successes.

Split up over four episodes and into a "mini series" format that doesn't suit it (a film would have been more beneficial), the show's actually a cleverly executed construct that revels in Pixar's trademark animation and aesthetics.

With fleeting appearances from Joy et al, the film grounds itself squarely in the Inside Out universe, while simultaneously expanding on what made the films work so well =- but the clever whipsmart comments and jokes are more confined to the film industry than the universality of growing up and consequently, the appeal feels a little more limited.

That's not to say it's not laugh out loud funny in parts.

From Richard Ayoade's deadpan performance as the arty director who wants to move his vision into the nightime world of dreaming away from the daydreams that Riley enjoys (does that cloud look like a hockey puck being one of the more memorable titles) to Pell's stuck-in-her-ways director, there's much to enjoy in this zippy, pacy series from Mike Jones.

But the script occasionally veers into the extreme rather than the grounded, meaning some of Dream Productions feels like it's going for deliberately wacky and zany rather than something that naturally progresses that way.

Its final episode becomes a real swipe at the industry itself, with writers strikes, director visions and the recent Hollywood conflicts over contracts firmly in Jones' eyeline. And while it's well-translated into its story vision, one can't help but feel that there are some grievances being aired throughout the series that are hard to shake, indicating a Hollywood world still bitterly divided.

At its heart, Dream Productions works best when it settles for good solid sight gags or witty word play. It's less successful in its barbs, and while it's still enjoyable enough fare, this feature-length long series feels like it's more suited to an older audience rather than its potential tween core.

Dream Productions is streaming on Disney+ now.