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Pixar animation featuring the voices of Kaitlyn Dias, Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan. Directed by Pete Docter. 102 minutes. Opens Friday at major theatres. G

The magnificent head trip that is Inside Out does more than take us inside a young girl鈥檚 mind. It also restores Pixar鈥檚 lost magic.

Remember Toy Story, WALL-E and The Incredibles, where emotion and intellect were both served by tales of imagination and depth? These delightful films were from an era that seemed gone forever, supplanted in recent years by franchise timewasters like Cars 2 and Monsters University.

Inside Out not only recalls the Pixar of old, it may be the Disney partner鈥檚 finest achievement yet. Tipping its hat to The Wizard of Oz, Fantastic Voyage and numerous other fantasy journeys, this animated adventure thoroughly amuses and challenges on its subconscious quest.

Five primary human emotions become colourful cartoon characters, voiced by gifted actors: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling).

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Arrayed behind the control panel of a cerebral Headquarters (groan), they jockey to control and safeguard the thoughts and memories of 11-year-old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), a Minnesota girl who loves to play hockey and who generally allows Joy to guide her.

Her father (Kyle MacLachlan) gets a new job in San Francisco, uprooting him along with Riley and her mom (Diane Lane) to an unfamiliar city and sparsely furnished home.

Riley falls prey to Sadness, a moody blue sentiment who looks na茂ve and harmless but who has a habit of sneaking up on people, just as the blues do in real life. Soon a full-blown case of depression looms, one that irrepressible Joy can鈥檛 easily solve, despite her cheery 鈥淲e can fix this!鈥� mantra.

Worse yet, Riley鈥檚 happy 鈥渃ore memories鈥� 鈥� represented by glowing golden spheres 鈥� are in danger of being erased and supplanted with permanently terrible thoughts.

Joy and Sadness are obliged to join forces and travel through the maze of Riley鈥檚 mind in a bid to restore her equilibrium. Meanwhile, Fear, Anger and Disgust struggle to hold the fort back in Headquarters, much to the concern and bafflement of Riley鈥檚 parents. Dad鈥檚 own Headquarters perceives 鈥渉igh levels of sass鈥� emanating from Riley.

References to other films abound 鈥� there鈥檚 even a shout-out to the Minions of Despicable Me in the 鈥渕ind workers鈥� of Riley鈥檚 neuronal housekeepers 鈥� but Inside Out has a charm all its own.

We meet figures of pure whimsy and wonder. These include Bing Bong (Richard Kind), an elephant/dolphin/cat hybrid, clad in pink cotton candy, who was Riley鈥檚 imaginary friend from her early childhood.

A giant clown called Jangles (Josh Cooley) rises out of Riley鈥檚 subconscious. Is he comedy or drama? Joy and Sadness will have to use their noggins to figure it out.

The movie really flips its lid as it depicts a sprint towards Riley鈥檚 Train of Thought across multiple dimensions. There鈥檚 also a casting call inside Dream Productions, a magic factory unlike any other, where a rainbow unicorn acts as nocturnal diva.

The jokes flash by at synaptic speed, buoyed by an exuberant score from composer Michael Giacchino (Jurassic World, Up, Rataouille), and with shout-outs to such adult pleasures as the movies Vertigo and Chinatown.

Some of the film鈥檚 concepts are hard to grasp immediately, which isn鈥檛 surprising considering director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera, who previously teamed for the Oscar-winning Up (2009), spent years consulting with psychologists about the myriad complexities of the human mind. (Docter also co-wrote the inventive screenplay, along with Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley, while Pixar veteran Ronnie Del Carmen gets credit for the original story and also as the film鈥檚 co-director.)

Inside Out was years in the making, with entire sections being tossed out and reworked as Docter and his team set about getting the right tone: neither too comic nor too dramatic, while allowing for the nuances that make emotions really interesting.

The effort was worth it, especially in finessing Sadness and Anger, who would undoubtedly be unalloyed villains in a lesser film. Inside Out makes the essential point that all lives have unhappiness in them, and that mental health requires balancing bad feelings with good ones.

Sadness has mixed sensations about the havoc she鈥檚 causing, because she really doesn鈥檛 want to hurt Riley. Anger frequently loses his cool not for random reasons, but because he鈥檚 outraged by unfairness.

Joy perfectly expresses the inner turbulence of a young girl 鈥� who was inspired by Docter鈥檚 own daughter Elie 鈥� as she prepares for her first day at a new school.

鈥淢ake sure Riley stands out today 鈥� but also blends in!鈥� Joy instructs the other emotions.

I鈥檓 looking forward to reading think pieces by psychiatrists and psychologists, after they experience Inside Out. But although the film inspires deep thoughts, it can also be enjoyed as a high-spirited adventure.

Don鈥檛 skip the closing credits, which include hilarious zooms through the minds of dogs and cats who, as any pet lover will tell you, think very different thoughts.