Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the amazing and original Pixar animated coming-of-age film from 2015. I thought the first movie was one of the most inventive, funny, and heartwarming in the Pixar library, and this sequel proves that the first one was not a fluke.
If anything, this sequel expands on its timely, relatable premise by upping the ante with the introduction of several unique characters and a boundless supply of imagination.
The sequel picks up with all the emotions from the first film (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear) as they continue to navigate and provide commentary on Riley’s life. Riley is now a teenager and getting ready to attend hockey camp with her friends. While there, she meets a new girl named Val who instantly becomes her new idol.
It’s such a pleasure to hear the voice talents of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, and Liza Lapira providing such hilarious, smart, and even poignant dialogue for each of their respective characters, and each actor gets their time to shine.
In addition to the established emotions, we get some new ones in the form of Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment, but perhaps the new one that takes center stage is Anxiety (Maya Hawke). She’s an emotion determined to take control of Riley, making her think negatively about any given situation.
As with the first one, Inside Out 2 has no shortage of visually dazzling world-building, such as when Joy and the others discover a portal known as the Sense of Self, which stores Riley’s memories, while Anxiety wants to disrupt it at all costs.
Inside Out 2 explores these new emotions and builds on the previous ones without any sense of cynicism or condescension. The movie treats its target audience with respect and dignity and shows the good and the bad of all these emotions.
In addition to the fantastic voice work and spectacular animation, the movie has a wonderful message of self-control and letting life take its natural course.
I certainly hope this isn’t the end of the Inside Out series. I’d love to see where these characters go when Riley hits high school, college, and marriage. This premise continues to have a lot to offer.
Grade: A
(Rated PG for some thematic elements.)
This review is dedicated to the memory of Price Chapman
