Inside Out 2 (2024)

​“Inside Out 2” stars Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Paul Walter Hauser, Kensington Tallman, Diane Lane, and Kyle MacLachlan.  Released on June 14, 2024, the film has Joy and the emotions facing new challenges inside a teenage Riley.

The film features the feature directorial debut of Kelsey Mann, who directed the short film “Party Central”.  Mann is a storyboard artist for Cartoon Network shows like “Duck Dodgers”, “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends”, and 2008’s “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.  He was also a story supervisor for the Pixar films “Monsters University”, “The Good Dinosaur”, and “Onward” before joining the Pixar Senior Creative Team in 2022.  It is a sequel to the 2015 film “Inside Out”.  For years, many of us have wondered what goes on inside our heads.  It’s the age-old question that got us wondering about the things that make our human brains tick.  In 2015, the folks at Pixar gave us that answer with “Inside Out”, an animated coming-of-age drama depicting an imaginative take of adolescence through the eyes of a young girl’s emotions.  It continued the trend of Pixar’s ever-lasting question, “What if “blank” has emotions?”.  However, it also showcased the studio’s mature storytelling that’s accessible for kids and parents through its themes and emotional depth (no pun intended).  So, in a tradition we all saw coming, Pixar is continuing that adolescent journey with a sequel that gives us more emotions and more problems.  Does it prove to be just as emotionally compelling as its predecessor, or is it another blunder that makes us anxious for the studio’s future?  Let’s dive back into our minds and find out.

The story occurs one year after the first film.  Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Smith), Anger (Black), Fear (Hale), and Disgust (Lapira) continue to guide Riley Anderson (Tallman) as she reaches the next chapter of her new life in San Francisco.  As Riley prepares to go to hockey camp, Joy and the emotions undergo a sudden demolition in their headquarters, making room for a much larger console and plenty of new complex emotions joining the team.  Those new emotions consist of Anxiety (Hawke), Envy (Edebiri), Ennui (Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Hauser).  However, the two sets of emotions end up on opposite sides when Riley meets a famous hockey player named Val (Lilimar).  Eager to help Riley fit in with the cool kids and improve her life, Anxiety and her new pals suppress Joy and the others, resulting in the original emotions being kicked out of headquarters.  With Anxiety now in control of Riley’s actions, Joy and the others embark on another mindful adventure to prevent her from losing the teen’s sense of self.

I was genuinely surprised at how much I loved “Inside Out” when it came out almost a decade ago.  Regarding its simple yet touching story, Pete Doctor’s direction, thoughtful themes, and imaginative animation, it became one of my favorite Pixar films and one of my favorite movies overall.  It was basically “Toy Story” but with actual emotions.  It’s also the only film I have watched in the theater seven times, which was unheard of, considering my limitation is usually once, twice, or three times.  So, while it’s enough for me to get excited about the sequel, I couldn’t help but also be cautious with the direction they’re going with.  

In addition to Kelsey Mann taking over the director’s chair, the film also faces the challenge of exploring the complexities of a teenager’s growth while keeping the story approachable for kids and adults, similar to what “Turning Red” faced.  There’s also the matter of Pixar’s future regarding its recent follow-ups, especially “Lightyear” and the recent announcement of a fifth “Toy Story” installment.  While some of its recent sequels have received praise from critics, general audiences didn’t feel the same way as the years progressed, so there’s some concern about “Inside Out 2” receiving this similar feat. 

“Inside Out” provided a straightforward yet endearing coming-of-age tale of Riley adjusting to her new life in San Francisco.  It was a story we heard many times, but what made it unique was the perspective of Riley’s emotions, particularly Joy, who struggled to come to terms with the other ones, mainly Sadness.  “Inside Out 2” continues this tale of early adolescence, with Joy and the gang confronting the teenager’s emotional complexities, including Anxiety, while reminding us of the “stressful days” we had at that age.  At times, it can feel like a retread of the first film, especially with the emotions journeying outside their headquarters and Anxiety assuming the role of Joy in "improving" Riley’s life.  However, it doesn’t feel like a retread.  Instead, it’s a sense of progression.  Similar to its predecessor and even the “Toy Story” movies, “Inside Out 2” captures the authenticity of the audience growing up with its characters and experiencing the ups and downs of life.  While it offers plenty of fun and light-hearted moments for kids to endure, it isn’t afraid to be a bit mature with its adult themes, mainly the consequences of anxiety determining one’s future.

However, that’s not the only message that elevates "Inside Out 2". It also delves into the theme of "the sense of self". With the new section in the emotions' headquarters called "Sense of Self", the movie offers a metaphorical and thought-provoking portrayal of what defines our identity.  It’s a highly relatable theme that’ll inspire kids and adults to appreciate themselves for who they are, but does its story live up to those “emotional” messages?  Yes, it does.  “Inside Out 2” is another delightful Pixar treat that perfectly balances family-friendly fun, witty humor, and intelligent storytelling.  As usual, the depiction of early adolescence is something we’ve seen multiple times, but the refreshing perspective and compelling screenplay, carried by Kelsey Mann’s direction, helped rejuvenate the narrative that’s inspired many adolescents, especially those approaching that specific age.

Like the first film, “Inside Out 2” was also elevated by its lovable characters, with most of them delivering as much humor as they do with heart, mainly due to its voice cast.  One primary example is Joy, who questions her role in Riley’s life when Anxiety arrives at the scene, with one particular scene emphasizing her arc on a poignant level.  Amy Poehler once again delivered another stellar performance that captures Joy’s whimsical personality, which isn’t without her flaws.  Another example is Anxiety, who’s more of an antagonistic force than a full-fledged villain.  As mentioned, Anxiety is similar to Joy, in which they want to “help” Riley live a better life but don’t realize their selfishness until later on.  Carried by Maya Hawke’s distinctly miraculous performance, Anxiety is another compelling character who’s as complex as our own anxieties.  

The rest of the cast was also outstanding in their roles, both the returning and new ones, including Lewis Black, who remains the perfect choice to voice Anger.  Tony Hale and Liza Lapira, who replaced Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling as Fear and Disgust, respectively, were also suitable as their replacements regarding their humor and performances.  However, I must admit that after watching the first film and “Inside Out 2” back to back, Fear sounded like he hit puberty backwards in the sequel.  It’s not a flaw or anything.  It’s just me pointing out the dumb stuff, as usual.  I was also impressed by Ayo Edebiri's portrayal of Envy, which contributed significantly to her already impressive track record. As for Kensington Tallman, I thought she effectively conveyed Riley's emotional turmoil through her vocal performance.

Finally, we have the animation, which is unsurprisingly one of the movie’s biggest highlights.  "Inside Out" was a standout film for its storytelling, but the animation depicting the inner workings of Riley's mind was truly exceptional. It highlighted the intricacies of the creative and captivating functioning of the mind, dazzling young kids with vibrancy and wonder while also authentically portraying its operations. The movie not only featured many visual gags that were hilariously memorable but also prompted viewers to reflect on their own emotional experiences and memories.  “Inside Out 2” continued that tradition by expanding upon this inventive world, and the result was a stellar display of liveliness and imagination that only Pixar knows how to make.  The moments involving Riley have a sense of detail and realism, reflecting the pressures of anxiety, but the scenes inside her are where the animators get more creative for the better.  The best example that stuck with me is the scene involving two characters with different animation styles.  The way they merge with the regular CGI characters was surprisingly impressive, not to mention effortful.  Additionally, the animation effectively shined in its humor, embracing non-stop hilarity through its clever mind-related puns and striking visual gags.

Overall, “Inside Out 2” feels all the emotions circulating its smart, heartfelt, and visually brilliant depiction of early adolescence and sense of self.  While a few similar elements from its predecessor kept it from soaring beyond Pete Doctor’s emotional masterpiece, Kelsey Mann successfully honored those sentimental beats with a well-written and highly entertaining continuation that never lost its footing with its mature themes.  The voice cast was terrific in their roles, the storytelling effectively balanced its thought-provoking messages with family-friendly entertainment, and the animation was incredible for its world-building.  Even though I’d prefer the first film regarding Pete Doctor’s direction for its emotional depth, this is another Pixar sequel I wouldn’t mind revisiting, showcasing that the animation studio can make a necessary follow-up with the perfect mindset.  If you loved the first film, then you’ll definitely adore this one.  Just don’t get too anxious if it doesn’t live up to your expectations.

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