Check out our thoughts on Disney Pixar’s Inside Out 2!
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Pixar’s Inside Out 2 is this year’s Pixar Feature Film. As with the previous 27 features, Inside Out 2 meets the highest standard of quality in terms of animation and storytelling. There was a time when sequels to animated classics went “straight to video” or were just lesser in general. That it has been almost ten years since the first Inside Out film, shows that Pixar’s motivation to make a sequel for something has more to do with waiting for a good and relatable story to tell. Whereas the first Inside Out gave us a peek into the concept of the inner workings of a human child and how they handle change on the outside (Riley moving to a different state) Inside Out 2 is more focused on how a human handles changes on the inside (growing up and beginning puberty).
Riley growing up and beginning puberty is manifested inside by the addition of new emotions. Returning cast include the actors who voiced the emotions Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), and Anger (Lewis Black). Returning emotions with new voice cast include Fear being voiced by Tony Hale (Toy Story 4, Arrested Development) and Disgust voiced by Lisa Lapira (Crazy, Stupid, Love and the tv show The Equalizer).
Returning humans include Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan as Mom and Dad, respectively. Riley being older is now voiced by Kensington Tallman (best known for the show Home Sweet Rome!).
The new emotions include Anxiety (Maya Hawke from Stranger Things), Envy (Ayo Edebiri from The Bear), Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos from Blue is the Warmest Color) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser from Cobra Kai).
The story is set into motion for Riley as school has ended and her and her best friends have been invited to a Hockey Summer Camp which is hosted by the coach (voiced by Yvette Nicole Brown of Community) of the High School Riley will be going to next year. She learns that her friends were assigned to a different High School. This revelation, teamed with the appearance of a new button (puberty) on the emotions board, leads Riley into the next step of her growing up.
Within the three days of the Hockey Camp, Riley must learn how to make new friends, maintain her old ones, try to prove she can make the new High School Hockey team, try to impress everyone, and try to maintain her sense of self.
Needless to say, that is a lot for anyone to manage and is easily something anyone who has gone through puberty and graduating to High School can relate to. Inside Out 2 also has one of the best illustrations of what it’s like externally and internally to experience an anxiety attack.
The themes of trying to fit in and the stressors of young adults and teens are so beautifully executed in terms of the animation and story that while the concept of Inside Out 2 may feel a lot like the first Inside Out, its actually just a continuation and evolution of the story and characters which still speaks to everyone who has ever lived.
For anyone who may think that the themes of Inside Out 2 may not be appropriate or may go over the heads of far younger viewers, I can say that my five-year-old attended this screening and he thoroughly enjoyed the film from start to finish and recognized intent of the moments of anxiety and sadness without it being too much to understand or handle.
The bright colors and always engaging visuals and dynamic animation goes a long way. And Pixar knows how to tell a story that feels full even with a runtime of under 100 minutes. In summation, as with all Pixar films, it is acceptable and enjoyable for the whole family.
Check out Inside Out 2 in theaters on Friday June 14th! You don’t want to miss it on the big screen!
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