It’s been a while since we last saw Riley (Kensington Tallman). Recently, Riley turned thirteen and has officially entered her teenage years. Once again, we delve into her mind’s lively range of emotions – joy, disgust, sadness, fear, and anger. There have been changes in Riley’s mind, as Joy (Amy Poehler) has created a device that removes all negativity and tucks them away in the back of Riley’s mind. Life for Riley and her mind is all going well. But one morning, the emotions group receive a distress alarm warning them that Riley is now entering a new phase known as puberty.
The familiar place where emotions reside is suddenly changed. Their entire lair is destroyed and updated for what’s to come, and new emotions begin to appear, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). With so many emotions, getting along will be a challenge for everyone. Additionally, Riley has been chosen to attend a hockey camp, which brings immense pressure to perform well while navigating long-term friendships. Will Riley’s emotions unite and make the right choices to impact her future positivity?
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the original film, released in 2015. While Pete Docter directed Inside Out, Kesley Mann is the moviemaker behind Inside Out 2. Mann’s only previous credit is a Monsters Inc. short film called Party Central from 2013. As a sequel, there are fascinating ideas in motion. Having the original characters return and allowing us to see a much older Riley at the centre is wonderful. What makes the sequel more exciting is seeing Riley face a new world of challenges and issues as she enters teenagerhood. Adding more emotions made the film more exciting and raised my curiosity about the story’s direction.
Once again, Disney Pixar has delivered a visually stunning film. The bright colours, including all the different emotions, create a fun and playful visual experience, and the film presents a massive world full of wondrous creativity. This creativity is especially seen when depicting the feelings living inside Riley’s mind and how they cope with new significant changes. Unlike the previous film, this story will resonate strongly with a teenage audience due to the various themes and messages, such as peer pressure, fitting in, and, most importantly, dealing with anxiety. Some moments may be difficult for a younger audience due to the complexity of the concepts introduced. As an adult, I found some of the logic within Riley’s mind confusing, but instead of dwelling on it, I went along with the story.
The film starts strong and finishes with an emotional finale and showdown. However, the second act feels long and includes some unnecessary and familiar moments. Through this act, we watch our leading emotions embark on a new journey, hoping to return to Riley’s mind and regain control. It reminded me of films such as Toy Story, where the main characters must travel by foot to get towards their end goal- the journey isn’t easy, and they encounter various stops and meet new funny characters along the way. Riley’s adventure in the outside world also feels drawn out at specific points. Still, I appreciated the unpredictability of the finale.
Overall, as a sequel, I’m delighted to say there’s a beautiful concept and idea to introduce, whether for newcomers or fans of the original film. The transition into the teenage years presents a new set of challenges and emotions. The new characters are successfully introduced, as well as the new ideas that audiences will enjoy. I’m confident teenagers will connect with the movie on a deeper level and gain from the messages about peer pressure and anxiety. Although the film starts cleverly, has a few jokes along the way and finishes with a heartwarming ending, some moments feel slow, and the main journey for our lead characters feels somewhat familiar. It’s not as impressive as the original, and some aspects are more complex for younger audiences. Still, I can’t deny it: Pixar once again delivers a film with top-notch animation, voice work, and sound design and a heartfelt emotional storyline.
6.8/10
★ ★ ★ ½
13th June 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
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