Inside Out 2 – An Impressively Profound Sequel

On a personal note, the original Inside Out holds a special significance to this website as it is my first (and the site’s first) movie review. The stars have seemingly aligned as the release of the sequel, Inside Out 2, falls the day before the site’s 9-year anniversary, a time that feels like a long time ago considering everything that has happened in the world since then (definitely an understatement). When it comes to the original vs the sequel, the more things change, the more they stay the same. That being said, the original film set such a high bar back in 2015, winning an Oscar for Best Animated Feature (while also earning a nomination for Best Original Screenplay). One of our Pixar’s finest films, the imaginative and surprisingly profound and emotional journey inside the mind of a young girl was a winner (RIP Bing Bong). The animation was top tier and the all star cast made for a compelling watch that still holds up today. In terms of the sequel, the focus isn’t so much about the world itself but how it moves Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) story forward as the franchise’s exploration of identity reaches the next stage as it takes audiences through puberty and what it means to grow up.

The adolescent stage is where one sets out to find their true self. In the end, we decide what kind of people we want to be and that can only be done through life experience. People are complex and are not defined by one thing. Rather, we are shaped by our memories and experiences both good and bad and sometimes, we need to be equipped with a little more to get through it. Inside Out 2 found Riley reaching her teenage years as the emotions in her head, Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Smith), Disgust (Liza Lapira), Fear (Tony Hale), and Anger (Lewis Black), found themselves stuck at a crossroads while in that transition. They had a system but that system wasn’t enough anymore as a set of new emotions moved in, Anxiety (Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). What quickly evolved into an ideological conflict between the incumbent emotions and the new arrivals about Riley’s future, her sense of self laid in the balance. Joy and Anxiety, the leaders of both factions, disagreed about what was best for her. Only wanting to protect her, they did so in different ways.

Starting high school, Riley was about to enter a pivotal moment in her life. Navigating the pitfalls of friendship and a blossoming hockey career, Joy and Anxiety wanted to steer her on the right path until the latter staged a mutiny and took over the controls and sent the old emotions away. Having worked so hard to establish the infrastructure, building Riley from the ground up and into the person she became but then seeing all their work become warped by Anxiety and her negative approach had them worrying about her sense of self. Operating out of fear, she exerted a control over Riley by steering her against her nature and away from the dangers she perceived as a means to protect her future. An approach that focused so much on the negative and what may or may not happen, proved to be a drain on her both emotionally and physically as she appeared to lose what made her her.

Trying to find Riley’s lost sense of self, Joy and the other emotions went on a trip down her stream of consciousness to find it before it was too late. Through that journey, the story revealed even more intricacies within the daily operation of her mind. Fugitives, their adventure came with some perilous moments and plenty of fun little surprises, facing seemingly insurmountable odds that would test their resolve but ultimately, it’s okay to not have all the answers. Be it Joy or Anxiety, essentially controlling Riley in their own ways, it was something that they, and the other emotions, would have to learn to accept. No one person is one thing or the other, as mentioned, people are shaped by their experiences and that meant letting her go and trust her enough to figure out who she was and who she wanted to be on her own.

At the end of the day, it’s Pixar so the animation is once again beyond reproach. The world of Inside Out 2 is an explosion of color and detail as the inside of Riley’s mind has never looked better. Giving the emotions a more expanded playground to work with, the journey offered excitement and laughs that is made for the big screen. However, one of the biggest highlights of the film is what it does with the material. While the theme of puberty and growing up is nothing new but putting its own spin through the lens of its characters and world was just as compelling to watch and resonating as the original film. Meanwhile, the other highlight, and what truly ties it all together, is its performances. Missing Bill Hader a Fear and Mindy Kaling as Disgust, the cast all bring their A-game. Despite the aforementioned recasts, that dynamic between the core emotions remained and was a blast to watch as the story took them away from the control room. Though they had their moments to shine, Poehler and Smith as Joy and Sadness are sensational. Out of the new emotions, Hawke’s erratic energy as Anxiety was welcome, if only to balance out the dynamic between all the emotions. Ennui is a miss of a character but June Squibb as Nostalgia is a scene-stealer in a smaller role.

Inside Out 2 is an impressive sequel that delivers another profound and poignant exploration of identity, this time through the lens of puberty. A visual wonder, its themes may not be new but its presentation, expanding the film world with a compelling story and strong performances, make it one of the better films of the year.

still courtesy of Disney/Pixar

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.