“Inside Out 2,” directed by Kelsey Mann, continues where the 2015 original “Inside Out” left off as Riley (Kensington Tallman) becomes a teenager, officially entering puberty. The film follows Riley as she attends a hockey camp for a weekend and loses sight of her identity due to the new emotions introduced into her head: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). After being suppressed by the new emotions, Joy (Amy Poehler), Disgust (Liza Lapira), Fear (Tony Hale), Anger (Lewis Black) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) must venture into the back of Riley’s mind to help recover her sense of self.
The care put into this story about growing up will stagger audiences, trumping that of the original and increasing the relatability of the story. Displayed by new and old emotions alike, Riley’s desire to fit in leads her to make decisions such as ignoring her best friends to hang out with the cool older teenagers. One of the most relatable moments comes when Anxiety panics about how to move Riley’s arms while she walks, just for Ennui to make Riley place her hands in her pockets to act cool. Other relatable moments include Riley’s family island becoming much smaller than the rest of her islands once she hits her teenage years.
New emotions stood at the forefront of this film’s marketing, and each one proves a nice narrative foil for old emotions. The film presents even a few surprise emotions not advertised and instead used as gags, which may only land with audiences beyond their teenage years. Yet, the writing of the new emotions makes the teenage experience universal as it relates not just to older people who experienced their teen years, but to teenagers themselves. By engaging nearly all age demographics, the movie’s appeal proves much higher than its predecessor.
Pixar’s track record with comedy tends to be hit or miss, but the humor of “Inside Out 2” stands strong. Not only does the humor come from scripted jokes and zany characters, but situations feature long silences, awkward decisions and agonizing interactions that will have audiences nervously laughing while gritting their teeth. In terms of the characters and dialogue-based humor, one standout is a character Riley once had a crush on from a video game, animated staggeringly similar to its inspiration, “Final Fantasy.” Another standout is a character from a show Riley watched as a child who breaks the fourth wall just like cartoons such as “Dora” or “Blues Clues.” All of these moments blend nicely into the serious narrative, feeding a comedic undertone.
“Inside Out 2” proves better than its predecessor and stands out as an effortless return for the beloved emotions from the original. The new emotions create a dynamic that allows viewers to re-experience and sometimes explain why puberty and the teen years stand as the worst in anyone’s life. This and its message to be true to oneself makes for a Pixar sequel that audiences everywhere will love.
3 ½ energy drinks out of 5
