This enjoyable and boisterous sequel to one of Pixar’s high watermarks pits its protagonist against the onset of puberty as the appearance of more emotions creates havoc and a crisis of sense of self.
Review #2,817
Dir. Kelsey Mann
2024 | USA | Animation, Adventure, Comedy | 100 min | 2.39:1 | English
PG (passed clean) for some thematic elements
Cast: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Phyllis Smith
Plot: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.
Awards: –
Distributor: Disney
Accessibility Index
Subject Matter: Light/Family – Emotions; Coming-of-Age; Friendships
Narrative Style: Straightforward
Pace: Normal
Audience Type: Mainstream
Viewed: In Theatres – The Projector Cineleisure
Spoilers: No
It may be good to temper your expectations for Inside Out 2 so that you will have the most fun out of it. The sequel to one of the high watermarks of the Pixar canon, Inside Out 2 is that yummy dessert that your tummy still has room for after a fulfilling main course.
A box-office hit with the strongest opening weekend so far for a Hollywood title released this year, Inside Out 2 takes the boisterous parts of the first movie and expands it to an all-out party for misfits.
Joy and her fellow core emotions are taken aback by the appearance of other emotions that threaten to create havoc in the mind of our dear Riley, who’s now entering her teenage years—and more significantly, has had the red button of puberty pushed within her.
With Anxiety (well, what else but that chronic condition that plagues all of us adults) leading the way, Riley must navigate a new world of burgeoning friendships amidst her existing relationships with her parents and old schoolmates.
“I’m a good person.”
The ‘Inside Out’ world remains full of vibrant colours and surreal landscapes, though with far more characters than usual to play with, the emphasis now isn’t quite about great adventures and touching camaraderie but on getting things ‘right’ as a tug-of-war ensues between how Riley’s ‘Selves’ ought to be constituted.
For the most part, I enjoyed Inside Out 2 and I think for me as an adult in my mid-30s, it allowed me to reminisce about those youthful days—the unpredictability of mood swings, the inability to control one’s emotions, but also the grand opportunity to shape who you want to be.
So, will we have a third film in about a decade’s time with Riley preparing for parenthood? The other Pixar’s ‘Up’ perhaps? (Go Google Michael Apted if that reference flew over your head).
Grade: B+
Trailer:
Music:
Eternality Tan 
Great reviews as always. I recently had an opportunity to watch this movie a few days ago and absolutely loved it. I thought it was a spectacular sequel that managed to improve on its predecessor. I loved the new emotions that it introduced particularly anxiety. As someone with severe anxiety, the depiction of anxiety resonated deeply with me. There’s a scene involving a panic attack which may be the best thing that Pixar has ever done. It’s so realistic that I almost forgot that I was watching a movie. It’s not quite as great as the first film mainly due to pacing issues. That being said, I adored it. One of my favorite movies of the year so far.
Here’s why I loved the first “Inside Out”:
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